Alcoholism disease.

Sometimes if you are feeling so stressed and the world seems to be against you and you are desperate to find something to relieve the symptoms of stress then sometimes it seems an easy way out and you might start to drink more alcohol than before as a way to cut things out, it's vital to deal with stress in ways other than using alcohol or drugs.

Although alcohol is widely socially acceptable, it is still something which can have negative effects on your body. it can cause problems such as liver damage, hidden at first but in the long term are potentially very harmful. People who regularly drink above the recommended upper limits of alcohol (for men: 3-4 units a day; for women more than 2-3 units a day) are highly likely to develop this or other medical problems. For example, men are four times as likely to get high blood pressure; women three times more likely to have a stroke or heart disease, both men and women 2-5 times more likely to have cancers of the mouth and throat.

Alcohol may also be a factor in people who develop cancer of the esophagus or larynx or breast cancer on women. Liver cancer and cirrhosis is also related to alcohol consumption, as are memory loss, depression and brain damage or dementia. These are all probable long term effects of regularly drinking above the recommended levels.

So don't use alcohol or drugs on a regular basis to relieve stress. There are other ways to feel better whether you take more exercise, cut down on caffeine, or consult with a counsellor, you will be able to reduce your stress without becoming dependent on alcohol.

If you can't reduce the amount of alcohol you consume, on your own, you could seek help from alcoholics anonymous which you can go to yourself or seek advice from your GP about any symptoms which may be related to damage caused by alcohol. Whatever way you do it, if you want to turn over a new leaf and find ways to feel much better about yourself then you have to cut down or out completely all the alcohol you are drinking. Become aware of the triggers that start you wanting an alcoholic drink and before you get to them again work out your strategy for dealing with them. Step by step you can beat alcohol and deal with stress in other ways either by yourself or with help sourced via your doctor or other helping agencies.