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What is CAGE Test?

Friday, March 23rd, 2012

The CAGE test is one of the most common and trusted alcohol addiction screening tests in the United States and United Kingdom. Professionals and family doctors use the CAGE test to assess an individual for the signs of alcoholism.

The CAGE test is a very simple and very straightforward questionnaire consisting of only four questions. The term CAGE is taken from the first letters of the acronyms form by the bold letters below. As you can see, these words describe the feelings and actions that an individual may experience because of drinking alcohol.

CAGE test has 93% accuracy among all the addiction tests for alcoholism, according to research.

When answering the CAGE test, you should make sure that your answers are true; otherwise, you will not get the accurate result.

The following are the four main questions of the CAGE test, which are answerable only by yes or no.

Have you ever felt you need to cut down on your drinking?
Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
Have you ever felt guilty about drinking?
Have you ever felt you needed a drink first thing in the morning as an eye-opener to steady your nerves or to get rid of hangover?

The following are the interpretation of the results based on your answers of the above questions.

If you answered yes to 1 question, the possibility of you having an alcohol problem is 25%.
If you answered yes to 2 questions, the possibility of you having an alcohol problem is 50%.
If you answered yes to 3 questions, the possibility of you having an alcohol problem is 75%.
If you answered yes to all of questions, the possibility of you having an alcohol problem is 90%.

If you answered 2 on any of the questions above, it means that you may have an alcohol problem. If you have answered yes to all of the questions, it means that you may be an alcohol dependent. Eitherway, you need to consult your doctor about it. You can check with your family doctor about your alcohol test result or set an appointment with an alcohol addiction counselor.

Tags: addiction tests for alcoholism, alcohol addiction screening tests, CAGE Test
Posted in Alcohol Related Research Study | 1 Comment »

What is AUDIT Test?

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012

AUDIT Test stands for Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. It was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a simple method of alcohol screening for excessive drinking. It helps identify the people who are excessively drinking and tell whether or not they are at risk of developing problems related to excessive drinking.

AUDIT test also determines how risky an individual’s method of drinking is. The current AUDIT test classification of alcohol drinking patterns includes hazardous or risky drinking, harmful drinking, and alcohol dependence. Hazardous drinking refers to the pattern of alcohol consumption that incurs the possibility of danger for the drinker and other people. Harmful drinking is another pattern of alcohol consumption that can cause physical and mental hazards to the person. Lastly, alcohol dependence is the state wherein a person drinks alcohol repeatedly for the purpose of self satisfaction. This situation is also considered as a behavioral, cognitive, and physiological phenomenon due to repeated alcohol use.

The AUDIT test also helps medical practitioner identify the numerous health problems related to alcohol drinking. After assessing an individual through the AUDIT test, medical practitioners can help find solutions on how the person can quit drinking alcohol. The AUDIT test also helps doctors and counselors know the most effective techniques to avoid the harmful consequence of the patients’ drinking patterns.

AUDIT test can be conducted in several settings, such as in general hospitals and mental hospitals for individuals who are suffering from disorders associated by alcohol dependence. It can also be conducted for vagrants, prisoners, and for people who attempt suicide including those who are involved in accidents and criminal assaults.

Tags: alcohol screening, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, alcohol use test, AUDIT Test
Posted in Alcohol Related Research Study | No Comments »

Alcohol Addiction Strategies: Treatment and Self-Help

Saturday, November 19th, 2011

Alcohol addiction happens when one becomes dependent on the substance. There are many factors that can lead to alcohol addiction like if you associate yourself with heavy drinkers, you increase your chances of alcohol addiction. Genetics, emotional health, and how you were raised also play roles in how susceptible you are in getting addicted. Those who are suffering from depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety are also prone to this alcohol addiction.

Alcohol addiction affects your life in all aspect. It affects the way you think, damages your body, affects your relationships, and causes work related problems. Many resort to abuse alcohol due to problems that are hard to deal with. This does not solve anything; instead, it causes more problems because of how the alcohol affects the body.

Treatment and Recovery

The process of recovery is a long and hard way. It requires full dedication to withdrawing from the addiction. This means choosing a better and healthier life. There are some simple steps to follow when it comes to recovering from alcohol addiction.

Recovery is a process. Once you stop drinking, you have to try and create a new life. This will put you in a different environment and move you away from the factors that lead to the addiction.
Avoid triggers. High-risk situations like when hungry, angry, lonely, and tired cause alcohol cravings. Take note of these triggers so you don’t end up grabbing a drink when you feel it. People, places, and things can also act as triggers so avoid anything that reminds you of drinking or puts you in the mood to drink. Making a list of your triggers will make it easier to know which ones to avoid.
Learn to control and relax yourself. One of the reasons why people use drugs and alcohol is to relieve tension. Find alternative ways to relieve tension like listening to music, going for a walk, enrolling in a gym or meditation classes.
Be honest. Addicts become great at lying because they have to lie about so many things just to cover up the addiction. During recovery, try to be as open and honest about yourself to your family, therapist, and sponsor. This way you are giving others the chance to help you fix your life and move away from the addiction.
Recovery as a chance to change your life. Change is hard but changing for the better is always rewarding. It is a long process but if you look at what you will gain in the end, it makes the process manageable.

Alcohol addiction is a serious problem that can be fatal if not treated. Recognizing the addiction will help the recovery process. If done right and with the right support, the addiction can be treated and hopefully avoid a relapse.

Source:

http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/recovery-skills.htm

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/alcohol_abuse_alcoholism_signs_effects_treatment.htm

Tags: addiction recovery, alcohol addiction, alcohol effects, alcohol treatment, alcoholism
Posted in Alcohol Related Research Study | 2 Comments »

Alcohol Addiction and How to Avoid a Relapse

Friday, November 18th, 2011

Alcohol addiction recovery is a long and hard process but addicts are prone to relapse. All efforts from recovering will go to waste if a person relapses. This is why support and treatment should not stop in recovery. A follow up on the process is necessary to avoid falling into relapse.

A relapse happens when an addict, after stopping for a long time, tries the substance again. For alcohol addicts, it can be one or more drinks. This can last an hour, a day, a month, or years. After the recovery process, a relapse prevention strategy is needed to ensure that a person remains sober and alcohol-free.

Relapse Prevention Strategy

Just like alcohol addiction recovery, relapse is a process. It just doesn’t happen instantly but it happens prior to the actual drinking. After the recovery process, the person will struggle inside to avoid the things that can trigger the relapse. This is why it is important to understand the process of relapse.

Emotional relapse. This stage is where your emotions and behaviors are setting you up for a possible relapse. Possible signs of this stage are mood swings, anger, defensiveness, isolation, intolerance, not going to meetings, not asking for help, poor eating and sleeping habits.

Relapse prevention at this stage means recognizing that you are in this stage. Remind yourself that to ask for help or seek support from your group. Recognize the signs and practice self-care, this will lead you to feel good about yourself and not resolve to alcohol.

Mental relapse. This is when you are thinking about getting a drink but at the same time you do not want to. This means that you are actually considering a drink. The signs of this stage include thinking about the people, places, and things that remind you of drinking. Remembering how it was when you were drinking, lying, hanging out with friends who use, fantasizing about using, and thinking about relapsing.

To prevent relapsing at this stage, try to remember your recovery phase. Don’t give yourself the “just one drink” line. Try to control the urges by telling someone about it. You can also try by distracting yourself with work or keep yourself busy. Urges usually last for 30 minutes, try to fight the urge for half an hour until the feeling goes away. Practice relaxation as well because a relaxed mind is more open to changes.

Physical relapse. Getting to this stage means that you gave in to emotional and mental relapse. It is hard not to relapse at this phase because it means that you are already convinced to have a drink. This is why a strong foundation is necessary to avoid this stage.

A high percentage of addicts fall into relapse. Having a relapse prevention plan is necessary to avoid falling into addiction again. Withdrawal will lead the person to experience emotional and mental relapse. A strong will to fight urges will avoid the possibility of physical relapse.

Source:

http://www.the-alcoholism-guide.org/relapse-prevention-plan.html

http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/relapse-prevention.htm

Tags: addiction recovery, alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, alcohol addicts
Posted in Alcohol Related Research Study | No Comments »

Strategies to Reduce Alcohol Use and Abuse among Young Adults

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

Young adults are prone to try alcohol or drugs. The lack of knowledge and information about illicit substances is one of the reasons why teens tend to abuse them. Some have a higher-risk of getting addicted to these substances and it is hard to determine which ones are prone to addiction.

Alcohol abuse among young adults (10-24 years old) is a problem for every State, community, and family. It brings harmful effects to those who are suffering from it. Here are some of the facts about alcohol abuse among young adults:

Alcohol is the most used drug by youth. It is taken more than tobacco, marijuana, or any other illicit drug.
Alcohol abuse can have immediate and potential tragic consequences and long-term harmful consequences like chronic alcohol addiction.
Vehicular crashes, suicides, homicides, and other unintentional injuries are among the leading causes of death among young adults due to alcohol use.
Alcohol use among young adults has a long-term negative effect on human brain development.

Strategies to Reduce Alcohol Use and Abuse

There are many ways to reduce alcohol use among young adults but the best way is to start with preventive approaches. The school is a great place to learn about the harmful risks of alcohol use. Schools can design programs that can engage students’ interest in spreading awareness about the substance.

Other than the school, there are two more strategies that can be done to reduce alcohol use:

Extracurricular Strategies – encouraging young adults to join extracurricular activities like sports, camps, mentoring, recreation, and drop-in centers help reduce alcohol use. According to research, involvements in such programs help develop better life skills and communication skills. It also decreases involvement in drug use, juvenile delinquency, and violence.

Family Strategies – family involvement is important in alcohol prevention. Sometimes, parents are too busy working and have little time to spend with their kids. The time when they are least supervised may cause them to try and experiment on alcohol, which can lead to abuse. Close parent-child relationships are important because it maintains listening and communication skills between the two. This makes it easier to talk about problems or when teaching young adults about alcohol use, they will be more open about it. Having close family ties makes it easier to discipline and impose rules with young adults.

Although there are other strategies to reduce alcohol abuse, these two approaches involve building closer relationships between parents and kids. Parents may love sports, music or art and they can encourage their kids to do the same and share interests, something for the family to bond after school and work. It is important for young adults to feel they have support in what they do so they keep doing what is right rather than resorting to drinking alcohol.

Source:

http://www.ehd.org/health_alcohol_2.php

http://www.udetc.org/documents/strategies.pdf+

Tags: alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, alcohol use, illicit drug
Posted in Alcohol Related Research Study | No Comments »

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Answers, comments, information, articles and opinions provided on all TestCountry related webpages are general information, and are not intended to substitute for informed professional medical, psychiatric, counseling, psychological, or other professional advice. You should not use the information on TestCountry for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. You should always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, rehabilitation or detoxification from any substance abuse or adopting any treatment for a health or drug problem.

Archive for the ‘Alcohol Related Research Study’ Category

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