Uncovering The Effects Of Alcoholism
Alcoholism is defined as the inability of a person to limit or abstain excessive alcohol consumption. The dependency on alcohol is said to be psychological rather than physical. This is why some people argue with the consensus of most members of the medical community that alcoholism is a disease. For them, alcoholism is a social choice because an alcoholic is not internally pressured by his body to use alcohol. Still, the effects of alcoholism, be it acute or chronic, ranges from physical ailments to social problems.
Because alcohol induces depression, an alcoholic user tends to view everyone and everything around him as threatening. Depression and anxiety are one of the most common yet in a way, destructive effects of alcoholism. This is why he drinks alcohol again to temporarily feel numb and insensitive to what is happening around him. This happens because alcohol has an anesthetic effect on some circuits or neurotransmitters found in the brain. This cycle happens again and again leading to alcohol addiction or chronic alcoholism.
In terms of worldwide morbidity, alcoholism belongs on the same level as malaria and apparently, has greater morbidity effect compared to smoking and illegal drug use. In fact, alcoholism is regarded as one of the frontrunners of public health problems. The physical effects of alcoholism can range from nutritional deficiencies to permanent brain damage. The severity of these ailments depends on the frequency and the stage of alcohol dependency. Some of the most common physical effects of alcoholism include nutritional diseases including anemia, thiamine deficiency, pellagra, scurvy and beriberi. It also affects the function of many organs like the liver, pancreas, brain, heart and bone marrow. Liver cirrhosis, which is characterized by a fatty content in the liver, is one of the most classic diseases caused by alcoholism. Alcohol addiction, likewise, increases the risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer.
Aside from depression and anxiety, other psychological effects of alcoholism are emotional instability, compulsive use of alcohol and mild dementia. Psychiatric conditions also result from alcohol addiction. Attention deficit disorder, antisocial disorder and panic disorder are among which. Among the social effects of alcoholism are the increases in cases of petty crimes, sexual crimes, divorce, child and spousal abuse, and suicides. In fact, in one study conducted in Hungary, it was revealed that 52% of those who committed suicides had a fatty liver, a symptom of chronic alcoholism. Moreover, alcoholism also causes the inability of an alcohol to maintain a job or a home leading to serious economic implications. In the United States alone, alcohol has become the most abused drug and consequently, economic cost due to alcoholism had been pegged at approximately $115 billion every year. Alcohol addiction treatments are recommended to counter the damaging effects of alcoholism. Statistics show that 95% of those who do not undergo alcohol addiction treatments die due to their addiction. Since alcoholism is a problem that affects millions, many treatment methods have arisen. These can range from conventional treatments like psychotherapy and alcohol detoxification to non-conventional treatments like phytotherapy and acupuncture.
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