Alcoholism: A Mental Disorder
Millions of people get killed every year due to alcoholism. They may either be the alcoholics, themselves or the people who suffer the consequences of their actions. One verifiable proof of this fact is the rising number of fatalities in vehicular accidents involving people who are under the influence of alcohol while driving. Increasing number of suicide cases are also blamed on it. In fact, in the US, alcoholism is ranked among the leading causes of mortality. By definition, alcoholism is the inability of a person to control his or her intake of alcohol and his or her preoccupation with alcohol despite its effects. The Journal of the American Medical Association categorizes it as a disease.
Studies show that alcoholism adversely affects brain processes. Apparently, alcohol destroys neurotransmitters, which is vital for the brain to function. Likewise, due to excess alcohol intake, the body may become deficient of certain vitamins and minerals, particularly, magnesium. The lack of magnesium in the body is one of the primary causes for the feelings of depression and anxiety and muscle pain which are common in alcoholics.
Humans produce alcohol in very small amounts as a result of natural body processes. An enzyme in the liver named alcohol dehydrogenase converts alcohol intake into acetaldehyde, a substance that is very harmful to the body. Excess amounts of acetaldehyde have adverse effects on the activities of some chemicals in the brain. They act on the neurotransmitters in the brain influencing a person to drink more to cushion the pain caused by increasing acetaldehyde presence in the body. Its mental effects make an alcohol dependent less alert and less responsive to physical stimuli. Aside from this, alcoholism also leads to physical harm as it causes the different organs of the body to malfunction.
The single cause of alcoholism is still a mystery to scientists until today. From studies conducted on the subject of alcoholism, it was learned that an alcoholic's physiological traits affects his physical response to alcohol and to the act of drinking alcohol. Also, alcoholism affects how an alcoholic makes decisions. For example, if a person opts to drink by himself instead of drinking with friends, then this reflects an unconscious need for alcohol. In some cases, an alcoholic also chooses to drink while dealing with a hangover reflecting greater dependence and tolerance to alcohol. Aside from the physical and neurological effects of alcoholism, they also affect the social relationships of the dependent. Numerous family units have been destroyed due to an alcoholic member. Younger members of the society, upon seeing the behavior of an alcohol dependent, are also influenced to drink. There are many treatment options available to alcoholics. Organizations such as the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Moderation Management (MM) are just two of the organizations, which exist to help dependents overcome alcoholism. Nutritional therapy, or the maintenance of vitamins, is also an option. Certain drugs may also be recommended to reduce craving for alcohol. Alcohol detoxification and controlled drinking are also among the recovery programs that are practiced currently.
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