What is alcoholism? It is the addiction of the consumption of alcoholic liquor or the mental illness, as well as mental behavior, resulting from alcohol dependency. As you take your first sip, alcohol enters your bloodstream. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 15.1 million adults ages eighteen and older had alcohol use disorder. Also according to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 623,000 adolescents ages between twelve and seventeen had alcohol use disorder. A recent study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry estimated that about 30 percent of Americans reported having an alcohol disorder at some point in their lives. Over half (17.8%) were due to alcohol abuse and the …show more content…
They will hide alcohol or empty bottles and/or lie about how much they have consumed. Unable to quit drinking or worrying about alcohol running out during a holiday or weekend are just a couple of other signs of alcoholism. Likewise, men and women who are alcoholics may exhibit various symptoms. Loss of appetite is very frequent amongst those with alcoholism. According to a report published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in February of 2010, alcoholism can lead to malnutrition and low-body weight, due to the fact that those with the disease neglect to eat and often consume fewer calories than necessary to maintain proper weight. We all need a certain amount of sleep, but alcohol consumption can disturb normal sleep patterns, produce potential health consequences from disturbed sleep, as well as, increased daytime sleepiness and performance.
After consuming alcohol heavily over a long term, it can cause weight loss. The alcohol continues to slow the metabolism of long term drinkers. As expressed, knowing the signs and symptoms of alcoholism is important for the alcoholic and the family and/or friends of alcoholics.
The long-term effects of alcohol abuse and alcoholism can be devastating, negatively affecting virtually several organ systems. Written by Ann Pietrangelo, the article “The Effects of Alcohol on the Body”, states that excessive alcohol use can cause the pancreas to produce toxic substances that interfere with
4) The general effects of alcohol on the brain are blurred vision, weakened motor skills, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times and impaired memory. In the liver alcohol causes fat deposits to develop in the liver and cause inflammation even eventually liver disease. Similarly, in the pancreas prolonged use can cause inflammation which yields vomiting, fever, weight loss, and is potentially fatal. Lastly, in the kidneys alcohol can increase the risk of high blood pressure developing in chronic kidney disease.
"After drinking people usually feel pleasure and become talkative at first. These feelings are usually replaced by drowsiness as the alcohol is eliminated from the body, and the drinker may then become withdrawn. This pattern often encourages people to drink more to keep the buzz going." ( Net Biz Mentor ). When people get like that they usually get a little bolder and want to do normal tasks and routines like driving a motorized vehicle. The effects of alcohol result in poor coordination, slurred speech, double vision, decrease of self-control, lost of consciousness and maybe even death.
They could have poor eating habits or not eat at all, they could miss work or school because of the drinking, Things to look for when dealing with someone who has alcoholism would be if they are drinking alone, drink more to feel the full effects of the alcohol entering their system, not worrying about their personal hygiene and what they look like or even not being able to control the amount of alcohol they are consuming. One of the bigger symptoms that is really noticeable is giving up activities that they use to like in order to drink and be a recluse to the rest of the
Alcoholism is a chronic and progressive disorder (“Alcoholism”) affecting more than twenty-two million Americans in the United States today (Wholey 18). Alcoholics are prone to dramatic and
The digestive enzymes within your pancreas build up which causes digestive issues with and end state of pancreatitis. Diarrhea and bloating are also common side effects of heavy drinking and people often develop ulcers or hemorrhoids. To add to the digestive system, alcohol can also cause severe damage to the circulatory system. “More than two drinks a day can increase your change of developing high blood pressure.” (Sutton, 2007) This high blood pressure can cause irregular heartbeats, difficulty with the flow of blood through the circulatory system, and can ultimately cause a heart attack or heart failure.
It’s no secret that alcoholism is an epidemic. Anyone can fall prisoner to its call. Alcoholism knows no gender, no age, and no race. Alcoholism is an addiction to alcohol. This addiction is not a joke, or a reason to shame others. Its effects on people can be fatal.
In my view I agree with Sandee LaMotte because alcohol does have many types of effects including gaining calories, getting heart disease and cancer, diabetes, loss of memory, and the type of mood your in. More specifically, alcohol can damage your body really horribly. For example, “Alcohol weakens our immune systems, making
The term “alcoholism” describes a drinker who is mentally and physically dependent on alcohol, and who would most likely have withdrawal symptoms upon trying to quit. This dependence prevents most alcoholics from being able to control when they drink and how much they drink. For that reason, alcoholics usually drink to excess despite the consequences. Alcoholism, like any addiction, is a chronic disorder which involves continued use despite negative consequences and requires ongoing treatment and management. This research paper will cover many aspects of alcoholism including the causes and effects of drinking and different treatment approaches.
Alcoholism today is not considered as a moral failure, majority of the people view it as a disease. Alcoholism is a chronic primary and progressive disease and it can also be fatal in some instances. It is termed as a chemical disease as it breaks down in the stomach as well as bringing a different effect on the brain of the alcoholic as compared to a non-alcoholic. Alcoholism can be classified as a biological disease since the chemical predisposition of alcohol consumption is inheritable. Therefore, alcoholism should not be punished instead it should be treated. The reason behind classifying alcoholism as a disease is because the progression of alcohol dependence occurs through stages in a natural sequence .This progression is similar to that of the development of physical illnesses. In recent interpretations of alcoholism as a disease the focus is on the biological factors which differentiate alcoholics from nonalcoholics. This disease concept has led to development of the idea that those who abuse alcohol are often out of control and abstinence is the only method for treating this disease.
To understand the danger of the abuse of alcohol, one must understand what it does to the body and the brain. According to an article, “Alcohol can affect parts of the brain that control movement, speech, judgment, and memory. These effects lead to the familiar signs of drunkenness: difficulty walking, slurred speech, memory lapses, and impulsive behavior. Long-term heavy
The abuse of alcohol over long periods of time may also cause diseases such as cirrhosis, acute alcohol hepatitis, and the most severe liver disease. Cirrhosis is a disease in which the liver becomes so scarred that the patient lacks sufficient healthy tissue to perform the organ?s functions. Once you?ve got it, you are stuck with it. (Gross, 6) The worst thing about these diseases is that you will not know you have them unless you are medically examined on a regular basis. Alcohol consumption is a large contributor to the development of several types of cancer- mostly dealing with the neck and brain. We know that cancer kills and therefore it is safe to say that in some cases, alcohol can be deadly. It is important to realize that alcoholism is a disease. A heavy drinker will experience the effects of withdrawal syndrome (which include hypertension, anxiety, disorientation, hallucinations, and seizures) if he decides to stop drinking. Being addicted to alcohol is similar to being addicted to any other drug in that once one starts using, it is tough to live without. It is also a ?gateway drug? just as marijuana and other sedatives. (Bennett, Woolf, 13-23)
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.
The physical effects of alcoholism are somewhat gruesome. Excessive in take and prolonged use of alcohol can cause serious disturbances in body chemistry
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
The four symptoms of alcoholism are loss of control, craving, physical dependence, and tolerance. Loss of control, which is the inability of an individual to limit his or her alcohol consumption, usually occurs when a person has experienced or entered an emotional segment of his or her