Best Remedy- Homeopathy can help overcome Alcohol Addictions

Homeopathy has been in existence for more than 200 years and has been helping people overcome alcohol addictions since then. There are less side effects as compared to Allopathic Medicines and people can see effects in about one month.

Homeopathy is available in India in almost every city and is cheaply available. Homeopathic doctors may be very helpful in guiding the addicts and also the family members who are suffering from this menace.

There have been researches carried out by Government of India on how homeopathy can help drug and alcohol addicts. Please click here to know more about the research done-

http://hpathy.com/scientific-research/homeopathy-for-drug-and-alcohol-abuse/

A very good information on medicines available in homeopathy is available on this website- http://www.madeitsimple.com/health-care/homeopathic-medicine-can-help-you-getting-rid-of-alcohol-smoking-addiction/ . We are copying useful information from this website and we acknowledge that we have taken the following contents from them-


Alcohol and smoking have become a part and parcel of modern lifestyle. Advertisements, movies and celebrities promote these poisons in attractive form and our young generation easily falls prey to them. Also peer pressure is start of these addictions. Innocent youngsters who refuse to drink and smoke are labelled as boring, non happening or outdated and bullied and so just to keep up their status in peer group, guys and girls start drinking alcohol and smoke at very tender age. This is the start of their end.their families suffer much more than they do. Alcohol is the reason behind most broken families in India. Lets help somebody lead a good life.

These medicines can help your near ones to give up smoking and alcoholism. Help them quit these poisons and give them better standard of living.


Treatment: 

1.WALNUT (also called "Akhrot"): this medicine is extremely helpful to break up a habit, may it be smoking or alcoholism. It reduces the desire to consume it by breaking the chain and helps the patient to adjust in public.

2. SCLERANTHUS: this patient gives up smoking and alcoholism for sometime and starts it again. This is due to weakness of will or commitment. He cannot stand by his decision to leave these habits.

3. CHERRYPLUM: this remedy helps the persons who may or may not be habituated but they do have the temptation to consume liquor n smoke if they see others doing it.i.e. This remedy reduces temptation to drink or smoke.

All the above 3 remedies can be used together in combination at a time. Take 4globules minimum 4 times a day. These medicines can be given to the patient without his knowledge. Just mix them in their drinks or plain water. Globules dissolve in few mins. They have no side effect or any concept as over drugging. They can be safely given to patients in all ages. Dosage could be 6 to 8 times, if needed.

4. NUX VOMICA: this remedy can be given to patients who consume liquor badly beat their wives and kids. Nux vomica reduces the desire to take alcohol and also reduces its dependence. If patient is unable to abandon his habit and turns to alcohol in times of stress or depression, turns abusive and unco-operative in abstaining from wines, consumes alcohol to counter the burden of heavy work, use nux vomica 30x, 4globules 2 times a day for 1month. Its mother tincture can be taken too. Add 10 drops of liquid in water or drinks 2 times a day.

5. SULPHUR 30x: it can be given to the persons who are in the process of giving up alcohol but are suffering from its harsh effects already. 4 globules daily for 10 days.

7. SULPHURIC ACID MOTHER TINCTURE: mix 10-12 drops of it in liquor or water. Patients will give up alcohol in sometime. In the process they may suffer from diarrhoea and mouth ulcers but not to worry, they will be fine on their own. If diarrhoea is more give pulsatilla 30x 2doses at the gap of 4hrs. Also give sulphuric acid atleast for a month.

8. QUERCUS MOTHER TINCTURE: 10- 15 drops in water for atleast a few times a day for several months will help a person to quit drniking wines completely.

9: CALADIUM 12x or 30x: 4globules 3 times a day helps to give up smoking and its bad effects.. cures smoker’s cough.

Other things that can help are:  

  Meditation.
  Rehabilitation centre.
  Counselling.
  Living stress free life and sharing problems with near ones

- Dr Kirti Tekwani




Further, there are few medicines such as this-

http://abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/101292/

Please note that we are not aware about these medicines so it is requested to please consult Homeopathic doctor first. We do not take any responsibility.

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How to decrease your alcohol consumption

Decide to make a cut down to the alcohol consumption as soon as possible because as late you get, it’s that much harmful for your health and lifestyle.

          Take a right approach to cutting down the consumption. Cutting down alcohol gradually will be better and also effective as compared to cutting down alcohol immediately. Because you are more likely to be comfortable in a gradual decrease.

          Tell your friends and family that you are trying to cut down on alcohol, as you may also need a moral support from others which will be quite effective. You may also have some friends who will be against your decision but be ready answer remembering the benefits of cutting down alcohol.

          Keep a track on the alcohol you drink. Have a diary and write down how much you normally drink each day and also set up a target that you want to achieve and reduce your consumption slowly so as to reach that goal. Also while buying alcohol bottle, make sure you buy an alcohol with a lower alcoholic content than what you usually buy. This will help you in controlling the alcoholic intake in your body. Make small differences in consumption. For eg. Have a small 125ml glass of wine instead of a large 250ml one.

          Buy an alcohol measure; do not consume alcohol guessing the quantity. This will help you maintaining a record of how much you consume.

          Allocate dinner as the only time you drink up alcohol. Take a glass of your drink and watch TV or a nice chat with your family. Also never consume alcohol in order to finish a bottle of the drink. Just drink the amount of alcohol that you have allocated for yourself and stick to that.

          When you are out, never go out of control, and consume alcohol in minimum quantities. Drink slowly so that your friends won’t force you to take another round of alcohol.

          Also one important thing you always have to do as a practice is eat a healthy meal before you go out, and snacks between drinks can help to slow down the absorption of alcohol so that you remain in control.

          Prefer having alcohols having low alcoholic contents like beer than your regular hard drinks. Sip regularly soft drinks between alcoholic drinks to slow down your alcohol consumption.

Regular exercise such as fast walking and taking sufficient water a day will help you feel healthy. Meditation will help to keep your mind in your control.

          All the above steps provided will be instrumental in you lowering the alcohol consumption so that you may end it some day. Always keep in mind those benefits; it’ll make your mind ready with what you desire.

          

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How alcohol affects your looks

You may think that alcohol is a damn liquid and cannot affect you atleast the way you look but that’s a big myth. Over indulging on alcohol can affect your physical appearance the next day and in the long term.

The 1^st thing you may notice in an alcoholic is that they are generally fat. Yes, alcohol is fattening. There are about 125 calories in a 175ml of wine. A vodka and coke or gin and tonic is 120 calories. The amounts of calories in a few drinks are often the equivalent of few bars of chocolate. That means alcohol consumption over a long period of time will result in that belly you always wanted to avoid.

          Not just the weight, alcohols can also affect your sleep and can also affect the way your skin feels and looks. After a good few drinks at the night, you may notice that your skin looks pale, grey and tired in the morning. The reason as suggested by dermatologists is that alcohol dehydrates your body, also the skin which is the largest organ of your body. Also the alcohol is thought to deprive the skin of certain vital vitamins and nutrients. These all may just be for those who start drinking alcohol. But for the regular drinkers and addicts, the results may be even worse and permanent. Over drinking may result in a skin disorder called Rosacea which may eventually lead to facial disfigurement.

          Another peculiar ill-affect that alcohol does is that over drinking may result is red facial skin. Drinking dilates the small blood vessels in the skin which makes the skin look red. The face may also get small red bumps and puss spots. In some cases small blood vessels also appear on the face looking like thin red lines.

          Other than that you may get those black spots beneath your eyes and also many rashes like red spots. Heavy drinkers may also not smell good. Liver would metabolise most alcohol but 5%-10% leaves the body as breath, urine and sweat which will be really unpleasant to smell.

          So to prevent all these happening up to you, cut up your alcohol consumption to avoid not only the internal diseases but also how you visually appear.

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Alcoholics Anonymous- A ray of hope for alcohol addicts

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international mutual aid movement founded in 1935 in Ohio, USA. It states that its primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. With the early members, they developed a Twelve Step program of spiritual and character development. Its members and groups remain anonymous (hidden) in public media, altruistically help other alcoholics and include all who wish to stop drinking. The organization has a wide presence all over the world and proclaims that it has over 2 million members across the world.

            The scope of AA’s program is much broader than just abstinence from drinking alcohol. Its primary goal is to effect enough change in the alcoholic’s thinking “to bring about recovery from alcoholism” through a spiritual awakening. This spiritual awakening is achieved by following the Twelve Steps. This Twelve Step Program is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioral problems.

The original Twelve Steps published by Alcoholics Anonymous are :-

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

The rationale of this program is by using the suggested steps of the twelve-step program alcoholics can be guided toward happy and useful lives.  Each step of the program serves a different purpose.  The most important step is the first one, the admittance that you have a problem.  The following steps are personal and spiritual and require personal desire for change.

            The program does not dictate that all steps need to be followed or in any sequential manner.  A.A. encourages members to read them carefully, but it is not forced upon them.  It is something that each member should want to do.  When they want to do it their probability for recovery is higher because they have taken the first step on their own.  The rationale of the twelve-step program is that the alcoholic must consider what steps they want to take towards their own recovery.  The program works by providing a guideline and suggested steps toward this recovery.  In addition, by discussing these steps in A.A., alcoholics are encouraged (but not forced) to explore the different aspects of the A.A. philosophy. At Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, members are asked to speak one at a time about their own experience.  The Step meetings are a discussion about one particular step.  This “works” in helping achieve sobriety by having a member explore himself and his problem. 

            Alcoholics Anonymous now has a profound presence in India and has been organizing meetings in every major and other small cities all over India like Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and smaller cities like Bhopal and Mysore too. Recently the famous TV talk show Satyamev Jayate anchored by Aamir Khan featured the Alcoholics Anonymous India praising it and also spreading the word upon what they actually do and how they have helped people get rid of alcoholism in India. A person need not pay anything for an AA membership as it is self-supporting through its own contributions. So anyone who has a desire to stop drinking may check up for the location and time for the AA meeting in your city and can help yourself get rid of your addiction towards alcohol.

Their website- http://www.aagsoindia.org has more information.

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Rehabilitation Centre- What do they do?

Rehabilitation is term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescribed drugs and street drugs like cocaine, heroin or amphetamines. The general intent is to enable the patient to cease substance abuse, in order to avoid the psychological, legal, financial, social, and physical consequences that can be caused, especially by extreme abuse. A rehabilitation centre will provide such treatment to a person who’s willing to lose the addiction towards alcohol or drugs.

      An alcohol rehabilitation centre would have a rehabilitation program set for a person who is addicted to alcohol helping them to get rid of it. Generally there are three steps which are followed-

Detox

·         The first step in an alcohol rehabilitation program involves detoxification from the alcohol. The detox process can take a variety of forms depending on the amount and length of time the alcoholic has been drinking. Most of the patients can be treated on an outpatient basis, while others will prefer inpatient programs to help them get through the initial detoxing and to provide a safe mind set away from temptation. After the patient is announced not to drink again, mild symptoms may rise after a few hours of the last drink. Patients will experience a range of symptoms like nausea, night sweats and tremors. But some patients may show severe withdrawal symptoms which has to be given medical supervision, they can show extreme blood pressure hikes and death. Symptoms that a heavy drinker may show include hallucinations, convulsions and seizures. Symptoms will progress at a high rate after 2 days of last drink and can be treated with sedatives and other medications such as beta blockers.

Introduction

·         For several weeks following detox, the mental compulsion, or obsession, to drink will be very strong which will prevent an alcoholic from concentrating. Alcohol rehabilitation counselors begin therapy to help the alcoholic understand the underlying issues that caused the person to drink. Patients also must admit that they have a disease and cannot drink again if they are to continue with their recovery over the long-term. Overcoming denial is a challenge for counselors in the first days and weeks in rehab. Medical doctors see patients during their alcohol treatment program. Physicians check for signs of depression and look for signs of a secondary mental condition that may require medication. Remorse, guilt and self-loathing may impair a person's ability to get sober. Antidepressants often are used to treat alcoholics for a year or more.

Immersion

·         As patients in alcohol treatment centers begin to feel better they are immersed into daily routines that support their well-being. Some treatment centers offer alternative therapies such as massage, yoga, medication classes and arts and crafts. Group therapy sessions are an integral part of the rehab as well as assignments that help alcoholics gain insight into their lives and make decisions about changes that may need to be made. Patients are introduced to other community support organizations for their family. Patients are encouraged to build relationships in groups to assist them once they leave the facility, usually within about 30 days. Many alcohol rehab programs also offer follow-up care in the form of regular counseling sessions, annual alumni reunions, newsletters and phone calls.

With the increasing need for treatment of addicts increased in India, Indian government felt the need for a council which would regulate and monitor services given by different centers which was later made as the Rehabilitation Council of India.

As the years went by, many rehabilitation centers have been set up by the state and also private enterprises aiming at helping the people in getting rid of their addictions. Now rehabilitation centers are present in almost all major cities of India. A rehab session may last from 30- 90 days depending upon the degree of addiction. Centers provide these sessions at an approximate fees of Rs 8000- Rs 20000 depending upon reputation of the centre, experience and also the kinds of services that are provided.

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Some of the rehabilitation centres may be found on the right side of page under "Useful Links" area.

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Effects of Alcohol

If you have looked to someone who is drunk, you may have noticed change in their behavioral patterns. Behavior changes with the increase in dosage. Some of the immediate effects seen are as follows-

Few drinks—body relaxes, concentration lowers, body reflexes go down.

Few more drinks— More confidence or daring, judgment not good (they may speak what comes first in their mind without thinking whether it is good or bad to speak). May have trouble writing, unclear speech, intense mood such as sad or happy or angry

Still more drinks—Sleepy, cannot remember or understand things, cannot react to situations quickly (if they spill a drink they may just stare at it), may not stand or walk properly, unclear vision, may not sense things properly such as (hearing, tasting, feeling, etc). Aggressive behavior such as violent or may become affectionate etc (whatever mood they get, alcohol intensifies it)

More still— can barely move, cannot stand or walk, may vomit, may become unconscious

Further more- unconscious, they feel cool, slow breathing, slow heart rate, depressed reflexes (their pupil may not respond appropriately to change in light)

Even more—possibly coma or death.

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Commonly Available Alcoholic Drinks in India

Alcoholic beverages are major drinks which are available on almost all major parties and occasions and are considered a social drink. Its generally an adult drink but kids too are getting addicted to it. Alcohol consumption can be dangerous and even fatal can be harmful in large quantities as it is harmful for the liver and the heart in the long run. Many alcoholic beverages are available these days. Let’s discuss few of them and the probable danger it has over the long run :-

1. Beer- it is the most consumed alcoholic drink and is the 3^rd most popular drink overall after water and tea! Made basically using rice or barley, it has an alcoholic content of 4% - 6%. Even after having such less its quite dangerous when consumed in large quantities over a long run. It results in developing alcoholism and also liver diseases. Beer drinkers often develop a tummy also known as the “beer belly” and this extra fat increases the risks of heart diseases.
2. Wine- its one of the oldest alcoholic drinks that were prepared by man and also one of the most consumed even now. Its prepared from variety of things , but mainly from grapes. It has an alcoholic content of 9%-16%. It causes obesity due to the presence of high calorie content. It also weakens the heart and causes a condition known as cardiomyopathy so the heart is incapable of pumping much blood. Its believed to increase BP and thus the risk of stroke, it can act as a catalyst on the onset of acute and chronic pancreatitis and also is believed to affect fertility of a person.
3. Rum – rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane byproducts like molasses. Having an alcoholic content of 37.5% - 80%, it’s a huge risk to health If consumed in large quantities. The consumption has adverse affect on liver and heavy drinkers are susceptible to liver cirrhosis. They can also develop anemic condition ie low RBC. And in some cases drinking spirits like rum increases the risk of a person to develop cancer.
4. Whiskey- it is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks among adults. It’s a distilled alcoholic beverage prepared from grains like barley and wheat popularly. It has an alcoholic content of 40% - 55%. Its considered one of the most damaging drinks to the liver. It may cause stones and also result in a permanent damage to the liver. Also a risk that remains is the increase in blood pressure which may later damage heart too.
5. Vodka- it’s a very popular drink among the young population. It prepared from fermented grains or potato and has an alcoholic content of about 40%. Its particularly risky because in many regions vodka is poisoned with highly toxic chemicals which are very harmful for health, causing blindness, stones and acute cirrhosis in parts of the body to many who consumed poisoned vodka. 
6. Tequila- its very popular among teens and the youngsters and also one of the most affecting to the health. It has an alcoholic content of 30%-55%. Its consumed mainly neat without any dissolvent, this is very dangerous if one consumes it in large quantities as the high concentration of it at a single time may result in a damage to the liver.

Other than this long term alcohol drinkers suffer from alcoholism or alcohol-dependency. This results in depression and fatigue among the drinkers which may affect a person mentally too apart from the damage it does to the heart and the liver.

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Local Country Made Liquor in India

India, being one of the most populous countries in the world is a huge market for alcohol. Alcohol is being consumed in India since ancient times. So lots and lots of traditional alcoholic beverages are prepared in the country apart from the foreign brands that are imported. It is estimated that more than 40% liquor consumption in India is country made liquor.

Here are few of the alcoholic drinks that are made-in-India and consumed-in-India :-

Handia- it is a rice beer that’s commonly made by the people from central Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar,Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

Mahua- it again is a traditional drink prepared by central Indian people from locally available mahua flowers.

Fenny- it’s very popular country liquor made in the state of Goa. This spirit is prepared from the juice of cashew apple or coconut.

Toddy or palm wine- palm wine is consumed in large amounts in southern part of India. It’s actually produced in various parts of the world using the sap of palmyra and coconut palms. In India its mainly prepared using coconut palm’s sap.

Arrack- arrack is a typical alcoholic beverage traditionally made in various countries of Southern Asia. It’s prepared by the fermented sap of coconut flowers, rice grain, sugarcane or fruits. It’s consumed by almost whole of India.

Sonti- it’s prepared particularly in the state of Andhra Pradesh. This rice based alcoholic beverage is prepared by steaming rice, to saccharify the starches to sugar; a mold is used followed by fermentation.

Chang- it’s a popular alcoholic beverage in the Himalayan regions of India. It’s a relative of the universally popular beverage beer. It’s prepared basically from barley, millet or rice. Its prepared in various methods in different areas.

Chauk- it’s a traditional rice beer indigenous to the state of Tripura. It’s drunk usually in social occasions of any Tripuri ceremony as ritual so it holds an important part in the tradition of the Tripuri people.

Gudamaba- it’s a traditional drink of people of the state of Andhra Pradesh. It was brewed from sugarcane and was offered to Goddess Durga but was later banned by the government due to the illegal use of methane and other chemicals which were used for making it.

Other than these traditional alcoholic beverages which are indigenous to the regions where they are produced, universally produced and consumed drinks such as beer, rum, whiskey, scotch, rum, gin, vodka, wine  etc. are either produced by Indian companies or are imported and are widely available all over the country in government owned wine stores. See their respective section to know more.

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