Vida de Alcoólatra is Folha’s new blog – 06/19/2023 – Health

Reports of fears, losses and the raw truth about the 28 years facing alcoholism will be shared with the reader on the blog Vida de Alcoólatra, which premieres this Tuesday (20) on Sheet.

Who writes is Alice, the author’s code name, who decided to expose her trajectory as a way to help other people – and also as a healing process.

“I want people to see what alcoholism is like. I want nothing more than to try to demystify the disease, because I’ve already suffered a lot with it. It’s an act of love for me and for those who suffer”, he says.

Alice spent 24 years actively living with alcoholism and has been in recovery for four years. During this period, she had six hospitalizations, psychiatric follow-ups, therapeutic processes, alternative treatments and search for religions.

“The texts will be about my experience with this disease, my afflictions and my recovery. I learned that talking about myself helps many other alcoholics to feel comfortable facing the disease. My alcoholism can resonate in some positive way with someone who is needing help and information about this disease”, reinforces.

The column should be published weekly and, eventually, it may bring other people’s experiences from Alice’s point of view.

“I would like my reports to help break the great taboo about the disease a little”, he concludes.

ALCOHOLISM

Alcoholism is characterized when there is a constant need to consume alcoholic beverages and lack of limit. The addict usually shows tolerance to the substance, which makes him consume more and more.

As it is a socially accepted drug and is present in virtually all places, it can be difficult to understand that consumption has become a dependency, and even more so, to avoid it.

A 2019 survey by the Ministry of Health pointed out that 17.9% of the adult population in Brazil abuse alcohol. The percentage is 14.7% higher than the 15.6% recorded in 2006. The survey also revealed that alcohol abuse among women increased by 42.9% between 2006 and 2018.

It is considered alcohol abuse, according to the Ministry of Health, the ingestion of four or more doses among women and five or more doses of alcoholic beverages among men, on the same occasion, in the last 30 days.

People who suffer from alcohol dependence, according to the Ministry of Health, are assisted free of charge through the National Mental Health Policy, at the CAPS (Psychosocial Care Centers). Just look for a nearest health center to receive guidance.