preview

Alcohol Dependence Research

Better Essays

There are many down sides to alcohol abuse and dependence like ruining relationships or obtaining health conditions. Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are slightly different, but they are both dangerous and upsetting. Personally, my parents got divorced because of my dad’s alcoholism. My mom had asked him many times to get help but he never did; he didn’t believe it was a problem. Sometimes he has mood swings and gets angry or sad all of a sudden. He also forgets something has happened or something I told him just hours or days ago, asking me the same question two or three times in a day. My dad isn’t the only person in my family who has had alcohol problems though. A couple of my uncles have, too. My dad is just the closest and one that …show more content…

Alcohol can change the part of the brain that concentrates, can impair speech and perception,and can slow reaction time (Harris). Consuming too much alcohol in their life can even cause a person’s brain to shrink from the brain cells wasting away (Harris). This leads to troubles with hand-eye coordination and spacial cognition, but speech usually remains intact (Harris). Many alcoholics decide to drive under the influence which can cause them and others around them harm. This is most likely because their judgement is impaired. The more alcohol someone has in their blood, the more that their judgement will be changed (Harris). Alcoholics have a higher chance for depression and anxiety (Adamec “Health”). Alcohol abusers over the age of 40 often have short term memory loss and women usually have it worse than men (Harris). Wernicke’s encephalopathy is a disease that is common in alcoholics because it is caused from lack of vitamin B1 and alcohol prevents the body from absorbing that vitamin (Gass). Gass, the writer of “Alcohol and Addiction” says it, “...consists of a near constant state of confusion, deficits in short-term memory, loss of coordination in muscle movements, and difficulty moving the eyes.” If treated properly or early enough the patient could start functioning by themselves, but the disease, if not treated, could end up in a coma or death (Harris)(Gass). If the patient does not pass, but Wernicke’s encephalopathy gets even worse it could lead to Korsakoff’s psychosis. This disorder can cause amnesia, false memories, tremors, or coordination issues (Gass)(Harris). The sufferers of this condition forget past memories, not just ones that they made recently, and have a hard time creating new ones (Gass). Most Korsakoff’s psychosis patients are institutionalized for life because of the long term damage (Harris). Once an alcoholic stops drinking, their brain starts growing and other skills start to come back,

Get Access