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Welcome to the TRN Alcohol Addictions home page sponsored by The Linwood Group. From here you can access the alcohol addiction chat room and alcohol addiction forums, read articles on education or relapse prevention and check for any alcohol addiction specific TRN Events.
In the UK, where drinking alcohol is rated second only to watching television as a favourite leisure activity, alcohol dependency is the most common form of addiction. Some 40,000 people die in the UK every year from alcohol-related causes and it’s one of the top four (along with smoking) causes of premature death.
When we are addicted to alcohol we have a compulsion to drink. If we don’t, we suffer withdrawal symptoms, such as shakiness, sweating, upset stomach and anxiety. We consume more alcohol to reduce the symptoms and begin to drink more in order to feel the same 'high'.
The end stage of alcohol problems, when someone has lost his or her family, health and job because of alcohol abuse, doesn’t happen overnight. If you think about drinking all the time, if you keep trying to quit but can’t, or if you often drink more than you plan to, you may have a problem with alcohol that could start you on this route.
Over time, alcohol affects every part of the body. As well as liver disease, it can be responsible for brain damage, cancer and strokes, infertility, heart problems and skin disorders. Mental health conditions, particularly anxiety and depression, are also common, each can lead to, or reinforce, the other.
The reasons why we get into difficulties with alcohol are complex and are often bound up with our feelings about ourselves and our place in the world. There may also be a genetic component – a child with an alcoholic parent is four times more likely to develop alcohol problems. Accepting that you have a problem with alcohol can be overwhelming. However, there is huge support available for anyone who is prepared to seek help. If you are reading this article on the TRN web site, this is a good place to start trying to get assistance.
