what is beta alcoholism?

Answer 1

type of alcoholism

Answer 2

I am a recovering alcoholic (31 yrs clean and sober)and I had never heard of beta alcoholism, so, being curious, I did a little search. According to this author (H. Lawless), there are 5 varieties of alcoholism; Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon. The following is his description of the types.
Alpha alcoholism is characterized by psychological dependence to relieve physical or emotional pain.
Beta alcoholism is characterized by negative physiological consequences(such as liver disease, nerve damage), but without dependence.
Gamma alcoholism is the classic pattern of developing tolerance, transition from psychological to physical dependence, presence of withdrawal symptoms, and maladaptive behavioral changes. Serious physical and psychological damage often occurs. The stories of AA (see the Big Book) are commonly of this variety of alchoholism.
Delta alcoholism is characterized by an inability to abstain, maintenance of a constant level of alcohol in the body, but no other loss of behavioral control. This type of syndrome has been called characteristic of certain European countries in which people may drink small amounts but all day long.
Epsilon alcholism is characterized by episodic or binge drinking.

There is also a study that indicates that beta-endorphins are released in the brain after drinking alcohol by persons who are susceptible to becoming alcoholics.
Another article states: "Several researchers have shown that persons with a family history of alcoholism tend to have differences in blood levels of beta-endorphin, a natural opiate hormone, compared to persons without a family history of alcoholism. Children of alcoholics, who are not themselves alcoholics, have lower levels of beta-endorphin than children of non-alcoholics. Also, when young adults with a family history of alcoholism drink alcohol, they increase their blood levels of beta-endorphin more than those without a family history of alcoholism."
The article later states that: "The trajectory of alcohol dependence may be different among individuals with the "G" allele. If these individuals have a different level of sensitivity, they may also have a differential level of risk for developing alcohol dependence. They may also respond to treatments for alcholism differently, especially those that target the mu-opoid receptors, such as naltrexone."
In case these links don't work for you, they were the first 3 entries on the Yahoo search page that came up when I entered the keywords "beta alcoholism".
I know it's lengthy, but I hope it helps answer your question.

Answer 3

I guessing u mean by testing, its away to find out what works and what doesnt work, to get all teh glitches and kinks out.