It must not come as a surprise to us that the United States of America is a booze-loving country. Alcohol is a part of the culture and is used as a form of celebration as well as stress-busting. It is an excuse for social gatherings as well as for numbing oneself from feeling specific types of emotions.
Although alcohol existed in the country before even the arrival of Columbus, the real influx and the dangers related to the abuse of alcohol started after the colonizers arrived in the 1600s. In a few centuries, it already created enough havoc to become a widespread social problem. This led to the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol from 1920 to 1933.
The ban was soon repealed, however, and alcohol remained to be an issue for the country. Since then the number of drinkers and health issues related to alcohol abuse have only risen. Today, about 86% of the population over 18 claims to have tried alcohol at least once, more than 50% claim to have drunk in the last month and about 17% claim to be binge drinkers. Approximately, about 15 million people from the US have Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).
Alcohol addiction is caused by many factors that are part of an average human’s lifestyle.
They broadly fit into one of these three categories – genetic, environmental and social. An individual, whose family has a history of Alcohol abuse, is more likely to get addicted to alcohol than someone who has not had the same family history. Environmental factors like stress, trauma, peer pressure and others are also common factors that contribute. Availability, acceptance and encouragement are some of the social factors.
The situation regarding the addiction is really alarming. People who binge drink are 70 times more likely to make a visit to the Emergency Department (ED) and people who drink heavily are up to 93 times more likely. Alcohol-related deaths have constantly been rising in the US. In 2019 alone, 95,000 people died because of problems related to alcohol consumption.
It is not however all gloomy. The rise in awareness of the situation has started to show its effects now. Many people are waking up to the reality of the situation. For these people, there are many available options for treatment, including counselling, rehab programs, etc.
One of those options is choosing to enrol in a voluntary luxury rehab program in India, helping an individual focus intensely on their healing and also exploring a new culture. Veda Wellness, Luxury Retreat & Rehab offers the best rehab programmes in India, with currently three centres operating in the country. The quality of care provided by our centres is on par with the best centres of the world, with the benefit of a very affordable cost since the cost of healthcare in India is quite low. Veda employs a Holistic approach combining the body and the mind and eradicating the problems at their roots. The change of scenery and distance from familiar triggers and stressors can be beneficial for some individuals in their journey towards recovery. Contact us today and get to know more about the programmes we offer!
– Nihar Laljani
– Content Writer For Veda Rehabilitation and Wellness