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James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
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Why do so many great writers suffer from alcoholism?
November 1st, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : I am a student majoring in American literature. During my research I have found that many of the great writers suffered from alcoholism. Why? Answer : Donald W. Goodwin, MD, professor of psychiatry, noted in an article he wrote for the American Journal of Psychotherapy (Vol. XLVI, No. 3, July 1992) that there was a “veritable epidemic of alcoholism among American writers” in the first half of the 20 th century. He said that over 70 percent of the American writers who have won the Nobel Prize in Literature were alcoholics, including Sinclair Lewis, Eugene O’Neill,...
November 1st, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : I am a student majoring in American literature. During my research I have found that many of the great writers suffered from alcoholism. Why? Answer : Donald W. Goodwin, MD, professor of psychiatry, noted in an article he wrote for the American Journal of Psychotherapy (Vol. XLVI, No. 3, July 1992) that there was a “veritable epidemic of alcoholism among American writers” in the first half of the 20 th century. He said that over 70 percent of the American writers who have won the Nobel Prize in Literature were alcoholics, including Sinclair Lewis, Eugene O’Neill,...
Why do alcoholics stay alcoholics?
October 25th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : Why do alcoholics say that they are still alcoholics after 15 or 20 years of continuous sobriety? Answer : Alcoholics take very seriously reports of experience. They have heard and believe that when an alcoholic starts to drink after many years of continuous abstinence the pattern of drinking reverts very rapidly to the same compulsive, loss-of-control drinking that existed before becoming sober. There is a neurobiological reason for this. Special nerve pathways in the brain were highly and permanently sensitized to alcohol by earlier heavy drinking. Even...
October 25th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : Why do alcoholics say that they are still alcoholics after 15 or 20 years of continuous sobriety? Answer : Alcoholics take very seriously reports of experience. They have heard and believe that when an alcoholic starts to drink after many years of continuous abstinence the pattern of drinking reverts very rapidly to the same compulsive, loss-of-control drinking that existed before becoming sober. There is a neurobiological reason for this. Special nerve pathways in the brain were highly and permanently sensitized to alcohol by earlier heavy drinking. Even...
What is craving?
October 18th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : What is craving? I am a recovering alcoholic who once spent a couple of days in the hospital where the doctor gave me something because I was getting the shakes. The only other time I felt shaky was when I went into a treatment center where they gave me a tranquilizer to detox. I cannot say I ever had what they call craving Answer : Alcoholics who drink every day avoid craving because they keep the blood alcohol level high enough to prevent the symptoms of withdrawal. The only times you could have experienced craving was in the hospital and treatment center when you...
October 18th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : What is craving? I am a recovering alcoholic who once spent a couple of days in the hospital where the doctor gave me something because I was getting the shakes. The only other time I felt shaky was when I went into a treatment center where they gave me a tranquilizer to detox. I cannot say I ever had what they call craving Answer : Alcoholics who drink every day avoid craving because they keep the blood alcohol level high enough to prevent the symptoms of withdrawal. The only times you could have experienced craving was in the hospital and treatment center when you...
How do I quit taking tranquilizers?
October 11th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : I am 62 years old and have been taking a tranquilizer for the past fourteen years. It doesn’t help with my anxiety anymore (that’s why it was originally prescribed.) My doctor has urged me to stop taking it. He stopped renewing my prescription years ago. I have been able to get it through a friend who gets it illegally. I want to be free of this, but when I quit for even a day, I am frantic with extreme nervousness. I have been warned that if I stop this drug abruptly I can have a convulsion. My husband insists it’s only a matter of will power and putting up with...
October 11th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : I am 62 years old and have been taking a tranquilizer for the past fourteen years. It doesn’t help with my anxiety anymore (that’s why it was originally prescribed.) My doctor has urged me to stop taking it. He stopped renewing my prescription years ago. I have been able to get it through a friend who gets it illegally. I want to be free of this, but when I quit for even a day, I am frantic with extreme nervousness. I have been warned that if I stop this drug abruptly I can have a convulsion. My husband insists it’s only a matter of will power and putting up with...
Can drinking cause a stroke?
October 4th, 2011 / Living Sober / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : My mother had a stroke three years ago. With intensive rehabilitation she is now able to function pretty well. She is 60 now, but up until the time of the stroke she drank almost every day. At the most she would have four or five drinks, but regularly. I never saw her drunk. These drinks would always be separated in the most “civil and socially acceptable manner.” Many of her country club friends are still following this routine. In the past year she has been gradually getting back into the kind of social life she enjoyed before. She has also started to...
October 4th, 2011 / Living Sober / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : My mother had a stroke three years ago. With intensive rehabilitation she is now able to function pretty well. She is 60 now, but up until the time of the stroke she drank almost every day. At the most she would have four or five drinks, but regularly. I never saw her drunk. These drinks would always be separated in the most “civil and socially acceptable manner.” Many of her country club friends are still following this routine. In the past year she has been gradually getting back into the kind of social life she enjoyed before. She has also started to...
Is there still a stigma with alcoholism?
September 27th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : Now that they are even teaching about alcoholism as a disease in medical schools, is there still much of a stigma connected to being an alcoholic? Answer : There is still lots of stigma out here in the public arena about alcoholics. Webster defines stigma as “something that detracts from the character or reputation of a person; a mark of disgrace or reproach.” When a group of professionals and employers was asked “Is there a social stigma associated with alcoholism?” 83 percent of psychiatrists said there was a strong stigma, 70 percent of doctors stated...
September 27th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : Now that they are even teaching about alcoholism as a disease in medical schools, is there still much of a stigma connected to being an alcoholic? Answer : There is still lots of stigma out here in the public arena about alcoholics. Webster defines stigma as “something that detracts from the character or reputation of a person; a mark of disgrace or reproach.” When a group of professionals and employers was asked “Is there a social stigma associated with alcoholism?” 83 percent of psychiatrists said there was a strong stigma, 70 percent of doctors stated...
Why do I keep relapsing?
September 20th, 2011 / Living Sober / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : I have been going to A.A. for a number of years now, but every couple of months I slip. I put together a year of continuous sobriety three years ago and felt so good about myself. I have a sponsor and I go to meetings. Am I going to be one of those people about whom they say “He could never make it”? Answer : It would be a pity if that were true. Take heart – many others have gone through this same relapse history and have made it. I suggest that you read the beginning of Chapter 5 in the Big Book of A.A., which starts by saying that “Rarely have we seen a person...
September 20th, 2011 / Living Sober / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : I have been going to A.A. for a number of years now, but every couple of months I slip. I put together a year of continuous sobriety three years ago and felt so good about myself. I have a sponsor and I go to meetings. Am I going to be one of those people about whom they say “He could never make it”? Answer : It would be a pity if that were true. Take heart – many others have gone through this same relapse history and have made it. I suggest that you read the beginning of Chapter 5 in the Big Book of A.A., which starts by saying that “Rarely have we seen a person...
Quick Screen for Alcoholism
September 13th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : I am a medical student, and I am looking for a quick and easy way to screen patients for alcoholism. Right now I am assigned to a large clinic where we see many patients each day. I know that the diagnosis of any illness is based on a comprehensive history and physical examination with some laboratory tests, but in this immediate care and emergency setting, we don’t have time to delve into much of a person’s background. Since excessive drinking is a cause for much of the problems we see, I would be very interested in a “tool” to identify alcoholics and make intelligent...
September 13th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : I am a medical student, and I am looking for a quick and easy way to screen patients for alcoholism. Right now I am assigned to a large clinic where we see many patients each day. I know that the diagnosis of any illness is based on a comprehensive history and physical examination with some laboratory tests, but in this immediate care and emergency setting, we don’t have time to delve into much of a person’s background. Since excessive drinking is a cause for much of the problems we see, I would be very interested in a “tool” to identify alcoholics and make intelligent...
Retirement and Alcoholism
September 6th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : I have been sponsoring a man who was a very productive and prominent professional for many years. He retired due to a health problem. He drank socially, but moderately for years with no negative consequences. Following his retirement, he started to drink more in a gradual way. His whole life was committed to an extremely busy and gratifying profession. His empty days in the fourth year of retirement are spent at varying levels of intoxication. He called for help about this and has been attending AA meetings. Following detoxification from alcohol he finds...
September 6th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : I have been sponsoring a man who was a very productive and prominent professional for many years. He retired due to a health problem. He drank socially, but moderately for years with no negative consequences. Following his retirement, he started to drink more in a gradual way. His whole life was committed to an extremely busy and gratifying profession. His empty days in the fourth year of retirement are spent at varying levels of intoxication. He called for help about this and has been attending AA meetings. Following detoxification from alcohol he finds...
Is there a connection between PTSD and alcoholism?
August 30th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is the connection between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcoholism? Answer: An ex-marine officer who provides therapy for Vietnam veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reports that many of those he has treated also have an alcohol abuse problem. PTSD refers to the cluster of pathological symptoms characterized by the painful mental and emotional response initiated by the recall of a deeply imprinted traumatic memory. These painful memories can intrude on a person’s consciousness with or without cues, and in some persons they seem to grow...
August 30th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is the connection between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcoholism? Answer: An ex-marine officer who provides therapy for Vietnam veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reports that many of those he has treated also have an alcohol abuse problem. PTSD refers to the cluster of pathological symptoms characterized by the painful mental and emotional response initiated by the recall of a deeply imprinted traumatic memory. These painful memories can intrude on a person’s consciousness with or without cues, and in some persons they seem to grow...
Why is marijuana harmful?
August 23rd, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Will you lay out some proven reasons why smoking marijuana is absolutely harmful to good health? I am a parent and need some specific ammunition in the constant arguments about this. My boys (in high school) are in athletics and don’t smoke as far as I know, but many of their friends do, and it seems to be such an accepted thing to do at this age. Not only is marijuana smoking disgusting, but from what I have heard, it is harmful. Answer: What you have heard is right – it is harmful. According to Addiction Medicine: State of the Art 1997, marijuana is a mood-altering...
August 23rd, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Will you lay out some proven reasons why smoking marijuana is absolutely harmful to good health? I am a parent and need some specific ammunition in the constant arguments about this. My boys (in high school) are in athletics and don’t smoke as far as I know, but many of their friends do, and it seems to be such an accepted thing to do at this age. Not only is marijuana smoking disgusting, but from what I have heard, it is harmful. Answer: What you have heard is right – it is harmful. According to Addiction Medicine: State of the Art 1997, marijuana is a mood-altering...
Drifting Back to Drinking and Into Health Issues
August 16th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am a retired business man who through the program of Alcoholics Anonymous became sober and maintained sobriety for 24 years. Two years ago, I started to drink an occasional glass of wine at dinner. This progressed to a few beers after golf games. I had quit going to AA meetings a few years before I retired. Within four months after that first glass of wine, I was back to my old vodka routine of a pint or more of vodka a day. I have had two driving-while-under-the-influence charges and in the past year have been through two treatment centers. I am now 68 and...
August 16th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am a retired business man who through the program of Alcoholics Anonymous became sober and maintained sobriety for 24 years. Two years ago, I started to drink an occasional glass of wine at dinner. This progressed to a few beers after golf games. I had quit going to AA meetings a few years before I retired. Within four months after that first glass of wine, I was back to my old vodka routine of a pint or more of vodka a day. I have had two driving-while-under-the-influence charges and in the past year have been through two treatment centers. I am now 68 and...
Can you become alcoholic with no heredity predisposition?
August 9th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Can people become alcoholic who have no blood relative who are alcoholic? What I am trying to say is, can a person with no hereditary predisposition to it become alcoholic? Answer: There are more risks to becoming alcoholic than just having had a parent or grandparent in your family line who was alcoholic. Genetic predisposition is probably the major --- but not only --- pathway to becoming alcoholic. In 1998, a study by the National Institute of Alcohol and Alcohol Abuse found the age of onset of drinking has a lot to do with how things are going to turn out as...
August 9th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Can people become alcoholic who have no blood relative who are alcoholic? What I am trying to say is, can a person with no hereditary predisposition to it become alcoholic? Answer: There are more risks to becoming alcoholic than just having had a parent or grandparent in your family line who was alcoholic. Genetic predisposition is probably the major --- but not only --- pathway to becoming alcoholic. In 1998, a study by the National Institute of Alcohol and Alcohol Abuse found the age of onset of drinking has a lot to do with how things are going to turn out as...
How is nicotine addiction treated?
August 2nd, 2011 / Counseling / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: If - as you say - “nicotine is just as addictive, more deadly, than cocaine,” where are the centers that treat these nicotine addicts? Does this mean that chomping on gum and sticking on adhering (nicotine) patches will alleviate the mental and physical distress that accompanies the withdrawal from tobacco? Answer: Most inpatient alcohol and other drug treatment centers have a protocol for the treatment of nicotine dependence. Treatment of nicotine dependence does not require inpatient treatment. The protocol for dealing with this addiction can be accomplished...
August 2nd, 2011 / Counseling / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: If - as you say - “nicotine is just as addictive, more deadly, than cocaine,” where are the centers that treat these nicotine addicts? Does this mean that chomping on gum and sticking on adhering (nicotine) patches will alleviate the mental and physical distress that accompanies the withdrawal from tobacco? Answer: Most inpatient alcohol and other drug treatment centers have a protocol for the treatment of nicotine dependence. Treatment of nicotine dependence does not require inpatient treatment. The protocol for dealing with this addiction can be accomplished...
Are some countries more prone to alcoholism?
July 26th, 2011 / Announcements / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : Are there some nations more prone to alcoholism than others? Answer : It seems that way. People who live in or whose origins are in the northern water countries of Europe appear to drink more and have a higher rate of alcoholism. These countries include Ireland, England, the Scandinavian countries, Germany, France, Poland and Russia. Countries that border the Mediterranean - Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, and North African countries – have lower rates of alcoholism. Asians also tend to have a low incidence of alcoholism as a population. Because many...
July 26th, 2011 / Announcements / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : Are there some nations more prone to alcoholism than others? Answer : It seems that way. People who live in or whose origins are in the northern water countries of Europe appear to drink more and have a higher rate of alcoholism. These countries include Ireland, England, the Scandinavian countries, Germany, France, Poland and Russia. Countries that border the Mediterranean - Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, and North African countries – have lower rates of alcoholism. Asians also tend to have a low incidence of alcoholism as a population. Because many...
Why is alcoholism classified as a mental illness?
July 19th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: If alcoholism has a high death rate, why is it classified as a mental illness? I thought people died of physical disorders. Answer: They do, so alcohol combines the elements of both mental illness and physical disease. Alcoholism is classified as a substance abuse disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) . Mental and emotional symptoms of alcoholism exist long before the grave physical complications of the disease appear. The mental symptoms consist of loss of control (taking in larger amounts of alcohol over a longer period of time...
July 19th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: If alcoholism has a high death rate, why is it classified as a mental illness? I thought people died of physical disorders. Answer: They do, so alcohol combines the elements of both mental illness and physical disease. Alcoholism is classified as a substance abuse disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) . Mental and emotional symptoms of alcoholism exist long before the grave physical complications of the disease appear. The mental symptoms consist of loss of control (taking in larger amounts of alcohol over a longer period of time...
How Does marijuana impair functioning?
July 5th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Can you comment on the duration that one’s functioning is impaired after smoking marijuana? I hear all kinds of information about this. Answer: It has been known for a long time that smoking marijuana impairs functioning in activities that require skills, whether it be operating machinery, driving an automobile, or flying an airplane. Even relatively small amounts of marijuana impair perpetual motor skills. The response time as a reaction to certain external events is slowed by the use of the drug. A number of experienced airline pilots were tested in their skills. The...
July 5th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Can you comment on the duration that one’s functioning is impaired after smoking marijuana? I hear all kinds of information about this. Answer: It has been known for a long time that smoking marijuana impairs functioning in activities that require skills, whether it be operating machinery, driving an automobile, or flying an airplane. Even relatively small amounts of marijuana impair perpetual motor skills. The response time as a reaction to certain external events is slowed by the use of the drug. A number of experienced airline pilots were tested in their skills. The...
Am I an alcoholic or not?
June 21st, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Several years ago I had a routine physical. My doctor found a “markedly enlarged liver”, and informed me if I kept drinking I would soon have cirrhosis of the liver. I had filled out a medical history form in his office that asks questions about previous illnesses, etc. Where it had asked about alcohol consumption, I answered honestly that I regularly drank about six or more drinks a day, and had been doing this for many years. I never got drunk, and no one had ever commented about my drinking. My liver enzymes were all elevated and he said that I had “alcoholic...
June 21st, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Several years ago I had a routine physical. My doctor found a “markedly enlarged liver”, and informed me if I kept drinking I would soon have cirrhosis of the liver. I had filled out a medical history form in his office that asks questions about previous illnesses, etc. Where it had asked about alcohol consumption, I answered honestly that I regularly drank about six or more drinks a day, and had been doing this for many years. I never got drunk, and no one had ever commented about my drinking. My liver enzymes were all elevated and he said that I had “alcoholic...
Alcoholism and Diabetes
June 14th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am not an alcoholic. I drink moderately – that is, two or three times a week. I will drink usually two drinks, occasionally three when I do drink, but never any more. Do you have some advice for a diabetic who drinks as I have described? Answer: Alcohol-consuming diabetic patients should consider the following general suggestions for preventing alcohol-induced hypoglycemia: Never consume alcohol without food or while in a fasting state. Consume only moderate amount of alcohol, i.e., one or two bottles of beer, glasses of wine or mixed drinks at one...
June 14th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am not an alcoholic. I drink moderately – that is, two or three times a week. I will drink usually two drinks, occasionally three when I do drink, but never any more. Do you have some advice for a diabetic who drinks as I have described? Answer: Alcohol-consuming diabetic patients should consider the following general suggestions for preventing alcohol-induced hypoglycemia: Never consume alcohol without food or while in a fasting state. Consume only moderate amount of alcohol, i.e., one or two bottles of beer, glasses of wine or mixed drinks at one...
Does depression return?
June 7th, 2011 / Counseling / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I was never depressed until I started drinking heavily. Even after I became sober a year and a half ago, I still felt depressed for a month or so. Is that depression likely to come back? Answer: It won’t come back if you stay sober. That depression is part of the illness of alcoholism in many people, more frequently women, and more acutely during the withdrawal from alcohol. There are those unlike you whose depression predated the onset of alcoholism and whom we consider as having two disorders – depression and alcoholism. Both require treatment. However, as with...
June 7th, 2011 / Counseling / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I was never depressed until I started drinking heavily. Even after I became sober a year and a half ago, I still felt depressed for a month or so. Is that depression likely to come back? Answer: It won’t come back if you stay sober. That depression is part of the illness of alcoholism in many people, more frequently women, and more acutely during the withdrawal from alcohol. There are those unlike you whose depression predated the onset of alcoholism and whom we consider as having two disorders – depression and alcoholism. Both require treatment. However, as with...
What are Cocaine Cues?
May 31st, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is meant by “cues” when people are talking about cocaine? Answer: To a cocaine addict, just seeing or hearing about things associated with cocaine use activates vivid memories of getting “high”. Some of the cues might include a $10 bill (the cost of a hit), observing others using cocaine or just being in the neighborhood of where dealers do business. Cues always fire up cravings for the drug . The exact mechanism of this phenomenon can be visualized in the brain by imaging techniques (like X-ray pictures) called PET-scans and MRI. The frontal lobes of the brain...
May 31st, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is meant by “cues” when people are talking about cocaine? Answer: To a cocaine addict, just seeing or hearing about things associated with cocaine use activates vivid memories of getting “high”. Some of the cues might include a $10 bill (the cost of a hit), observing others using cocaine or just being in the neighborhood of where dealers do business. Cues always fire up cravings for the drug . The exact mechanism of this phenomenon can be visualized in the brain by imaging techniques (like X-ray pictures) called PET-scans and MRI. The frontal lobes of the brain...
Can Cocaine Use Cause Depresson?
May 24th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Does cocaine use cause depression? Answer: In the general population, women are more than twice as likely as men to suffer from depression. But among cocaine and alcohol abusers, men are just as likely to be diagnosed with depression as women. A report of gender differences in psychiatric disorders (National Institute of Drug Abuse: Vol 12, No. 4) found that mental disorders were substantial among 100 treatment seeking cocaine and alcohol abusers. Major depressive disorder seems to predate the onset of cocaine and alcohol use in women, while in men cocaine and alcohol...
May 24th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Does cocaine use cause depression? Answer: In the general population, women are more than twice as likely as men to suffer from depression. But among cocaine and alcohol abusers, men are just as likely to be diagnosed with depression as women. A report of gender differences in psychiatric disorders (National Institute of Drug Abuse: Vol 12, No. 4) found that mental disorders were substantial among 100 treatment seeking cocaine and alcohol abusers. Major depressive disorder seems to predate the onset of cocaine and alcohol use in women, while in men cocaine and alcohol...
Can Alcoholism Cause Lung Condition?
May 17th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: My father recently died in the hospital following an auto accident in which he suffered multiple injuries and sepsis, or overall infection throughout the body and the blood. The physicians who attended him claim that one of the most significant conditions he developed was a lung condition that eventually was the cause of his death. The reason I am writing is that the doctor said that this lung condition was probably brought on by my father’s longtime chronic heavy alcohol consumption. Can you comment on this? Answer: Your father may have developed a lung condition called...
May 17th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: My father recently died in the hospital following an auto accident in which he suffered multiple injuries and sepsis, or overall infection throughout the body and the blood. The physicians who attended him claim that one of the most significant conditions he developed was a lung condition that eventually was the cause of his death. The reason I am writing is that the doctor said that this lung condition was probably brought on by my father’s longtime chronic heavy alcohol consumption. Can you comment on this? Answer: Your father may have developed a lung condition called...
How Does Alcohol Affect Athletic Endurance?
May 3rd, 2011 / Living Sober / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am 46 years old and have been competitive in local and even some national women’s amateur athletic tournaments. I am also a recovering alcoholic with seven years of sobriety behind me. I have noticed in the past year that my endurance has decreased and I seem to get short of breath more quickly than my contemporaries with whom I’ve been competing all these years. I have checked with my doctor a number of times and she says that there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong. I have not told the doctor about my previous heavy drinking because I have been sober so long. Do you...
May 3rd, 2011 / Living Sober / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am 46 years old and have been competitive in local and even some national women’s amateur athletic tournaments. I am also a recovering alcoholic with seven years of sobriety behind me. I have noticed in the past year that my endurance has decreased and I seem to get short of breath more quickly than my contemporaries with whom I’ve been competing all these years. I have checked with my doctor a number of times and she says that there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong. I have not told the doctor about my previous heavy drinking because I have been sober so long. Do you...
Are Amphetamines Safe?
April 26th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am a college student (engineering) and put in long hours of study. I also have a job to help pay for my school expenses. Many times, I have trouble staying awake during times of study. It seems reasonable to take something to keep me awake. I have been using amphetamines carefully to stay alert enough to comprehend what I am studying. Your comments please. Answer: When I was in medical school a long time ago, a pharmaceutical company had sales representatives visit future doctors as a promotion to prescribing their drugs. One of the drugs they were passing...
April 26th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am a college student (engineering) and put in long hours of study. I also have a job to help pay for my school expenses. Many times, I have trouble staying awake during times of study. It seems reasonable to take something to keep me awake. I have been using amphetamines carefully to stay alert enough to comprehend what I am studying. Your comments please. Answer: When I was in medical school a long time ago, a pharmaceutical company had sales representatives visit future doctors as a promotion to prescribing their drugs. One of the drugs they were passing...
How are Kidneys Affected by Drinking?
April 19th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: My father died a few years ago from alcoholism. The death certificate read: “Hepatorenal failure, secondary to chronic alcoholism.” This is the only reference I’ve ever read about the kidneys being affected by drinking. Can you comment on this? P.S. I am a moderate drinker. I am aware that alcoholism runs in some families, particularly among male members. I have two sons, so I am concerned whenever I read anything about alcoholism. Answer: First, take a good look at your drinking. Alcoholism is especially hereditary from father to son to grandson. Also, your kids think...
April 19th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: My father died a few years ago from alcoholism. The death certificate read: “Hepatorenal failure, secondary to chronic alcoholism.” This is the only reference I’ve ever read about the kidneys being affected by drinking. Can you comment on this? P.S. I am a moderate drinker. I am aware that alcoholism runs in some families, particularly among male members. I have two sons, so I am concerned whenever I read anything about alcoholism. Answer: First, take a good look at your drinking. Alcoholism is especially hereditary from father to son to grandson. Also, your kids think...
Is there an alcoholic personality?
April 15th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : I keep hearing the term “alcoholic personality” from some recovering persons. Is there such a thing and if there is, what is it? Answer : There does not seem to be any kind of particular pre-morbid personality in alcoholics. Pre-morbid refers to the time before the onset of alcoholism. Generally, alcoholics seem to have the same kinds of personalities as everybody else, except more so. The first is a low frustration tolerance. Alcoholics seem to experience more distress when enduring long-term dysphoria or when tiresome things do not work out quickly. ...
April 15th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : I keep hearing the term “alcoholic personality” from some recovering persons. Is there such a thing and if there is, what is it? Answer : There does not seem to be any kind of particular pre-morbid personality in alcoholics. Pre-morbid refers to the time before the onset of alcoholism. Generally, alcoholics seem to have the same kinds of personalities as everybody else, except more so. The first is a low frustration tolerance. Alcoholics seem to experience more distress when enduring long-term dysphoria or when tiresome things do not work out quickly. ...
Why aren’t there more adult alcoholics?
April 5th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: If adolescents have always exhibited an alcoholic behavior, why aren’t there more adult alcoholics? Answer: Most alcoholic behavior during adolescence, though possibly self-destructive, does not progress to alcoholism. “Getting drunk” may be considered a rite of passage. But for the majority of heavy youth drinkers, this behavior diminishes or stops when they reach their 20’s. Most other drug abuse, particularly marijuana use, peaks when the abuser is in his or her late teens and usually diminishes by his or her late 20’s. The most lethal addiction is cigarettes....
April 5th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: If adolescents have always exhibited an alcoholic behavior, why aren’t there more adult alcoholics? Answer: Most alcoholic behavior during adolescence, though possibly self-destructive, does not progress to alcoholism. “Getting drunk” may be considered a rite of passage. But for the majority of heavy youth drinkers, this behavior diminishes or stops when they reach their 20’s. Most other drug abuse, particularly marijuana use, peaks when the abuser is in his or her late teens and usually diminishes by his or her late 20’s. The most lethal addiction is cigarettes....
How does one become an effective sponsor?
April 1st, 2011 / Living Sober / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Are there any directions about how to be an effective Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor? A sponsor is an alcoholic who has made progress in the recovery program and shares that experience on a continuous, individual basis with another alcoholic who is attempting to attain or maintain sobriety through AA. A sponsor usually shares her or his own story and how the program has led to sobriety. Sponsorship includes bringing the newcomer to a variety of AA meetings and introducing him or her to other members in the group. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous is a central part of the...
April 1st, 2011 / Living Sober / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Are there any directions about how to be an effective Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor? A sponsor is an alcoholic who has made progress in the recovery program and shares that experience on a continuous, individual basis with another alcoholic who is attempting to attain or maintain sobriety through AA. A sponsor usually shares her or his own story and how the program has led to sobriety. Sponsorship includes bringing the newcomer to a variety of AA meetings and introducing him or her to other members in the group. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous is a central part of the...
What happens if I hold secrets?
March 29th, 2011 / Living Sober / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Is it a mandatory Alcoholics Anonymous rule that when a person has a “slip”, he or she must declare it to the AA group in order to stay sober? I told my sponsor. Why isn’t that enough? Answer: Alcoholics cannot bear heavy secrets for long without falling under the weight. Only sharing it with others offers relief. Every little detail of the episode does not need to be told. The bare facts are enough, including a new sobriety date. There are feelings of guilt and failure, coupled with the humiliation of “having to tell” that are part of the event. To suppress...
March 29th, 2011 / Living Sober / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Is it a mandatory Alcoholics Anonymous rule that when a person has a “slip”, he or she must declare it to the AA group in order to stay sober? I told my sponsor. Why isn’t that enough? Answer: Alcoholics cannot bear heavy secrets for long without falling under the weight. Only sharing it with others offers relief. Every little detail of the episode does not need to be told. The bare facts are enough, including a new sobriety date. There are feelings of guilt and failure, coupled with the humiliation of “having to tell” that are part of the event. To suppress...
Impulsivity is an Alcoholic Personality Characteristic
March 29th, 2011 / Featured / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I keep hearing the term “alcoholic personality” from some recovering persons. Is there such a thing and if there is, what is it? Answer: There does not seem to be any kind of particular pre-morbid personality in alcoholics. Pre-morbid refers to the time before the onset of alcoholism. Generally, alcoholics seem to have the same kinds of personalities as everybody else, except more so. The first is a low frustration tolerance. Alcoholics seem to experience more distress when enduring long-term dysphoria or when tiresome things do not work out quickly. Alcoholics...
March 29th, 2011 / Featured / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I keep hearing the term “alcoholic personality” from some recovering persons. Is there such a thing and if there is, what is it? Answer: There does not seem to be any kind of particular pre-morbid personality in alcoholics. Pre-morbid refers to the time before the onset of alcoholism. Generally, alcoholics seem to have the same kinds of personalities as everybody else, except more so. The first is a low frustration tolerance. Alcoholics seem to experience more distress when enduring long-term dysphoria or when tiresome things do not work out quickly. Alcoholics...
How can I stay absolutely honest?
March 25th, 2011 / Living Sober / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I have been sober for eight months, and am realizing I cannot really live the Alcoholics Anonymous program and keep my job, which involves an illegal activity. The Big Book is very clear about being absolutely honest in everything, which I cannot do and survive in my business. What should I do? Answer: Getting and staying sober is more than just quitting drinking. After a short time on the program, the alcoholic’s conscience emerges after being partially buried for those drinking years. I do not know what your business is, but laws are passed to protect the people....
March 25th, 2011 / Living Sober / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I have been sober for eight months, and am realizing I cannot really live the Alcoholics Anonymous program and keep my job, which involves an illegal activity. The Big Book is very clear about being absolutely honest in everything, which I cannot do and survive in my business. What should I do? Answer: Getting and staying sober is more than just quitting drinking. After a short time on the program, the alcoholic’s conscience emerges after being partially buried for those drinking years. I do not know what your business is, but laws are passed to protect the people....
Why does my son get in trouble every time he drinks?
March 22nd, 2011 / Featured / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: My 21-year-old son is normally a quiet and friendly person who has never been in any trouble. Until this past year, he did not drink any alcohol, but when he started to drink he got into trouble every time. Even though he and his friends tell me that he only has one or two drinks, my son becomes violent, gets into fights, and really scares people. He says he won’t drink again because two weeks ago it took police to control him. Is alcohol the cause of this change in behavior? Your son probably has a relatively rare condition known as pathological intoxication, whereby...
March 22nd, 2011 / Featured / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: My 21-year-old son is normally a quiet and friendly person who has never been in any trouble. Until this past year, he did not drink any alcohol, but when he started to drink he got into trouble every time. Even though he and his friends tell me that he only has one or two drinks, my son becomes violent, gets into fights, and really scares people. He says he won’t drink again because two weeks ago it took police to control him. Is alcohol the cause of this change in behavior? Your son probably has a relatively rare condition known as pathological intoxication, whereby...
12-Step Program Success Rates Difficult to Gauge
March 7th, 2011 / Featured / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Although the organization does not conduct studies on itself, there are some statistics available from a periodic membership survey held in 2007.
March 7th, 2011 / Featured / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Although the organization does not conduct studies on itself, there are some statistics available from a periodic membership survey held in 2007.
When Is a Drink a Drink and a Drunk Actually Drunk?
March 7th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Alcohol research is not an exact science. Although accurate estimates of alcohol use and intoxication are clearly important in many areas of the law and in alcohol research, there exists considerable inconsistency in the reporting and interpretation of alcohol-test results across studies. For example, in a recent study a drink was defined as either one ounce of distilled spirits, six ounces of wine or 12 ounces of beer. However, the actual measure of alcohol in these drinks can vary widely depending on the percentage of alcohol in each and if standardized pharmacological principles are...
March 7th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Alcohol research is not an exact science. Although accurate estimates of alcohol use and intoxication are clearly important in many areas of the law and in alcohol research, there exists considerable inconsistency in the reporting and interpretation of alcohol-test results across studies. For example, in a recent study a drink was defined as either one ounce of distilled spirits, six ounces of wine or 12 ounces of beer. However, the actual measure of alcohol in these drinks can vary widely depending on the percentage of alcohol in each and if standardized pharmacological principles are...
Hard Liquor is Quicker to Cause Cirrhosis
March 4th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Previous research has shown that alcohol taxes or prices affect total alcohol consumption, and that aggregate alcohol consumption affects cirrhosis mortality rates. Other evidence suggests that heavy drinkers, who are most at risk for liver disease, are less responsive to price than other drinkers. This study investigated the impact that alcohol taxes – for distilled spirits, wine and beer – may have on cirrhosis mortality. Researchers examined 30 U.S. states that require alcohol licensing, from 1971 to 1998; they also reviewed each state’s cirrhosis mortality rates, age...
March 4th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Previous research has shown that alcohol taxes or prices affect total alcohol consumption, and that aggregate alcohol consumption affects cirrhosis mortality rates. Other evidence suggests that heavy drinkers, who are most at risk for liver disease, are less responsive to price than other drinkers. This study investigated the impact that alcohol taxes – for distilled spirits, wine and beer – may have on cirrhosis mortality. Researchers examined 30 U.S. states that require alcohol licensing, from 1971 to 1998; they also reviewed each state’s cirrhosis mortality rates, age...
Who is an Alcoholic?
March 1st, 2011 / Counseling / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Alcoholism assumes many disguises: it takes the form of the homeless drunk, or it looks like the chairman of the board who, only lately, has been making poor corporate decisions; or it may appear as the occasionally hard-to-find physician. It can answer the roll call as a formerly brilliant college senior whose gradually poorer performance predicts the premature end to a promising academic career. It can be the sullen husband whose wife is an expert at covering up an occasional black eye. It languishes in prison for repeated drunk driving arrests. There it was in the Old...
March 1st, 2011 / Counseling / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Alcoholism assumes many disguises: it takes the form of the homeless drunk, or it looks like the chairman of the board who, only lately, has been making poor corporate decisions; or it may appear as the occasionally hard-to-find physician. It can answer the roll call as a formerly brilliant college senior whose gradually poorer performance predicts the premature end to a promising academic career. It can be the sullen husband whose wife is an expert at covering up an occasional black eye. It languishes in prison for repeated drunk driving arrests. There it was in the Old...
“Recovery Wisdom”
February 28th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
It seems that the disease of alcoholism afflicts the gifted as well as us "lesser beings." Nobel laureates, great writers, creative artists, brilliant achievers, and extraordinary intellects are among those who suffer from alcoholism. Abraham Lincoln commented that alcoholism appeared to be more partial to those "whose heads and hearts will bear an advantageous comparison with those of any other class." From sadness, isolation and despair, many emerge through recovery to reach greater heights than if they had not fallen. Life in recovery is a mix of gratitude and serenity. People...
February 28th, 2011 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
It seems that the disease of alcoholism afflicts the gifted as well as us "lesser beings." Nobel laureates, great writers, creative artists, brilliant achievers, and extraordinary intellects are among those who suffer from alcoholism. Abraham Lincoln commented that alcoholism appeared to be more partial to those "whose heads and hearts will bear an advantageous comparison with those of any other class." From sadness, isolation and despair, many emerge through recovery to reach greater heights than if they had not fallen. Life in recovery is a mix of gratitude and serenity. People...
What does dual diagnosis mean?
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is meant by the term “dual diagnosis”? Does this apply to a special class of alcoholism? Answer: It does apply to an alcoholic, who, in addition to being alcoholic, suffers from another psychiatric illness. The more common co-morbid psychiatric disorders are major depression, bipolar disorder, anti-social personality disorder, drug dependence, borderline personality disorder, phobias and attention deficit disorder. The majority of alcoholics who seek addiction treatment in drug treatment centers meet the lifetime criteria for psychiatric disorders in addition to...
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is meant by the term “dual diagnosis”? Does this apply to a special class of alcoholism? Answer: It does apply to an alcoholic, who, in addition to being alcoholic, suffers from another psychiatric illness. The more common co-morbid psychiatric disorders are major depression, bipolar disorder, anti-social personality disorder, drug dependence, borderline personality disorder, phobias and attention deficit disorder. The majority of alcoholics who seek addiction treatment in drug treatment centers meet the lifetime criteria for psychiatric disorders in addition to...
Should everyone be a teetotaler?
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Should everyone be a teetotaler? Answer: No. I do not believe everyone should abstain from drinking entirely because many people do not have problems controlling their drinking. Some should, however, and they are the people whose use of any amount of alcohol leads immediately or eventually to a total loss of control over the amount of alcohol drunk and who continue to use it in spite of adverse consequences. Many of these people find continuous sobriety in treatment .
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Should everyone be a teetotaler? Answer: No. I do not believe everyone should abstain from drinking entirely because many people do not have problems controlling their drinking. Some should, however, and they are the people whose use of any amount of alcohol leads immediately or eventually to a total loss of control over the amount of alcohol drunk and who continue to use it in spite of adverse consequences. Many of these people find continuous sobriety in treatment .
Is there an AA success rate?
October 19th, 2010 / Living Sober / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is the success rate of Alcoholics Anonymous? I have never seen it published. Answer: Every few years Alcoholics Anonymous does a survey of its members. In 1992, a random survey of 6,500 A.A. members in both the United States and Canada revealed that 35 percent were sober for more than five years; 34 percent were sober from between one and five years; and 31 percent were sober for less than one year. The average time sobriety of members is more than five years. According to A.A. World Services, the survey is designed to provide information to the professional...
October 19th, 2010 / Living Sober / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is the success rate of Alcoholics Anonymous? I have never seen it published. Answer: Every few years Alcoholics Anonymous does a survey of its members. In 1992, a random survey of 6,500 A.A. members in both the United States and Canada revealed that 35 percent were sober for more than five years; 34 percent were sober from between one and five years; and 31 percent were sober for less than one year. The average time sobriety of members is more than five years. According to A.A. World Services, the survey is designed to provide information to the professional...
Is using steroids dangerous?
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Can steroid use be dangerous? Answer: Yes! Long-term use of steroids leads to tumors in the liver, reduction in male hormone production and changes in behavior, making the user irritable and aggressive. It has caused sudden deaths (Kennedy, M., and Lawrence C., Medical Journal of Australia 346-347, 1993). The cause of death is probably a heart rhythm disorder associated with widespread patches of scar tissue in the heart muscle. Although it is not clear why, the fibrotic changes in the muscle tissue, which cause the scarring, interrupt the pathway, hence disturbing...
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Can steroid use be dangerous? Answer: Yes! Long-term use of steroids leads to tumors in the liver, reduction in male hormone production and changes in behavior, making the user irritable and aggressive. It has caused sudden deaths (Kennedy, M., and Lawrence C., Medical Journal of Australia 346-347, 1993). The cause of death is probably a heart rhythm disorder associated with widespread patches of scar tissue in the heart muscle. Although it is not clear why, the fibrotic changes in the muscle tissue, which cause the scarring, interrupt the pathway, hence disturbing...
Is alcoholism treatment cost-effective?
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am a health care insurance consultant. Are there any statistics to show that alcoholism treatment is cost effective? Answer: Yes. A long-term study of over 3,500 identified alcoholics showed that following treatment, the total health care costs of treated alcoholics ---including the cost of alcoholism treatment ---declined from 55 percent to 23 percent from their highest pretreatment levels, whereas the costs for untreated identified alcoholics continued to rise. Another long-term study revealed that overall health care costs for treated alcoholics were 24 percent...
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am a health care insurance consultant. Are there any statistics to show that alcoholism treatment is cost effective? Answer: Yes. A long-term study of over 3,500 identified alcoholics showed that following treatment, the total health care costs of treated alcoholics ---including the cost of alcoholism treatment ---declined from 55 percent to 23 percent from their highest pretreatment levels, whereas the costs for untreated identified alcoholics continued to rise. Another long-term study revealed that overall health care costs for treated alcoholics were 24 percent...
Why does the disease of alcoholism progress?
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : What do they mean when after being sober for years, if you start drinking again, your drinking will take off as though you haven’t been dry at all? In fact some say that it is worse, like if you were drinking all those dry years too. I am not planning to do this but a couple of members in my AA group described this, and I just wanted to check it out. I also wonder if you could explain why this happens? Answer : Your friends represent the profound wisdom of AA. Over the years and with thousands and thousand of years in recovery, it has been observed that when the occasional...
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : What do they mean when after being sober for years, if you start drinking again, your drinking will take off as though you haven’t been dry at all? In fact some say that it is worse, like if you were drinking all those dry years too. I am not planning to do this but a couple of members in my AA group described this, and I just wanted to check it out. I also wonder if you could explain why this happens? Answer : Your friends represent the profound wisdom of AA. Over the years and with thousands and thousand of years in recovery, it has been observed that when the occasional...
How can I start an AA group?
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: How can I start an AA group? I live in an isolated ranch area and the nearest town (population 3,500) is 15 miles away. I got sober four years ago and moved here to work a month ago. I was told there was no AA in the town. Answer: Here is what you do—it is what Bill Wilson, founder of AA, did in June of 1935 in Akron, Ohio. Call the clergyman in whatever church there is in that nearest town. A minister or priest can probably tell you if there is someone in his flock who needs and hopefully wants what you have in your sobriety. He can help direct your efforts...
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: How can I start an AA group? I live in an isolated ranch area and the nearest town (population 3,500) is 15 miles away. I got sober four years ago and moved here to work a month ago. I was told there was no AA in the town. Answer: Here is what you do—it is what Bill Wilson, founder of AA, did in June of 1935 in Akron, Ohio. Call the clergyman in whatever church there is in that nearest town. A minister or priest can probably tell you if there is someone in his flock who needs and hopefully wants what you have in your sobriety. He can help direct your efforts...
How can I get a heavy drinker to quit?
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Is there any special technique in getting a person who seems to be getting by with his heavy drinking to quit? My husband refuses to talk about his drinking and it is wrecking our family life. Answer: Most of the time it is difficult to convince people who seem to be “getting by” that they are alcoholics. First of all, they are protecting themselves from accepting that they have a problem by using denial, one of our most powerful defense mechanisms. I would suggest trying to discuss with your husband the signs of early alcoholism that he may be demonstrating,...
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Is there any special technique in getting a person who seems to be getting by with his heavy drinking to quit? My husband refuses to talk about his drinking and it is wrecking our family life. Answer: Most of the time it is difficult to convince people who seem to be “getting by” that they are alcoholics. First of all, they are protecting themselves from accepting that they have a problem by using denial, one of our most powerful defense mechanisms. I would suggest trying to discuss with your husband the signs of early alcoholism that he may be demonstrating,...
Where can I get written alcoholism information?
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am a student body president in a mid-sized college. I would like to start a discussion group about drug and alcohol abuse on campus. Is there some source of information I can get for this? Answer: Yes, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information publishes a resource guide about alcohol and college youth (June 1991, currently being revised). This is a free government publication and the telephone number you can call to request a copy is (800) 729-6686. The website is: http://www.samhsa.gov/ Here are a...
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am a student body president in a mid-sized college. I would like to start a discussion group about drug and alcohol abuse on campus. Is there some source of information I can get for this? Answer: Yes, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information publishes a resource guide about alcohol and college youth (June 1991, currently being revised). This is a free government publication and the telephone number you can call to request a copy is (800) 729-6686. The website is: http://www.samhsa.gov/ Here are a...
Will a cold shower or strong coffee sober someone up?
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Does taking a cold shower or drinking a couple of cups of strong coffee sober a person up faster? Answer: It does not work. The body rids itself of alcohol on a fixed schedule. The liver metabolizes 1 ounce of 100-proof whiskey (or one 12-ounce can of beer, or one 5-ounce glass of wine) per hour. So, while a cold shower may make sobering up a cleaner experience, it has no effect on the rate of lowering the blood alcohol level.
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Does taking a cold shower or drinking a couple of cups of strong coffee sober a person up faster? Answer: It does not work. The body rids itself of alcohol on a fixed schedule. The liver metabolizes 1 ounce of 100-proof whiskey (or one 12-ounce can of beer, or one 5-ounce glass of wine) per hour. So, while a cold shower may make sobering up a cleaner experience, it has no effect on the rate of lowering the blood alcohol level.
What are alcoholism symptoms among elderly?
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Are there any signs to look for that an elderly person has an alcohol problem beside seeing them under the influence of alcohol? Our mother, who is 67 years old, sometimes sounds as though she has been drinking when we talk to her on the phone. We have never smelled any alcohol on her breath or seen her take a drink. Answer: It is very difficult to identify some elderly persons as having alcoholism. Physicians have the same difficulty as you do. Patients about whom alcoholism should be suspected may present with unexplained rises and falls in blood pressure,...
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Are there any signs to look for that an elderly person has an alcohol problem beside seeing them under the influence of alcohol? Our mother, who is 67 years old, sometimes sounds as though she has been drinking when we talk to her on the phone. We have never smelled any alcohol on her breath or seen her take a drink. Answer: It is very difficult to identify some elderly persons as having alcoholism. Physicians have the same difficulty as you do. Patients about whom alcoholism should be suspected may present with unexplained rises and falls in blood pressure,...
Can alcohol cause problems with sexual function?
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Can alcohol cause problems with sexual function? Answer: Yes, it can. Alcohol has a direct and indirect damaging effect on testicular, or male sex gland, tissue. As a result of a man’s long-term alcohol abuse, the amount of male sex hormone in his body decreases.
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Can alcohol cause problems with sexual function? Answer: Yes, it can. Alcohol has a direct and indirect damaging effect on testicular, or male sex gland, tissue. As a result of a man’s long-term alcohol abuse, the amount of male sex hormone in his body decreases.
Is interval drinking a good detox method?
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Are a few drinks taken at five or six hour intervals a good way to detox from months of heavy drinking----about a quart of whiskey a day? Answer: No, there is a better way. Although this method was used in centuries past, there were many poor souls who braved the experience of delirium tremens; some lived and some died. The treatment of severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a medical emergency and requires expert care provided in treatment centers.
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Are a few drinks taken at five or six hour intervals a good way to detox from months of heavy drinking----about a quart of whiskey a day? Answer: No, there is a better way. Although this method was used in centuries past, there were many poor souls who braved the experience of delirium tremens; some lived and some died. The treatment of severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a medical emergency and requires expert care provided in treatment centers.
Does age affect sensitivity to alcohol?
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am 68 years old and for years I have enjoyed a glass or two of wine at dinner. However, throughout the past six months, it seems the wine has a much stronger effect that it did before. Does my age have anything to do with it? Answer: Your age has probably the most to do with this increased sensitivity to alcohol. As one gets older and especially after one reaches 65, there is a decrease in lean body mass and hence in body water content. This means that for a given quantity of alcohol, there is a higher blood alcohol concentration in your system at this age than...
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am 68 years old and for years I have enjoyed a glass or two of wine at dinner. However, throughout the past six months, it seems the wine has a much stronger effect that it did before. Does my age have anything to do with it? Answer: Your age has probably the most to do with this increased sensitivity to alcohol. As one gets older and especially after one reaches 65, there is a decrease in lean body mass and hence in body water content. This means that for a given quantity of alcohol, there is a higher blood alcohol concentration in your system at this age than...
What are drinking triggers?
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am two months into recovery and I feel great. Although I do not have any craving for liquor, I continue to go to meetings. What should I look for that would send me back to drinking? (This will never happen again.) Answer: I hear a note of anxiety that things may be too good to last. Your parenthetical statement that “this will never happen again” comes across more as a hope than a prediction. Being on guard seems to be the right prescription and means you are going to any lengths to stay sober. It is clear that you have made a searching and fearless...
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am two months into recovery and I feel great. Although I do not have any craving for liquor, I continue to go to meetings. What should I look for that would send me back to drinking? (This will never happen again.) Answer: I hear a note of anxiety that things may be too good to last. Your parenthetical statement that “this will never happen again” comes across more as a hope than a prediction. Being on guard seems to be the right prescription and means you are going to any lengths to stay sober. It is clear that you have made a searching and fearless...
How can you scientifically say alcoholism is a disease?
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: On what scientific evidence do you base your statement that alcoholism is a disease? As a practicing physician, I have always thought persons who drank to excess did so because they wanted to and yet, I am trying to keep an open mind that there may be more to it than that. Answer: Believe me, Doctor, there is. Let us start with the basic definition of disease that assumes all diseases have a harmful effect on the body or mind, or both, and each disease has a train of signs and symptoms that we as clinicians can use to differentiate one disease from another. Alcoholism...
October 19th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: On what scientific evidence do you base your statement that alcoholism is a disease? As a practicing physician, I have always thought persons who drank to excess did so because they wanted to and yet, I am trying to keep an open mind that there may be more to it than that. Answer: Believe me, Doctor, there is. Let us start with the basic definition of disease that assumes all diseases have a harmful effect on the body or mind, or both, and each disease has a train of signs and symptoms that we as clinicians can use to differentiate one disease from another. Alcoholism...
What is an intervention?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is an intervention? Answer: It is important to keep in mind that alcoholism and drug addiction are both diseases that can kill. So when you are worried about a loved one whose problem has gotten out of control, seek help for them and for you! You are completely warranted in your concern. Alcoholism and drug abuse can turn very quickly into a life-or-death situation. For those alcoholics or drug abusers who are reluctant or refuse treatment, a formal intervention is a recommended way of forcing the troubled person to seek help. A formal intervention begins...
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is an intervention? Answer: It is important to keep in mind that alcoholism and drug addiction are both diseases that can kill. So when you are worried about a loved one whose problem has gotten out of control, seek help for them and for you! You are completely warranted in your concern. Alcoholism and drug abuse can turn very quickly into a life-or-death situation. For those alcoholics or drug abusers who are reluctant or refuse treatment, a formal intervention is a recommended way of forcing the troubled person to seek help. A formal intervention begins...
What is alcoholism?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is alcoholism? Answer: A committee of experts in the field of addiction treatment arrived at a consensus for a working definition of alcoholism that is (l) scientifically valid, (2) clinically useful and (3) understandable by the public. As such, alcoholism can be defined as a chronic disease that carries with it a universally recognizable set of symptoms, including impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions of thinking, most notably denial. These symptoms may be continuous or...
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is alcoholism? Answer: A committee of experts in the field of addiction treatment arrived at a consensus for a working definition of alcoholism that is (l) scientifically valid, (2) clinically useful and (3) understandable by the public. As such, alcoholism can be defined as a chronic disease that carries with it a universally recognizable set of symptoms, including impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions of thinking, most notably denial. These symptoms may be continuous or...
Can a well-balanced diet offset alcohol use?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I heard that if a person follows a well-balanced diet, regular use of alcohol will cause little or no harm. True? Answer: Not true. Assuming regular use of alcohol means daily consumption of 5 to 10 ounces or more, depending on a person’s weight, alcohol inhibits the breakdown and absorption of nutrients by damaging the lining of the stomach and intestine and impairs transport of nutrients into the blood.
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I heard that if a person follows a well-balanced diet, regular use of alcohol will cause little or no harm. True? Answer: Not true. Assuming regular use of alcohol means daily consumption of 5 to 10 ounces or more, depending on a person’s weight, alcohol inhibits the breakdown and absorption of nutrients by damaging the lining of the stomach and intestine and impairs transport of nutrients into the blood.
Can taking vitamins prevent daily drinking damage?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : Does taking vitamins prevent damage to a person who is still drinking almost daily? My father insists that because he has been taking vitamins, drinking hasn’t hurt him a bit. He is 72 and gets drunk at least twice a week on much less than he used to drink. Answer: Lots of things are happening to your father. First of all, absorption of vitamins is impaired in chronic alcohol consumers. The harmful effect of alcohol on that 72 year-old brain far exceeds the benefit of any vitamin. One vitamin, B1, is so essential to brain function that its absence causes the...
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : Does taking vitamins prevent damage to a person who is still drinking almost daily? My father insists that because he has been taking vitamins, drinking hasn’t hurt him a bit. He is 72 and gets drunk at least twice a week on much less than he used to drink. Answer: Lots of things are happening to your father. First of all, absorption of vitamins is impaired in chronic alcohol consumers. The harmful effect of alcohol on that 72 year-old brain far exceeds the benefit of any vitamin. One vitamin, B1, is so essential to brain function that its absence causes the...
Should I be mixing vanilla into my ground coffee?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I have been using vanilla extract (two to three tablespoons) on top of my ground coffee and then brewing it. It produces a wonderful cup of coffee. However, there is some alcohol in the extract. Is this OK? I have been a sober member of AA (since the early eighties) and I believe this is a question pertaining to my disease that I have not seen addressed in any literature and that concerns me. Answer: This is the kind of question a conscientious member of AA would ask. I commend you for it and particularly because it might be the end of a recipe for a...
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I have been using vanilla extract (two to three tablespoons) on top of my ground coffee and then brewing it. It produces a wonderful cup of coffee. However, there is some alcohol in the extract. Is this OK? I have been a sober member of AA (since the early eighties) and I believe this is a question pertaining to my disease that I have not seen addressed in any literature and that concerns me. Answer: This is the kind of question a conscientious member of AA would ask. I commend you for it and particularly because it might be the end of a recipe for a...
Is there more than one kind of alcoholism?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Is there more than one kind of alcoholism? Answer: Yes. It appears there are two types of alcoholism, each with its own clinical and hereditary characteristics. The first is called Type I alcoholism. It is characterized by an onset of symptoms usually after the age of 25. It affects males and females equally and seems to be influenced more by environmental factors than heredity. Type I alcoholism is much more common than Type II with a frequency of about 5 to 1. Type II alcoholism is linked more strongly to heredity, is considerably more severe and is less...
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Is there more than one kind of alcoholism? Answer: Yes. It appears there are two types of alcoholism, each with its own clinical and hereditary characteristics. The first is called Type I alcoholism. It is characterized by an onset of symptoms usually after the age of 25. It affects males and females equally and seems to be influenced more by environmental factors than heredity. Type I alcoholism is much more common than Type II with a frequency of about 5 to 1. Type II alcoholism is linked more strongly to heredity, is considerably more severe and is less...
How long to I have to go to AA?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: How long does a person who has gone through a treatment center have to keep going to AA? I feel that I have learned enough in the treatment center to get along without drinking. How about it? Answer: It works this way. You have a chronic disease (alcoholism) characterized by relapse. Experience with people who are recovering has taught us that unless a person constantly renews his commitment to sobriety, his resolve to abstain may totally erode. There are complex reasons for this. Recovery starts with the penetration of denial which every person has as a...
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: How long does a person who has gone through a treatment center have to keep going to AA? I feel that I have learned enough in the treatment center to get along without drinking. How about it? Answer: It works this way. You have a chronic disease (alcoholism) characterized by relapse. Experience with people who are recovering has taught us that unless a person constantly renews his commitment to sobriety, his resolve to abstain may totally erode. There are complex reasons for this. Recovery starts with the penetration of denial which every person has as a...
What is addiction treatment?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is treatment of addiction? Answer: Treatment of addictive disease follows a logical pattern of attending first to urgent physical consequences of alcohol and/or drug use. This can take the form of detoxification or the immediate treatment of some life-threatening organic disorder like liver failure. Next comes the major form of care which focuses on the core of the illness. Since addictive disease is primarily a behavioral disorder, the treatment consists of psychotherapy which identifies and deals with irrational feelings and distorted thinking associated with...
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is treatment of addiction? Answer: Treatment of addictive disease follows a logical pattern of attending first to urgent physical consequences of alcohol and/or drug use. This can take the form of detoxification or the immediate treatment of some life-threatening organic disorder like liver failure. Next comes the major form of care which focuses on the core of the illness. Since addictive disease is primarily a behavioral disorder, the treatment consists of psychotherapy which identifies and deals with irrational feelings and distorted thinking associated with...
Are there different treatment programs for different professions?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Are there different chemical dependency programs for different professions? Answer: There are. The first movement to treat specific professionals occurred in the l950’s. About twenty years ago, the American Medical Association (AMA) and state medical societies set up programs to address alcoholism and drug addiction among physicians. The basic treatment for addictive disease is the same for all. However, each group has unique differences in professional life that are addressed.
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Are there different chemical dependency programs for different professions? Answer: There are. The first movement to treat specific professionals occurred in the l950’s. About twenty years ago, the American Medical Association (AMA) and state medical societies set up programs to address alcoholism and drug addiction among physicians. The basic treatment for addictive disease is the same for all. However, each group has unique differences in professional life that are addressed.
What is the treatment for addictive disease?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is the treatment for addictive disease? Answer: Treatment of addictive disease follows a logical pattern of attending, first, to urgent physical consequences of alcohol and/or drug use. This can take the form of de- toxification or the immediate treatment of some life-threatening organic disorder like liver failure. Next comes the major form of care which focuses on the core of the illness. Since addictive disease is primarily a behavioral disorder, the treatment consists of psychotherapy, which identifies and deals with irrational feelings and distorted...
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is the treatment for addictive disease? Answer: Treatment of addictive disease follows a logical pattern of attending, first, to urgent physical consequences of alcohol and/or drug use. This can take the form of de- toxification or the immediate treatment of some life-threatening organic disorder like liver failure. Next comes the major form of care which focuses on the core of the illness. Since addictive disease is primarily a behavioral disorder, the treatment consists of psychotherapy, which identifies and deals with irrational feelings and distorted...
Who is an alcoholic?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Who is an Alcoholic? Answer: Alcoholism assumes many disguises: it takes the form of the homeless drunk, or it looks like the Chairman of the Board who, only lately, has been making poor corporate decisions; or it may appear as the occasionally hard-to-find physician. It can answer the roll call as a formerly brilliant college senior whose gradually poorer performance predicts the premature end to a promising academic career. It can be the sullen husband whose wife is an expert at covering up an occasional black eye. It languishes in prison for repeated drunk...
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Who is an Alcoholic? Answer: Alcoholism assumes many disguises: it takes the form of the homeless drunk, or it looks like the Chairman of the Board who, only lately, has been making poor corporate decisions; or it may appear as the occasionally hard-to-find physician. It can answer the roll call as a formerly brilliant college senior whose gradually poorer performance predicts the premature end to a promising academic career. It can be the sullen husband whose wife is an expert at covering up an occasional black eye. It languishes in prison for repeated drunk...
What do you think of taking alcohol as a sleep aid?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am 76 years old and I wake up at least once a night to go to the bathroom. I cannot seem to get back to sleep without drinking about half a bottle of a wine cooler. Am I an alcoholic? I have been thinking of taking a pill to try and help me sleep. What do you think about this? Answer: If that one drink is all you drink, then no you are not an alcoholic. I would caution you against taking any sleep medication. Such a substance works only for a few weeks or a month before you have to take more of it to get to sleep; increasing the likelihood that you will...
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am 76 years old and I wake up at least once a night to go to the bathroom. I cannot seem to get back to sleep without drinking about half a bottle of a wine cooler. Am I an alcoholic? I have been thinking of taking a pill to try and help me sleep. What do you think about this? Answer: If that one drink is all you drink, then no you are not an alcoholic. I would caution you against taking any sleep medication. Such a substance works only for a few weeks or a month before you have to take more of it to get to sleep; increasing the likelihood that you will...
How can you scientifically say alcoholism is a disease?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: On what scientific evidence do you base your statement that alcoholism is a disease? As a practicing physician, I have always thought persons who drank to excess did so because they wanted to and yet, I am trying to keep an open mind that there may be more to it than that. Answer: Believe me, Doctor, there is. Let us start with the basic definition of disease that assumes all diseases have a harmful effect on the body or mind, or both, and each disease has a train of signs and symptoms that we as clinicians can use to differentiate one disease from another. Alcoholism...
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: On what scientific evidence do you base your statement that alcoholism is a disease? As a practicing physician, I have always thought persons who drank to excess did so because they wanted to and yet, I am trying to keep an open mind that there may be more to it than that. Answer: Believe me, Doctor, there is. Let us start with the basic definition of disease that assumes all diseases have a harmful effect on the body or mind, or both, and each disease has a train of signs and symptoms that we as clinicians can use to differentiate one disease from another. Alcoholism...
Why is drinking rubbing alcohol bad?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I lived on the street for a time after I lost my job. Out there, if they can’t get anything else, some people drink rubbing alcohol. What is in rubbing alcohol that is so bad? Answer: Rubbing alcohol is not ethyl alcohol (beverage alcohol), but isopropyl alcohol, a totally different chemical than the alcohol of beer, wine, or liquor. The lethal dose of isopropyl alcohol by mouth in adult humans is about 8 ounces. Another kind of poison is wood alcohol. This is methyl alcohol and it breaks down in the liver to formaldehyde. Those who survive after drinking it...
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I lived on the street for a time after I lost my job. Out there, if they can’t get anything else, some people drink rubbing alcohol. What is in rubbing alcohol that is so bad? Answer: Rubbing alcohol is not ethyl alcohol (beverage alcohol), but isopropyl alcohol, a totally different chemical than the alcohol of beer, wine, or liquor. The lethal dose of isopropyl alcohol by mouth in adult humans is about 8 ounces. Another kind of poison is wood alcohol. This is methyl alcohol and it breaks down in the liver to formaldehyde. Those who survive after drinking it...
As a recovering alcoholic, is it safe for me to take tranquilizers?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am a recovering alcoholic and have been dry for twenty-two years. My wife died five weeks ago and my physician, who does not know my alcoholism history, prescribed a tranquilizer called diazepam for my insomnia and my depression. Am I safe taking these? Answer: No, you are not safe taking diazepam or other drugs like it. You should tell your doctor that you are a recovering alcoholic and he will know, that even though you have been abstinent for twenty-two years, you are at high risk for relapse to active addiction if you start taking a sedative drug. All psychoactive...
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am a recovering alcoholic and have been dry for twenty-two years. My wife died five weeks ago and my physician, who does not know my alcoholism history, prescribed a tranquilizer called diazepam for my insomnia and my depression. Am I safe taking these? Answer: No, you are not safe taking diazepam or other drugs like it. You should tell your doctor that you are a recovering alcoholic and he will know, that even though you have been abstinent for twenty-two years, you are at high risk for relapse to active addiction if you start taking a sedative drug. All psychoactive...
Are there some who never make it in AA?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I lived on the street for a time after I lost my job. Out there, if they can’t get anything else, some people drink rubbing alcohol. What is in rubbing alcohol that is so bad? Answer: Rubbing alcohol is not ethyl alcohol (beverage alcohol), but isopropyl alcohol, a totally different chemical than the alcohol of beer, wine, or liquor. The lethal dose of isopropyl alcohol by mouth in adult humans is about 8 ounces. Another kind of poison is wood alcohol. This is methyl alcohol and it breaks down in the liver to formaldehyde. Those who survive after drinking it...
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I lived on the street for a time after I lost my job. Out there, if they can’t get anything else, some people drink rubbing alcohol. What is in rubbing alcohol that is so bad? Answer: Rubbing alcohol is not ethyl alcohol (beverage alcohol), but isopropyl alcohol, a totally different chemical than the alcohol of beer, wine, or liquor. The lethal dose of isopropyl alcohol by mouth in adult humans is about 8 ounces. Another kind of poison is wood alcohol. This is methyl alcohol and it breaks down in the liver to formaldehyde. Those who survive after drinking it...
Is LSD use on the upswing again?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am a high school teacher. I understand that there has been a resurgence of LSD use in young people. Can you comment on this? Answer: LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is a drug developed in the 1940’s that became popular among young people in the 1960’s. It is called a psychedelic drug because it produces a bizarre set of reactions all the way from those described as a religious mystical experience to terrorizing psychotic breaks from reality. A negative reaction to LSD is commonly referred to as a bad trip. With the usual oral dose, about 100 to 250...
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am a high school teacher. I understand that there has been a resurgence of LSD use in young people. Can you comment on this? Answer: LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is a drug developed in the 1940’s that became popular among young people in the 1960’s. It is called a psychedelic drug because it produces a bizarre set of reactions all the way from those described as a religious mystical experience to terrorizing psychotic breaks from reality. A negative reaction to LSD is commonly referred to as a bad trip. With the usual oral dose, about 100 to 250...
How do you know if you’ll become alcoholic?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Are there any reliable predictors of whether a person will become an alcoholic or not? Answer: Absolute predictors—no. Strong clues—yes. Sons of alcoholics are at much higher risk for developing alcoholism than sons of non-alcoholics. People who demonstrate a low response to alcohol—they can drink more than others without getting drunk—are also at increased risk.
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Are there any reliable predictors of whether a person will become an alcoholic or not? Answer: Absolute predictors—no. Strong clues—yes. Sons of alcoholics are at much higher risk for developing alcoholism than sons of non-alcoholics. People who demonstrate a low response to alcohol—they can drink more than others without getting drunk—are also at increased risk.
Why do people reject AA?
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What are some of the common reasons people who need alcoholism treatment give for rejecting the idea of going to AA? Answer: Here are some and there are probably many, many more: l. “I am a private person”—“My family never aired their dirty linen in public”---“I have never talked in a group.” 2. “Fear of public disclosure”---“This will ruin my career, my reputation”---“What will my family think of me?”---“I do not believe there is anonymity.” 3. “I do not need people telling me what to do”---“My life is not out of...
October 18th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What are some of the common reasons people who need alcoholism treatment give for rejecting the idea of going to AA? Answer: Here are some and there are probably many, many more: l. “I am a private person”—“My family never aired their dirty linen in public”---“I have never talked in a group.” 2. “Fear of public disclosure”---“This will ruin my career, my reputation”---“What will my family think of me?”---“I do not believe there is anonymity.” 3. “I do not need people telling me what to do”---“My life is not out of...
Is there a recovery rate for treatment program graduates?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: My son is a recovering heroin addict and thinks he can have a beer or two now and then. He feels it will help him assuage his cravings. He has never had any problems with alcohol but I would welcome your opinion. I have also noticed that since his abstinence, his desire for sweets has increased appreciably. Any harm there? Answer: A beer or two now and then is risky for a person recovering from heroin addiction and here’s why. Heroin addiction and alcoholism are different forms of the same disorder called addictive disease. People with this disease share a...
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: My son is a recovering heroin addict and thinks he can have a beer or two now and then. He feels it will help him assuage his cravings. He has never had any problems with alcohol but I would welcome your opinion. I have also noticed that since his abstinence, his desire for sweets has increased appreciably. Any harm there? Answer: A beer or two now and then is risky for a person recovering from heroin addiction and here’s why. Heroin addiction and alcoholism are different forms of the same disorder called addictive disease. People with this disease share a...
How important is addiction treatment?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Do alcoholics recover without having to go to AA? Answer: Simply not drinking and recovery from alcoholism are two different things. Recovery means dealing with deeper and more resistant symptoms of the disease. These lie at the root of the illness and their continued presence is the basis for relapse
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Do alcoholics recover without having to go to AA? Answer: Simply not drinking and recovery from alcoholism are two different things. Recovery means dealing with deeper and more resistant symptoms of the disease. These lie at the root of the illness and their continued presence is the basis for relapse
Should my son drink if he is in recovery from heroin?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Do alcoholics recover without having to go to AA.? Answer: Persons with alcohol problems have stopped drinking without the AA program and have done so for centuries. Professionals and others who know the disease see simply not drinking and recovery from alcoholism as two different things. There are those whose drinking problem ends with going on the wagon. These persons are dry, but for the most part are unchanged in their thinking and attitude. The lack of change distinguishes them from those who are dry and also in recovery. Since drinking is only one symptom...
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Do alcoholics recover without having to go to AA.? Answer: Persons with alcohol problems have stopped drinking without the AA program and have done so for centuries. Professionals and others who know the disease see simply not drinking and recovery from alcoholism as two different things. There are those whose drinking problem ends with going on the wagon. These persons are dry, but for the most part are unchanged in their thinking and attitude. The lack of change distinguishes them from those who are dry and also in recovery. Since drinking is only one symptom...
Should I try to quit smoking and drinking at the same time?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What do you think about trying to quit smoking while I am undergoing treatment for alcoholism? Answer: I think it is a good idea. It used to be thought that dealing with one addiction at a time is enough. However, a study at the Mayo Clinic (Hunt, R.D.,Eberman, K.M.,et al. Nicotine Dependent Treatment during Inpatient Treatment for Other Addiction. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research 1994; 18) showed that the process of treatment for one addiction, such as alcohol, enhances the effectiveness of dealing with the other, in your case, nicotine. The number of...
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What do you think about trying to quit smoking while I am undergoing treatment for alcoholism? Answer: I think it is a good idea. It used to be thought that dealing with one addiction at a time is enough. However, a study at the Mayo Clinic (Hunt, R.D.,Eberman, K.M.,et al. Nicotine Dependent Treatment during Inpatient Treatment for Other Addiction. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research 1994; 18) showed that the process of treatment for one addiction, such as alcohol, enhances the effectiveness of dealing with the other, in your case, nicotine. The number of...
What does proof of alcohol mean?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is meant by proof when referring to alcoholic beverages? Answer: The word proof came about years ago when ships, unloading their cargo of whiskey, had only one way to tell the strength of the liquor they were carrying. They mixed a spoonful of whiskey with a pinch of gunpowder. When a lighted match was dropped into the mixture, it ignited with an audible “proof”! This microfireworks would happen only if the alcohol content was 50 percent or more by volume. Today proof is defined as twice the alcohol content by volume. Whiskey with 50 percent alcohol is...
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is meant by proof when referring to alcoholic beverages? Answer: The word proof came about years ago when ships, unloading their cargo of whiskey, had only one way to tell the strength of the liquor they were carrying. They mixed a spoonful of whiskey with a pinch of gunpowder. When a lighted match was dropped into the mixture, it ignited with an audible “proof”! This microfireworks would happen only if the alcohol content was 50 percent or more by volume. Today proof is defined as twice the alcohol content by volume. Whiskey with 50 percent alcohol is...
How does alcoholism progress if you do not drink?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What do they mean when they say that after being sober for years, if you start drinking again, your drinking will take off as though you haven’t been dry at all? Answer: Your friends represent the profound wisdom of AA. Over the years and with thousands and thousands of men and women in recovery, it has been observed that when the occasional person who, after many years of abstinence, relapses (AA language: “slips”), the mental and physical consequences are more severe than they ever were in the past. The biological explanation for this is not clearly understood,...
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What do they mean when they say that after being sober for years, if you start drinking again, your drinking will take off as though you haven’t been dry at all? Answer: Your friends represent the profound wisdom of AA. Over the years and with thousands and thousands of men and women in recovery, it has been observed that when the occasional person who, after many years of abstinence, relapses (AA language: “slips”), the mental and physical consequences are more severe than they ever were in the past. The biological explanation for this is not clearly understood,...
What do you think about new relationships in early sobriety?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: My life has changed since I have become sober and I feel like I am just beginning to live. I have become very interested in a man who I am sure feels the same way about me. My sponsor says this can put my early sobriety (seven weeks) at risk. Does my sponsor know what she is talking about? Answer: She does. Research about such a state of affairs was the subject of a dissertation (“The Prince Charming Syndrome” Judith A. West, Ph.D.,1983). In this original research, a large number of women were studied from the start of their sobriety; those who became...
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: My life has changed since I have become sober and I feel like I am just beginning to live. I have become very interested in a man who I am sure feels the same way about me. My sponsor says this can put my early sobriety (seven weeks) at risk. Does my sponsor know what she is talking about? Answer: She does. Research about such a state of affairs was the subject of a dissertation (“The Prince Charming Syndrome” Judith A. West, Ph.D.,1983). In this original research, a large number of women were studied from the start of their sobriety; those who became...
What is the prevention of alcoholism?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is prevention of alcoholism? Does it work? I cannot see any evidence of prevention being effective. Answer: Prevention is the sum of all of our efforts to keep the many problems related to alcohol use and abuse from occurring. Efforts are becoming more effective and widespread. Information: Dissemination ---provides awareness and knowledge of the nature and extent of alcohol use and abuse. Prevention education ---aims to effect social skills in making decisions, refusal skills and judgment ability. Alternatives ---provides for participation of targeted...
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is prevention of alcoholism? Does it work? I cannot see any evidence of prevention being effective. Answer: Prevention is the sum of all of our efforts to keep the many problems related to alcohol use and abuse from occurring. Efforts are becoming more effective and widespread. Information: Dissemination ---provides awareness and knowledge of the nature and extent of alcohol use and abuse. Prevention education ---aims to effect social skills in making decisions, refusal skills and judgment ability. Alternatives ---provides for participation of targeted...
Are prevention programs for children effective?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Is there any evidence that a prevention program of some kind has an effect on drug use with kids? It seems that it is almost expected that young people will use something in the way of drugs and if not drugs, then almost certainly alcohol. Answer: First, there are lots of kids who do not use any drugs including alcohol—and they probably constitute the majority. Because such a significant minority of young people do use, or at least try drugs and/or alcohol, the idea of prevention is an important one. A report on the study in the Journal of the American Medical...
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Is there any evidence that a prevention program of some kind has an effect on drug use with kids? It seems that it is almost expected that young people will use something in the way of drugs and if not drugs, then almost certainly alcohol. Answer: First, there are lots of kids who do not use any drugs including alcohol—and they probably constitute the majority. Because such a significant minority of young people do use, or at least try drugs and/or alcohol, the idea of prevention is an important one. A report on the study in the Journal of the American Medical...
Can a couple of drinks a day prevent heart attacks?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Does having a couple of drinks a day prevent heart attacks? Answer: Controversy surrounds the findings that drinkers of “moderate amounts” of alcohol, usually defined as one to two drinks a day, experience lower rates of death from cardiovascular disease than heavy drinkers or nondrinkers. This possible preventive effect of two drinks is related to an increase of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and evidence suggests that the level of this cholesterol is inversely related to coronary artery heart disease (Farchi, G., et al. Alcohol and Mortality in the Italian Rural...
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Does having a couple of drinks a day prevent heart attacks? Answer: Controversy surrounds the findings that drinkers of “moderate amounts” of alcohol, usually defined as one to two drinks a day, experience lower rates of death from cardiovascular disease than heavy drinkers or nondrinkers. This possible preventive effect of two drinks is related to an increase of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and evidence suggests that the level of this cholesterol is inversely related to coronary artery heart disease (Farchi, G., et al. Alcohol and Mortality in the Italian Rural...
How is alcoholism prevented?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is being done to prevent alcoholism? Answer: Much research is going on regarding this very complicated disease. In the area of prevention, scientists from the National Institute of Drug Abuse are considering both the resiliency of the child against alcohol and drug abuse and the risk to a child for drug abuse. Three areas are being targeted for research: family functioning and parenting, early problematic childhood characteristics and psychological skill enhancement.
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is being done to prevent alcoholism? Answer: Much research is going on regarding this very complicated disease. In the area of prevention, scientists from the National Institute of Drug Abuse are considering both the resiliency of the child against alcohol and drug abuse and the risk to a child for drug abuse. Three areas are being targeted for research: family functioning and parenting, early problematic childhood characteristics and psychological skill enhancement.
What is prescription drug abuse?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Will you say something about prescription drug abuse? Answer: Prescription drugs, illegal drugs and legal drugs with psychoactive side effects all target the brain. Psychoactive drugs have the property of changing mood and it is this property that makes them addicting in susceptible people. Elderly people are more frequently habitual users of prescription drugs and alcohol, while younger addicted people are more commonly users of illegal drugs and alcohol.
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Will you say something about prescription drug abuse? Answer: Prescription drugs, illegal drugs and legal drugs with psychoactive side effects all target the brain. Psychoactive drugs have the property of changing mood and it is this property that makes them addicting in susceptible people. Elderly people are more frequently habitual users of prescription drugs and alcohol, while younger addicted people are more commonly users of illegal drugs and alcohol.
Can pregnant women drink safely?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Is there any safe amount of alcohol a woman can drink while she is pregnant? Answer: Drinking alcohol during pregnancy causes a cluster of symptoms called fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Neither the amount of alcohol nor the frequency of drinking it during pregnancy that will lead to this syndrome has been established. However, it is safest to assume that any amount of alcohol probably puts the fetus at risk. Not only do physical abnormalities show up in the baby with FAS, but it is one of the most common causes of mental retardation in the United States. The use of...
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Is there any safe amount of alcohol a woman can drink while she is pregnant? Answer: Drinking alcohol during pregnancy causes a cluster of symptoms called fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Neither the amount of alcohol nor the frequency of drinking it during pregnancy that will lead to this syndrome has been established. However, it is safest to assume that any amount of alcohol probably puts the fetus at risk. Not only do physical abnormalities show up in the baby with FAS, but it is one of the most common causes of mental retardation in the United States. The use of...
Can prayer help an alcoholic stop drinking?
October 15th, 2010 / Counseling / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Do prayers help in trying to get an alcoholic to stop drinking? Answer: Sometimes, it seems, they are the only things that do. Hope, and the internal spiritual strengths that respond to prayer, can sustain the person who has to stand by and watch an alcoholic tragedy unfold. I would like you to call the treatment center in your community and make arrangements to get into their family treatment program. Also, keep praying.
October 15th, 2010 / Counseling / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Do prayers help in trying to get an alcoholic to stop drinking? Answer: Sometimes, it seems, they are the only things that do. Hope, and the internal spiritual strengths that respond to prayer, can sustain the person who has to stand by and watch an alcoholic tragedy unfold. I would like you to call the treatment center in your community and make arrangements to get into their family treatment program. Also, keep praying.
Can one hallucinate under medication?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Recently, a friend of mine, a recovering alcoholic who has not had a drink for more than thirty years underwent a serious heart operation. The operation was successful but after three days, he began to see and hear things that were not there similar to the D.T.’s he suffered years ago after prolonged drinking bouts. Is his reaction to the surgery connected with those old drinking days? I repeat, this man has not had a drink for over thirty years. Answer: There is a connection. Occasionally, a person who has experienced severe stage III acute withdrawal syndrome...
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Recently, a friend of mine, a recovering alcoholic who has not had a drink for more than thirty years underwent a serious heart operation. The operation was successful but after three days, he began to see and hear things that were not there similar to the D.T.’s he suffered years ago after prolonged drinking bouts. Is his reaction to the surgery connected with those old drinking days? I repeat, this man has not had a drink for over thirty years. Answer: There is a connection. Occasionally, a person who has experienced severe stage III acute withdrawal syndrome...
Alcoholism affected my medical practice; how can I return to being a doctor?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am a physician who, because of my alcoholism, has been out of practice for a number of years. I have been in recovery and abstinent from any mood-altering chemical for five years. Is there a procedure that I may access to get back into practice? Answer: Yes, Medical societies and specialty organizations have in place protocols that help recovering physicians resume practice. First of all, a physician’s license must be in good standing. Then the society has a committee to evaluate the mental health of the applicant for re-entry help. This is done through...
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am a physician who, because of my alcoholism, has been out of practice for a number of years. I have been in recovery and abstinent from any mood-altering chemical for five years. Is there a procedure that I may access to get back into practice? Answer: Yes, Medical societies and specialty organizations have in place protocols that help recovering physicians resume practice. First of all, a physician’s license must be in good standing. Then the society has a committee to evaluate the mental health of the applicant for re-entry help. This is done through...
What are physical consequences of heavy drinking?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Besides liver and brain damage, are there any other physical consequences of heavy drinking? Answer: These two should be enough, but usually even before these two develop, there is a litany of common disorders that may appear with chronic alcohol consumption: Dupuytren’s contracture, a contraction of the tendons in the forearm; aseptic necrosis of the hips, a disruption of the blood supply to the head of the femur bone; high blood pressure; holiday heart, or atrial fibrillation, a marked irregularity of the heartbeat; dangerously lowered potassium levels if one is...
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Besides liver and brain damage, are there any other physical consequences of heavy drinking? Answer: These two should be enough, but usually even before these two develop, there is a litany of common disorders that may appear with chronic alcohol consumption: Dupuytren’s contracture, a contraction of the tendons in the forearm; aseptic necrosis of the hips, a disruption of the blood supply to the head of the femur bone; high blood pressure; holiday heart, or atrial fibrillation, a marked irregularity of the heartbeat; dangerously lowered potassium levels if one is...
Who becomes alcoholic?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What kinds of persons get alcoholism? Answer: It seems that the disease of alcoholism afflicts the gifted as well as us lesser beings. Nobel laureates, great writers, creative artists, brilliant achievers and extraordinary intellects are among those who suffer from alcoholism. They also discovered a source of power outside themselves that is fundamental to becoming wholly sane. This power leads to the spiritual foundation of recovery and shows how the principles of spirituality and mental health are the same.
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What kinds of persons get alcoholism? Answer: It seems that the disease of alcoholism afflicts the gifted as well as us lesser beings. Nobel laureates, great writers, creative artists, brilliant achievers and extraordinary intellects are among those who suffer from alcoholism. They also discovered a source of power outside themselves that is fundamental to becoming wholly sane. This power leads to the spiritual foundation of recovery and shows how the principles of spirituality and mental health are the same.
Are there many non-drinkers in US?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Are there many persons in the United States who don’t drink any alcoholic beverages? Answer: Yes. It is estimated that about one third of this country’s population never drink alcohol. Interestingly, 20 percent of the population consumes 80 percent of all alcohol. More significantly, 7 percent of the population consumes 50 percent of all alcoholic beverages. That 7 percent represents those people who are victims of alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse.
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Are there many persons in the United States who don’t drink any alcoholic beverages? Answer: Yes. It is estimated that about one third of this country’s population never drink alcohol. Interestingly, 20 percent of the population consumes 80 percent of all alcohol. More significantly, 7 percent of the population consumes 50 percent of all alcoholic beverages. That 7 percent represents those people who are victims of alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse.
What are the chances of continuous sobriety after treatment?
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Can you tell me what the chances are for a person who goes through a treatment program of getting sober and staying sober? Answer: A study of 65,000 patients followed after completing treatment (CATOR independent treatment outcome evaluation service, St. Paul, MN. 1994) showed that about 60 percent maintain total and continuing abstinence the first year. Of those patients who attend self-help support groups (A.A.) at least weekly for one year, 73 percent will be sober. In summary, people who complete treatment but who don’t follow through with either self-help...
October 15th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Can you tell me what the chances are for a person who goes through a treatment program of getting sober and staying sober? Answer: A study of 65,000 patients followed after completing treatment (CATOR independent treatment outcome evaluation service, St. Paul, MN. 1994) showed that about 60 percent maintain total and continuing abstinence the first year. Of those patients who attend self-help support groups (A.A.) at least weekly for one year, 73 percent will be sober. In summary, people who complete treatment but who don’t follow through with either self-help...
Can detoxification cause convulsions?
October 14th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: My daughter had been drinking heavily and using tranquilizers for years until our family got together and almost forced her into going to an alcohol treatment center. They detoxed her from alcohol but seven days after she had come through the detox from alcohol she had a convulsion. They took her to the emergency room where this treatment center is and did tests one of which was a brain scan. They found nothing wrong. She has never had convulsions before. Can we expect her to have more of these attacks in the future? Answer: These attacks, as you call them, are...
October 14th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: My daughter had been drinking heavily and using tranquilizers for years until our family got together and almost forced her into going to an alcohol treatment center. They detoxed her from alcohol but seven days after she had come through the detox from alcohol she had a convulsion. They took her to the emergency room where this treatment center is and did tests one of which was a brain scan. They found nothing wrong. She has never had convulsions before. Can we expect her to have more of these attacks in the future? Answer: These attacks, as you call them, are...
Why do more people suffer from substance abuse even thought there is more treatment now?
October 14th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Since treatment is so available all over the country now, why are an increasing number of people suffering from substance abuse? Answer: More people with substance abuse disorder are being identified. However, according to the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP), currently only 15 percent of substance abusers who need treatment get it.
October 14th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Since treatment is so available all over the country now, why are an increasing number of people suffering from substance abuse? Answer: More people with substance abuse disorder are being identified. However, according to the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP), currently only 15 percent of substance abusers who need treatment get it.
What is PCP?
October 14th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is PCP? Is it dangerous? Answer: Phencyclidine, commonly known as PCP, is probably the worst and most dangerous of illegal drugs. The goal is to achieve a sensory-deprived trance state. The margin of dose to bring about the desired effect and the lethal dose is very small. There are stages of effect which occur sequentially: acute anxiety, combativeness, visual and auditory hallucinations followed by toxic psychosis and delusions of one’s super-natural powers, invulnerability and eventually an acute depression with the great likelihood of suicide. This drug was primarily...
October 14th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: What is PCP? Is it dangerous? Answer: Phencyclidine, commonly known as PCP, is probably the worst and most dangerous of illegal drugs. The goal is to achieve a sensory-deprived trance state. The margin of dose to bring about the desired effect and the lethal dose is very small. There are stages of effect which occur sequentially: acute anxiety, combativeness, visual and auditory hallucinations followed by toxic psychosis and delusions of one’s super-natural powers, invulnerability and eventually an acute depression with the great likelihood of suicide. This drug was primarily...
What is pancreatitis?
October 14th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Over the past few months I have pains in my stomach after a few drinks which continue for a couple of hours. When I don’t drink alcoholic beverages, I don’t have any trouble. I have been a fairly heavy drinker for years but I don’t think of it as a problem. Now I know that if I take even two drinks I get these pains. What’s happening? Answer: Your body may be warning you that your heavy drinking days may be nearing an end. It is possible, even probable, that each time you drink alcohol, these same distressing symptoms will occur. Your pain can come...
October 14th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: Over the past few months I have pains in my stomach after a few drinks which continue for a couple of hours. When I don’t drink alcoholic beverages, I don’t have any trouble. I have been a fairly heavy drinker for years but I don’t think of it as a problem. Now I know that if I take even two drinks I get these pains. What’s happening? Answer: Your body may be warning you that your heavy drinking days may be nearing an end. It is possible, even probable, that each time you drink alcohol, these same distressing symptoms will occur. Your pain can come...
Is alcohol a painkiller?
October 14th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am a senior citizen and have arthritis in my hands, feet and back. I have found that a couple of drinks are the best painkiller for me. My wife says that there must be some better ways to deal with the pain. Answer: Well, your wife is actually right! Alcohol is the absolute worst thing you can take for pain in a chronic disease – or any other disease for that matter. Not only that, alcohol is an addictive drug.
October 14th, 2010 / Doctors Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question: I am a senior citizen and have arthritis in my hands, feet and back. I have found that a couple of drinks are the best painkiller for me. My wife says that there must be some better ways to deal with the pain. Answer: Well, your wife is actually right! Alcohol is the absolute worst thing you can take for pain in a chronic disease – or any other disease for that matter. Not only that, alcohol is an addictive drug.
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