Abstract: Alcohol dependence (alcoholism), occurs when the body cannot function without the effect of alcohol. Alcohol affects specific neurotransmitters in the brain and when the brain becomes accustomed to the alcohols affects it can no longer function properly signals without the help of the alcohol. Once someone has developed a dependency on alcohol, they will continue to drink regardless of any serious physical complications that are caused by alcohol.
Introduction:
While drinking might make you feel good now, if you abuse that alcohol it may lead to serious complications later. Heavy drinking is defined as consuming four or more drinks in a day for women and five or more drinks in a day for men (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). Alcohol is considered a depressant, so it is only seen fit that one of the chief effects of alcohol on the brain is to depress central nervous system functioning. In turn it may be why major depressive disorders occur in those who abuse alcohol. If the alcohol abuse continues over a period it intensifies into an alcohol dependency. Alcohol has effects on the body both mentally and physically. After a certain limit alcohol will slur your speech, increase your reaction time, and make you lose co-ordination. Alcohol consumption, particularly long-term alcohol dependence has many physiological ricks to consider, such as permanent damage to the brain, alcoholic liver disease, pancreatitis, alcohol poisoning
Discussion:
1.
Alcoholism (sometimes called Alcohol Use Disorder in the technical literature) is, essentially, defined as a dependency on alcohol for an individual to function in his/her daily life. The condition is related to but distinct from "alcohol abuse". In the latter case, an individual may be said to have a drinking problem, but s/he is not dependent on alcohol, i.e. alcohol is not a required part of that person 's life. This is an important distinction to make as often
Alcoholism is known to destroy many lives and cause a lot of suffering. There has to be a point of realization where one figures out that it is a choice. Many people do not realize that they can become dependent on alcohol until it is too late. People with alcohol addiction often do not notice that they are relying on alcohol to get them through the day. To them, it may seem like a coping mechanism when it actually is anything but that. When the word alcohol is mentioned, many take it as a word that helps cope with stress or personal problems. In reality, alcohol is a depressant that does more harm than good. The effects of alcohol addiction are intoxication, withdrawal, and harm to self/others.
Over a long time binge drinking can damage the liver and other organs. Car crashes, drunk driving arrests, sexual assaults, and injuries. For many their goal is to black out. Blacking out is when you just shut down into a hard sleep and can’t remember anything. Drinking too much alcohol can make you have alcohol poison and get really sick. You may even die or suffer health problems for the rest of your life.
Alcohol consumption affects every aspect of the human body, specifically the brain, liver, central nervous system, pancreas, stomach, and increased cancer risks.
Over 2.5million people die every year to excessive alcohol use. Furthermore, alcohol is responsible for one in ten deaths of working age adults aged twenty to sixty four. Excessive drinking by the CDC is more than one glass a day for a woman and more than two glasses a day for a man. Also, drinking any while under the age or pregnant is classified as excessive drinking(“Alcohol Use and Your Health”). On top of the benefits becoming negative effects quickly, excessive drinking also comes with many more side effects. Excessive drinking damages the brain, heart, liver, pancreas, and the immune system. Brain cells are lost along with loss of thinking and coordination. Heart beat, heart muscles, and blood pressure can be effected. A variety of liver problems and inflammations. The Pancreas produces unwanted toxins eventually leading to pancreatitis. Lastly the immune system is weakened, making the body a much easier target for disease and slowing the body’s ability to ward off infections – even up to 24 hours after getting drunk(“Alcohol's Effects on the
Some short-term effects of alcohol abuse are the reduction of tension, production of pleasurable affects, as well as slowed thinking and memory loss. Studies also show poor decision making to be a short-term effect of alcohol consumption. Some long-term effects are psychological deterioration as well as a physical deterioration. Just about every organ is adversely affected by the long-term consumption of alcohol. For example, a person who uses alcohol long term reduces the amount of food intake due to the calories consumed by alcohol that has little nutritional value. Over time this person can become malnourished. Long term use of alcohol can
Alcohol results in unstable movement, and it changes an individual’s awareness and doesn’t let them think clearly and distorts their judgment, black outs and impairs their vision and hearing. Depressants, back in the day were used as a sleep aid. An overconsumption of alcohol can lead to the substance becoming a depressant. There are many different forms and types of alcohol but the ethanol is what causes an individual to become addicted to drinking. The effects that alcohol has on the central nervous system starts When alcohol arrives in the brain it binds with the GABA receptors that are in charge of transmitting information from each synapse so it prevents the GABA from following through with transmitting information. And it also fixes itself with glutamate, thus causing the glutamate to not recycle through the cell. This slows everything down leading the individual to react slowly to things and causes decreased cognitive function, decreased reflexes, and decreased coordination. Which then causes the individual to have impaired judgment and decision making due the brains receptor sites being blocked by the alcohol (Sullivan, Harris, & Pfefferbaum, 2010). The larger the dose of alcohol the more extreme the effects are. With a larger dose of alcohol, the individual has very poor fine motor skills and is emotional and seizures are likely. The rest of the alcohol goes through the liver and metabolizes breaking down the toxicity within your body but the more alcohol that the individual drinks the harder it is on their liver which can also cause liver failure (Capuzzi & Stauffer,
Almost everyone has tried alcohol at some point, and many also use it as a regular basis in parties or other occasions. Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused depressant, which are drugs that reduce the activity in the nervous system. Despite the well-known consequences of alcoholism, millions of people still decide to constantly consume it. Even Though, it is affecting people’s mind and changing their behavior, and body. Their are effects that a person will get all based on the amount of alcohol consumed, age, and how long they’ve been drinking, and the family history of drinking problems.
Alcohol use disorder can be caused by a number of factors, such as biological and environmental. People who drink alcohol often are at risk to alcohol dependence as the brain becomes reliant on the chemicals in alcoholic beverages. This makes it difficult for them to stop or quit the habit, a symptom of withdrawal.
Many ask “what is alcoholism?” Alcoholism is also known as alcohol “dependence syndrome”.Alcoholics crave alcohol and it's a compulsion to drink. The author of this quote “Alcoholism is a behavior pattern characterized by uncontrolled drinking of alcohol to the extent of impairing health & social function” ( Cosper 1). Now knowing what alcoholism is, let's discuss the side effects.
Alcohol is a depressant that affects every part of your body because once it’s consumed, twenty percent is absorbed in the stomach and eighty percent is absorbed in the small intestine. Excessive use of alcohol could cause other health problems such as, arthritis, cancer, heart disease, hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, kidney disease, liver disease, nervous disorders, obesity and psychological disturbances. Alcohol related liver disease is a major cause of death in the United States.
In some cases, that are extreme, people can die from in taking too much alcohol in one single occasion or could have alcohol poisoning from having too much. Just like when people over dose on drugs people can stop breathing or even stop your heart which therefore means they have to go into hospital and they could be on their death bed. The main worry when people have and too much drink that they might choke on their vomit this is a problem because the more you drink the more vulnerable you are so you could find yourself in the middle of nowhere and they wouldn’t know what’s happening and could choke on their vomit and no one would be around to look after them and they could end up dying. Weight gain can be a massive impact due to the amount of calories alcohol contains if people are constantly binge drinking they are drinking more which equals to consuming more calories which can cause people becoming obese. Skin can also be damaged because alcohol dehydrates your body and skin, it widens blood vessels so makes your skin look all blotchy and red. Calcium can also be reduced in the amount that is taken in by a person because alcohol interferers with the body ability to absorb this calcium the body requires. Therefore, binge drinking can cause lasting damage on your physical health as well as the way you
Alcohol dependence is known to be the most severe form of alcohol abuse. A person becomes so dependent on alcohol consumption that he/she loses sight of all the other important things going on around him/her. Family matters and social responsibilities become secondary worries to his/her primary concern for existence, which is drinking (Stephens, 2007). Nearly fourteen million Americans are somewhat dependent on alcohol. Alcohol dependence is more prominent in men, and young adults ages 18-29 (Stephens, 2007). According to a study done by Saitz “85,000 deaths, along with substantial disability from medical and psychiatric consequences, injuries and “secondhand” effects (ex: motor vehicle crashes) are attributed to the use of alcohol” (Saitz, 2005).
There are some long-term effects on the body due to the abuse of alcohol. You can end up with brain damage, and dementia. Common disease resulting from excessive alcohol consumption are pancreatitis, gastritis, hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and heart disease. Alcoholics are also at risk for developing cancer in the mouth, throat, esophagus and even the liver. You can also develop psychiatric problems such as depression and anxiety which may lead to suicide. Woman who are pregnant shouldn’t drink alcohol because it will cause damage to the fetus.
Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive and potentially fatal disorder which leads to physical and psychological harm, and impaired social and vocational functioning. It is characterized by tolerance, physical dependence and/or pathological organ changes, all of which are the direct/indirect consequence of the alcohol ingested (Light 5). Alcoholism, also known as "alcohol dependence," can be recognized by four obvious symptoms.