Careful treatment of alcohol dependency is necessary for a swift recovery

For many people in the UK, the consumption of alcohol is merely an everyday habit. Whether it's two or three beers in the pub after work, or a few glasses of wine with your dinner, drinking alcohol is, to many, a basic social gesture. And while many individuals may binge drink to their detriment every weekend, it's important to establish the difference between people who often drink more than is good for them and those that are alcohol dependent.

If you suffer from alcohol dependency, it means that you feel the need to have a drink to help you with certain situations. For instance, if the thought of socialising without having a few drinks first fills you with dread and anxiety, then you're likely to be alcohol dependent. Alcohol dependency isn't quite the same as alcoholism; alcoholics need alcohol to handle every situation, while alcohol dependents rely on alcohol to get them through only certain situations. But, alcohol dependency does require treatment, and may in turn develop into alcoholism if left unchecked.

In contrast to opiate dependency, alcohol withdrawal may often present a risk to life; and acute withdrawal of alcohol in chronic alcohol dependency may lead to Delirium Tremens. Delirium Tremens is characterised by acute confusion, disorientation, vivid visual hallucinations, paranoia, marked tremors and other various symptoms and signs of alcohol withdrawal. If left untreated, Delirium Tremens can lead to a 10 per cent mortality rate, and therefore requires urgent medical admission.

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