Alcohol is one of the oldest beverages mankind has created. But unlike other drinks, it hasn’t faded away into nothingness. The frequency of alcohol consumption varies from person to person; some people enjoy a drink on the weekends and others every other night. In recent times, there has been a steep rise in alcohol addiction, which is an alarming situation. Alcohol addiction also has many debilitating side effects on individual health, social, and personal life. There is no doubt that this addiction, like many other drug addictions, comes at a serious cost.
What Is Alcohol Addiction?
There are several iterations to alcoholism depending on the sources. However, most of them are based on the fact that a person’s inability to remain sober for a long period of time and heavy reliance on drinking to get through their day constitutes an alcohol addiction. It can be quite dangerous to their health and requires proper counseling. UK private rehab provider, Substance Rehabilitation, explains the importance of alcohol addiction treatment by saying, “Seeking addiction treatment for alcohol dependence is an important step towards a healthy and fulfilling life.”
How Alcohol Addiction Starts
There’s a fine line between an occasional drink and prolonged consumption of alcohol. A casual glass with friends at a party or date doesn’t pose a big threat but when a person starts drinking more due to several causes, the addiction starts to grow. The reason why a person might resort to drinking can be a likeness to the taste of alcohol or even personal circumstances and mental problems that lead individuals to “drowning their sorrows” in a glass of alcohol. It’s true that alcohol has anxiety-relieving effects therefore we must destigmatize notions regarding addicts to help alleviate alcohol addiction in society.
One of the biggest reasons individuals develop alcohol addiction is because of their surroundings. A substantial amount of people become chronic alcoholics because of their friends, and many start drinking such beverages because they receive encouragement through various sources at one point or another. So, a negative environment where heavy consumption of alcohol isn’t perceived as risky can also contribute to a person’s addiction to alcohol.
How Alcohol Addiction Alters Personality
The effects of alcohol consumption are many and quite devastating. Yet, its addiction starts bringing changes to an individual’s personality from an early point. Those that drink heavily all day can even develop a high tolerance for ‘hangover’ symptoms, which comprises headache, nausea, and laziness. People that usually binge drink become irritable, meaning a minor issue can offset their mood completely.
At times, alcoholics often deny people who confront them about their habits, even when their tendency to control their drinking habits has declined seriously. They become heavily dependent on these beverages for a good mood and even proper functioning.
Effects of Alcohol Addiction on Health
Studies have shown that alcohol addiction can seriously affect one’s health. These beverages work in different ways to alter the chemistry of our body and produce harmful changes. Heart and liver complications are the biggest threats that heavy alcohol consumption imposes on the human body. Other effects that alcoholism can cause include ulcers, diabetes, vision loss, suppressed immunity which can further lead to cancers.
Alcoholics also suffer in terms of mental health. As they conceal their drinking habits in front of friends and family; they might become paranoid towards remarks and situations created around them. The shunning from society has an even more adverse effect as alcoholics usually make new friends that are also heavy drinkers, and try to avoid people that confront them about their habits. Such individuals may also land themselves in legal and professional problems by getting arrested and losing their jobs due to drinking in the workplace.
Binge drinking can also lead to death. A study reports that 28 deaths are reported in the United States every day due to drunk driving. Alcohol has been reported as one of the leading causative factors in cases of suicide and murder.
Summary
In conclusion, alcohol addiction can be quite dangerous and can cause serious problems for individuals and their loved ones.
#1 Alcohol addiction starts as an occasional habit, and it develops into an obsession for consuming more for pleasure.
#2 The reasons behind heavy alcohol consumption are several, including as a coping mechanism or for recreational purposes.
#3 Individuals addicted to alcohol express personality changes, and later, health issues also begin to develop.
#4 Consuming high doses of alcohol in a single session may even cause death.
#5 Heavy alcohol drinking also produces negative impacts on a person’s social and professional life.
Alcohol addiction may be a choice, but it is never an answer to the problem. Continuing such detrimental habits will cause one to fall into an abyss of grief and trouble. Therefore, the best way to deal with alcohol addiction is to get up and seek help. One must make sure to seek the guidance of professionals to smoothen the process a bit and make it less draining for both the person who is suffering from addiction and their family. There are many best treatment centers like alcohol detox seattle that offer to counsel both the patient and family before, during, and even after the treatment is over to help the family overcome the anxiety and to help ensure that the patient does not relapse.
