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    • Mental and behavioural disorders account for 19% of the global burden of disease - WHO
    • It is estimated that nearly 450 million people suffer from a mental or behavioural disorder in the world - WHO
    • Nearly 10% of total population suffers from these disorders - WHO
    • Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.
    • Nearly 1% of the Indian population suffer from serious mental & behavioural disorders and 10% from moderate disorders, requiring psychiatric help.
    • By 2020 mental depression will be largest cause of disabilty worldwide and by 2025 it may overtake heart diseases as the biggest health concern - WHO
    • About half of mental disorders begin before the age of 14 - WHO
    • Around 20% of the world's children and adolescents are estimated to have mental disorders or problems - WHO
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Alcoholism

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Alcoholism is a chronic disease in which one’s body and mind become alcohol-dependent and a person loses total control over drinking. Alcoholics continue drinking even when faced with serious health hazards, breakdown in family or social relationships, serious impact on their finances or work situation.

Alcoholism is an illness of disappointment, of depression, of denial and of wrecked relationships consisting primarily of inability to control alcohol intake.

Vohra Neuropsychiatry Centre Healthcare provides a serious treatment programme which help people recover from alcoholism. Our treatment covers a regime of medications, counselling and extorting patients to enroll as part of self-help groups that are available within India and overseas.

If you or someone you care about has alcohol-related problems, you may feel being unfairly subjected to extreme hardship. Remember, you are not alone! Up to 30% of people taking alcohol develop temporary alcohol-related life problems. Fortunately, very safe and effective treatments are now offered by Vohra Neuropsychiatry Centre Healthcare to help people get rid of alcohol problems completely and to lead a satisfying, productive life.

Over time, drinking too much changes the chemical balance of one’s brain. Alcohol not only depresses one’s central nervous system, its long-term use creates a feeling of sedation. A heavy drinking binge may even cause a life-threatening coma. If you feel that you don't have control over your drinking, talk with our specialists at Vohra Neuropsychiatry Centre Healthcare.

Delay in seeking help may often cause serious health problems which may include: peripheral neuropathy, alcoholic hepatitis & cirrhosis, cardiomyopathy, pancreatitis, gastritis, peptic ulcer, cerebral atrophy and cerebellar degeneration etc. It can thus affect any organ of the body from head to toe.

The illness is treatable, yet it can be progressive and fatal when left untreated Alcoholism affects people from all walks of life, from the homeless drunk to the chairman of the board, who only lately, has been making poor corporate decisions. It can be the sullen husband, to formerly brilliant graduates whose worsening performance predicts a premature end to a promising academic career. Drinking behaviour is usually associated with multiple factors. It is a myth that alcohol is a stimulant; actually, alcohol is a known depressant that acts only temporarily reducing fear and anxiety, which may further encourage drinking, thus initiating a vicious cycle.

Alcohol dependence usually involves:

  • Compulsive use of alcohol or a strong desire to take alcohol.
  • Impaired control over drinking behaviour.
  • Appearance of withdrawal symptoms after sudden discontinuation.
  • Requirement of gradually increasing amounts of alcohol.
  • Preoccupation with the use of alcohol along with progressive neglect of alternative pleasures or interests.
  • Persistent use of alcohol despite adverse consequences. The presence of three or more of these manifestations lasting at least one month, calls for a diagnosis of Alcohol dependence.

Treatment options:

  • The management of alcohol problems can be tried on our on-line network where our experts are at hand to treat people dependent on alcohol.
  • People who have been taking alcohol heavily for a long time, those with medical complications, those with associated psychiatric illness or suicidal ideation and those with severe withdrawal symptoms, all need hospitalisation.
  • Admission in such cases usually lasts 2 – 3 weeks and involves ‘Detoxification’ that aims to assist people in abstinence and prevents withdrawal symptoms. This is associated with use of medications that decrease the urge to take alcohol and prevent relapses.
  • The ‘De-addiction’ phase lasts for approximately 3-6 months and involves either admission to a rehabilitation centre or conduct a follow up at an OPD with medications for De-addiction such as Naltrexone and Acamprosate
  • Non-pharmacological interventions including family and marital therapy, behaviour modification and social skills training are all important components in helping a person to lead a healthy, alcohol-free life. Besides motivation of the patient, family dynamics is the most important sphere that determines the overall prognosis of the alcoholic.