| You might be thinking that it isn't a serious problem, but alcoholism effects quite a few things in your life. Some of them are physical and only effects you while others will affect the world around you. Alcoholism is a disease that is capable of encompassing your whole life if left unchecked and untreated. It can control everything about you and bring your life and the lives of those you love the most to ruin.
Physical
Alcoholism makes you susceptible to various forms of cancer, especially involving the digestive system. Cancer can be found anywhere from the lips all the way down to the rectum. You can have it in the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, colon, and other places. Women have to be concerned even more about breast cancer because of alcohol abuse.
The heart is also something that can be negatively effected. While a little bit of alcohol can have positive effects, too much can do you harm. It can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, and possible stroke. Risks of heart disease that you might already have are accentuated by heavy drinking.
The liver can be affected with alcoholic hepatitis that brings about jaundice, fever, and abdominal pain. Alcoholic hepatitis is reversible, but alcoholic cirrhosis, another threat to your health brought about by alcoholism, is not reversible. You can live longer by stopping drinking, but overall once the damage is done there is very little else that can be done short of a transplant. Problems with the liver can also effect the brain. Sleep patterns may be disturbed, moods and personalities might go through changes, one might suffer from anxiety, depression, short attention span, and in some cases, coma.
Pregnancy is one thing that can cause harm to both your and your child. The problems may be learning or behavioral problems for life, but it could also be fetal alcohol syndrome in which they can have serious mental, physical, behavioral, and developmental issues.
The brain is also effected. Not only is there the issue of blackouts and memory lapses to worry about, but there are also short and long-term problems that can come and affect your ability to learn and remember things. It can make you constantly confused and disoriented and unable to function properly.
Social
Alcoholism is a leading factor in divorces. Much damage can be done to a relationship because of alcoholism. Things that you would never ordinarily say or do sober come out when drunk. The stress that comes from the disease will cause unnatural strain on the marriage.
Domestic violence is not uncommon when there is an alcoholic involved. They may either take the role of the abused or the abuser.
Unemployment often comes as the employee cannot be trusted to fulfill his job's obligations. They will show up late for work if they either show up at all and work is compromised when they do show up.
Once the world starts falling apart and alcohol takes control over their life, poverty many times will follow. Many times individuals and families will find themselves homeless and on the streets because treatment wasn't sought.
This is something that can be stopped. Something is going to be in control and you have to decide if that something is going to be you or the alcohol. Seeing all the ways that alcohol effects your life and the lives of those around you, it's hard to imagine why anyone would allow themselves to be controlled by the bottle.
This article is to be used for information purposes only. It is not a diagnosis, treatment or cure for alcoholism or any other physical, emotional or mental disorder. You should always consult a health professional for proper diagnosis, treatment or cure for any physical, emotional or mental disorder. |