It's no secret that alcohol can be addicting. Thus, in order to fight off that addiction, one must first understand the scientific basis of this addiction. An individual’s craving for alcohol is directly related to dopamine, the chemical related to pleasure and satisfaction. Once a person ingests alcohol their brain liberates dopamine into their body, causing them to feel a sudden burst of pleasure. Alcohol also increases the amount of endorphin in the body, a neurotransmitter that can control both excitement and pain. The mind is therefore falsely sent into feelings of initial happiness.

Another part of what makes individuals crave for alcohol is human psychology. Ivan Pavlov made a study in 1897 that confirmed that dogs (later experiments would extend this reaction to humans as well) tended to associate events to results in an almost subconscious level. Pavlov's experiment showed that a dog could be trained to start salivating at the sound of a bell, because he associated it with food. This is the same kind of conditioning that causes alcohol craving, as a 1986 study yielded impressive results that at least 93% of its subjects were shown to have at least one sort of trigger related to alcohol.

What happens is that people generally start to drink when they are under a lot of stress, and due to the aforementioned chemicals they feel much better after a drink or two. Their bodies then start to associate alcohol with a cure for stress, the same way a dog associates a bell with food. When people are subjected to even larger amounts of stress, their bodies basically shut down and look for a way to get out of that state, because stress can be very harmful to the human body. The brain then remembers that drinking alcohol diminished stress levels significantly, which in turn generates cravings.

According to a study in 2004, a particular gene also appears to influence the risk of alcohol dependence as well. Individuals with this gene might have an increased risk of alcoholism. Studies show that the power of alcohol cravings is incredibly strong, as 90% of alcoholics are likely to experience one relapse over the first 4 years after abstinence.

To reduce cravings, there are currently only 3 medications available and approved by the FDA to combat Alcoholism. One works to cause a severe adverse reaction in combination with alcohol, one works to block the dopamine and one focuses on the reducing the physical and emotional discomfort that individuals can experience when they stop drinking. Some doctors suggest that specific types of nutrition such as reducing your caffeine and sugar intake may also help decrease alcohol cravings.

Education and therapy also help to reduce alcohol cravings. With knowledge comes power, and alcohol awareness classes provide information on what the negative effects of alcohol are to your body and life. Students will also learn different techniques that have proven successful to overcome the addiction. High quality classes at Alcohol Drug Class can be taken online in the comfort and privacy of your own home. Try to choose one in which you can contact a practicing and licensed therapist with any questions. This gives the added support necessary for the addict to begin his/her road to recovery. Minors can take a MIP Class.

The use of alcohol and other drugs impairs your judgment and will often lead to embarrassing, unfortunate incidents as well as accidents and possible death. This is because when a person consumes alcohol, it affects nerve cells in the brain. It initially is a stimulant, than brings on feelings of relaxation and reduced anxiety which in turn lowers inhibitions and induces a mild euphoria.

Individuals on drugs and alcohol will often do things they wouldn’t normally do. Men might gain the confidence they wouldn’t normally have to approach a young lady, while a woman might be more relaxed about accepting sexual advances. A recent newsworthy event was when Prince Harry was caught on tape playing strip poker in his hotel room in Las Vegas. Now it is a documented situation that he may not have wanted to remember the next day. Other examples include individuals who gain a feeling of being “super-human” and try to fly off a ledge or swim in freezing cold waters. There is no argument in saying that alcohol impairs your better judgment.

Alcohol and drugs have many unhealthy and negative effects on the brain. Basically, alcohol contracts brain tissue and depresses the central nervous system. It also destroys brain cells and unlike many other types of cells in the body, brain cells do not regenerate. Excessive drinking over a prolonged period of time can cause serious problems with cognition and memory.

Alcohol and drugs also cause reaction times that are slow, which are often why people have to take DUI classes. Reaction time is the amount of time that a person takes to respond to an event or occurrence. This means that the person will not be able to make crucial decisions in time which may lead to accidents, injury and even death. This means that when driving drunk or under the influence of drugs, the risk of accidents is much higher if not definite as the driver will not be able to make crucial reactions to events like a sudden pedestrian or another car that changes lanes unexpectedly.

Another response to alcohol use is blurry vision. Overall eyesight may be altered since drinking heavily impairs brain function. This may cause blurred vision or double vision due to weakened eye muscle coordination.  Taking a simple 8 hour alcohol class might really help.

To avoid putting yourself in situations that you might not want to ever remember, and to keep your brain functioning to its highest ability, it’s best to stay away from drugs and alcohol. If you find yourself in need of support, education and guidance while keeping a low profile, try utilizing online alcohol and drug awareness classes. In these classes you will learn more about how and why alcohol and drugs impair your judgments and how to overcome the urge of using these substances. They can be taken from an Internet based computer in the privacy of your own home at any time that is convenient for the client. Attending such classes will help in curbing those embarrassing situations that may be caused by impaired judgment due to the use of alcohol and drugs.

College started for many schools across the country last week. After years of working hard to get into a good school, students leave rules and parental guidance behind, as they venture off to begin their new independent lives. The excitement of being away from home for the first time combined with peer pressure often leads students to make poor decisions. Unfortunately, an incident occurred this past weekend at Fresno State in which an 18- year old Fraternity pledge died after a night of drinking. This death comes seven years after the death of another Fresno State student who was found to have more than four times the legal driving limit for intoxication in his blood.

Universities have tried to crack down on partying at fraternities and sororities over the past decade due to an increase in the number of high profile incidents of hazing. In fact, last year four Cornell students accused of tying up a pledge and forcing him to drink until he passed out. He was left on a couch where he later died. And, at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, new pledges were forced to drink alcohol until they vomited and then forced to drink more.

Fraternity and Sorority members have recently been very defensive about this reported behavior, saying that they get a bad rap and these are just high profile individual incidents. However, a 2001 Harvard School of Public Health Alcohol Study studied college drinking nationally and discovered that fraternity members were more likely to engage in heavy drinking than their non-fraternity friends. 75% of fraternity members verses 48.6%.

This behavior has damaging affects on the individual who is partaking in the binge drinking. Not only is it bad for the student’s physical health, but also it hurts academic success and the safety of those around them, as they are more likely to be violent, aggressive and unstable. Heavily intoxicated individuals tend to cause property damage, stress on friend’s who have to take care of them, sexual assault, and the dangers of drinking under the influence. Some schools have taken clear initiative by completely prohibiting rush week. They have also restricted promotion of parties through posted notices and have instituted a higher level of surveillance at off campus parties.

Unfortunately, as we see in this latest incident, the problem is not going away. Students need to be educated about the risks of drinking and especially the binge drinking, prior to leaving for college. Having an open line of communication with your teenage children is imperative to helping prevent alcohol and drug abuse. Online alcohol and drug awareness classes are an excellent tool for parents to use before their child is leaving to live away from home. They can be accessed from any Internet based computer in a relaxed and comfortable environment. Quality courses will teach the risks and repercussions to your health and those around you of drug and alcohol abuse. They will educate the student on what the current drugs are out there, and skills to use to avoid peer pressure and to just say no are also taught in minor in possession classes.

Alcoholism is defined as an addiction to the consumption of alcoholic liquor and is seen to be a chronic and progressive disease. Alcoholism cuts across all ages, background levels, incomes, ethnicities, and age groups. Recently, studies have indicated that genetic makeup plays a role in the development of alcoholism. However, research also shows that genetic factors alone do not contribute to the development of alcoholism.

Alcoholism, known as a family disease, affects the life of those living with the alcoholic. Alcoholics may have young, teenage, or adult children. They may have wives or husbands, brothers, sisters, or older parents living with them. An alcoholic will disrupt the lives of everyone around them. According to SAMHSA's (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration) statistics, more than 76 million Americans are exposed to alcoholism in the family.

Alcoholism affects each member of the family differently. A mother's alcoholism affects the fetus even before the child is born. When a pregnant woman drinks, alcohol is transferred through the placental tissues into the blood of the fetus. The blood levels of alcohol both in the mother and the fetus become the same. Babies may be born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). This has been observed to be a primary cause of birth defects. These children can have lifelong medical problems including mental retardation. FAS babies are generally underweight, may have deformities of the skull, face, and eyes, and may have damaged central nervous system, among many other problems. Because of these factors they experience difficulties in learning, maintaining attention span, making judgment, etc., and also display behavioral problems.

Physically healthy children whose parents are alcoholics also face many problems. Common symptoms of children of alcoholics (COAs) include low self esteem, loss of confidence, chronic depression, bedwetting, crying, frequent exposure to stress and tension and fears of abandonment. Slightly older children display symptoms such as keeping to themselves, developing a poor self-image, and becoming very self- conscious. Teenage children of alcoholics are seen to develop phobias. School performance is affected and the children have relationship problems at school. COAs, if untreated for their problems, carry it into later life.

Incest and domestic violence including battering are common in families of alcoholics. More than 75% of the cases of domestic violence include a member of the family who is an alcoholic. Adult children of alcoholics, who have not faced their past, show signs of impulsive behavior and aggression. They also often abuse drugs, make poor career choices, have relationship problems, and may become alcoholics themselves.

Alcoholism is seen to have negative effects on the spouse. They nurture feelings of self-pity, hatred and avoid social contacts. The spouse of an alcoholic often performs the duties of both the parents. This puts pressure on the parent who is non-alcoholic and he/she may neglect the children. Experiencing financial difficulties and joblessness are common features. Family members use denial to justify the alcoholic's dependency. This perpetuates the unhealthy atmosphere and enables the alcoholic to continue with the drinking problem.

Alcohol Awareness Classes including Alcoholics Anonymous, in-patient and outpatient rehab centers and online alcohol awareness classes offer support and education to help to lessen dependency on alcohol and improve lifestyles. Online alcohol awareness classes provide assistance in the private, relaxed atmosphere of the user’s own home. Classes can be taken individually or with the support of family members on any Internet based computer. They are an excellent choice to open up that often-difficult initial discussion in a safe atmosphere. Especially if the alcoholic is reluctant to visit a therapist or go to any meetings where other people might see him/her. Classes provide information on the health risks of alcohol and steps to take to overcome the addiction. They provide information that everyone in the family can benefit from. The durations of the awareness course are different and can be chosen by an individual according to specific needs.

Many of the online courses are designed to meet stipulations laid down by the court for DUI offenses, but they are also good self-improvement tool for those struggling with alcoholism before it is too late.

Each year we read about tragic stories of college students who drink excessively during their first few weeks of freedom at college. Sometimes it’s a hazing incident in which an individual is encouraged to drink a lot of alcohol to prove himself to a new fraternity, or just someone who hasn’t experienced the effects of alcohol before and doesn’t know when to stop. Unfortunately, there are nearly 80,000 people who die every year from consuming far too much alcohol. Alcohol poisoning is essentially what happens when your bodily functions begin shutting down due to the excessive amount of alcohol in your body. It is the result of drinking too much, too quickly and can potentially lead to coma and death.

In the college environment, freshman seem to be at the highest risk possibly because they are own for the first time and are excited and willing to try new things. Also, individuals turning 21 will sometimes play alcohol related games like take “21 shots”, or try 21 different drinks. When someone has alcohol poisoning, they might show some of the following signs:

- Unresponsive or unconscious

- Shallow or short breathing

- Hypothermia, or a low body temperature

- A very low pulse rate (which is under 50)

- Excessive vomiting (which is usually the first sign of alcohol poisoning and the body's attempt to purge the excessive alcohol that can't be filtered)

- Seizures

If you suspect someone has alcohol poisoning, don't just assume they'll sleep it off. Often people who drink too much will pass out, but putting them to bed is not the safest answer. If you are aware that someone has had too much to drink, be responsible and take pre-cautionary steps immediately to ensure they'll be okay and reduce their risk of death.

First and foremost, make sure that the person who is unconscious or unresponsive is not laying down face up. Turn their head to the side to reduce the risk of vomiting and drowning in their vomit if they're laying face up. Call emergency services if you suspect someone has alcohol poisoning. The sooner emergency help arrives to someone, the better chance they have of getting rid of the alcohol content inside their system.

If you find yourself enjoying the drinking scene at college a bit too much. If you are waking up with hangovers, having blackouts or are craving the time when you can have your next drink, then you may have an addiction problem. Get your life under control before you end up failing out of school, getting in an accident or causing harm to yourself physically. Try taking online alcohol and drug awareness classes to become educated about the risks and consequences of drinking alcohol and taking drugs. These classes are low in cost and are completely private. You can take them from the convenience of your own computer at any time of the day or night. No one needs to know that you are using this support tool to help stay sober. If you do have questions, make sure you are taking a class from a licensed and practicing therapist that you can call for further help.