Alcohol causes many psychological and physiological problems in heavy drinkers and light drinkers alike. A few well-known consequences of alcohol on the brain and body have been proven. This includes: cognitive mood and memory disturbances, injury to the gastrointestinal and intestinal tracts, and injury to cardiovascular, all of the body’s normal functions. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a growing problem. Fetal alcohol syndrome occurs when expectant mothers drink during pregnancy. This condition afflicts over 5,000 infants a year causing mental retardation, constant confusion, withdrawal after delivery, and many visible physical defects. Cirrhosis of the liver is the most common alcohol related health problem. Approximately 10,000 to 24,000 …show more content…
Since alcoholics can portray there is no problem, it is often difficult to spot a person in trouble, mostly while coming home from clubs or bars. In 1996 there were 1,893,700 drunken driving arrests in the United States. It is estimated that upwards of 75% of those arrested are alcohol abusers. In our nation, more than 20,000 people die annually in alcohol related car accidents. Despite the effect on motor skills and other normal brain functions, drunks still believe they are able to drive, resulting in many innocent deaths. Alcoholism also devastates families and loved ones of the addicted individual. Of the approximate 18 million alcoholics in the United States, each one adversely affects at least four other people. Families of alcoholics suffer the same symptoms of the disease as the alcoholic. Excessive use of alcohol claims at least 100,000 lives each year, either through accidents or health problems. This is 25 times more loss of life than all illegal drugs combined. Alcoholism and related problems cost taxpayers an overwhelming $85.8 billion in mortality and reduced productivity. However, alcohol is still looked upon as a non-threatening dilemma.
There are many methods of treatment for alcoholics to use to try to kick their habit. One approach is Alcoholics Anonymous or AA. AA is a twelve-step program designed to make the person realize their problem, and also allow them
Alcohol abuse has become one of the principal causes of mortality and morbidity in the United States causing more than 200,000 deaths every year (Hendey, Dery, Barnes, Snowden, &
Recent studies show that approximately fifty-three percent of adults in the United States have one or more close relatives that have drinking problems. Alcohol Abuse has cost the United States more than 220 billion dollars in 2005 alone. Problem drinkers are most often found in young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 years old, and the fewest in adults who are 65 years of age or older. Alcohol Abuse is one of the major risk factors for violence, and research shows that fifty percent of all homicides and forty percent of all assaults in the United States are alcohol related. In the United States, more than forty percent of the people who start drinking when they are fourteen years old or younger are more likely to become alcoholics than those who don’t. One in ten Americans, currently have alcohol problems.
Alcohol is the result of the chemical process known as fermentation, which is essentially the putrefaction of yeast and sugar into a consumable intoxicant. The earliest examples of alcohol consumption were evidenced by beer recipes from Mesopotamia, written in Cuneiform on clay tablets. These tablets are considered one of the earliest forms of written language. Alcohol has long been considered an integral part of society, but its effects on physical and mental health, and social standing continue to be discovered. In order to properly address the immeasurable amount of harm alcohol can create when abused, its image among society and the media must shift from glamorization to brutal honesty. Alcohol consumption not only destroys the physical health, social life, and mental abilities of the user; but also places a negative burden on both society and the economy.
Alcohol is bad for you lots of people drink it and they don't know that it's bad for you.
Someone is sitting at a restaurant bar. A waitress walks over handing out free shots, so he takes one. One leads to two, two leads to three, and so on. Before he realizes it, he is talking louder than ever, tripping over his own feet, and causing a scene. Toward the end of the night, he walks into someone’s table, as he is heading out of the restaurant, knocking over their meals. He tries to say something, but all that comes out is mumbling. The next morning, he is feeling dizzy, has a pounding headache, and does not remember anything from the night before.
It takes time and energy to successfully overcome a serious problem; such as, alcoholism. There are also different types of treatments that can help through the withdrawal stage; like, medication and therapy or even support groups. Alcoholics Anonymous, Watershed Rehab Center, Secular Organizations for Sobriety, and there are plenty more of support groups that are only one call away.
Abraham’s addiction to alcohol could be caused by processes in the brain, such as neurotransmitters and by hormones, it has been proven that alcohol addiction can be caused by genetics. There is also a gene that affects the amount of alcohol that people drink, this means that some people like Abraham may have a predisposition to drink a greater amount of alcohol that other people. There also a difference in the genetics factors, regarding alcohol consumption and alcohol dependency.
For motor skills part, there are two factors to analysis, which include muscle control: leg muscles and heart muscles; eyesight effect by the alcohol consumption. An organization which is named Narconon Reviews (2013) claimed that motor-skills are those functions that muscles, hand, feet, etc work together. They are always executing specific actions, such as walking/running, driving a car, picking up an object/moving it. Motor skills also connect with sensory channels. These channels include sight, sound, touch, smell and even tastes. If an independent drinks alcohol, one of the channels will be limited.
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).
Alcohol is one of many dangerous substances that effects our bodies. The effects of this drug can be very harmful. Alcohol is a potent non-prescription drug sold to anyone over the national legal drinking age, 21. Unlike other deadly drugs it is easy to access. This makes it easy to over-consume and create a tragic accident, even death. It can damage a person not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. Many people each year become more and more addicted to alcohol and soon experience all of it?s dangerous effects. Even if alcohol use is discontinued, some of these damages can not be cured, because the scars have been left on those that drink and those that surround them. The only hope
http://www.alcoholism.tqn.com/library/weekly/aa022697.htm?pid=2750&cob=home. Whether a crime was committed intentionally or unintentionally has great bearing on the decision of a jury in finding a person guilty of a crime and/or on the judge's choice of punishment. You might have heard of husbands apologizing to their wives the day after they've beaten them. Their apology might sound something like, "I'm so sorry. I did not mean to hurt you, I swear!" Does alcohol have the capability to make a person forget? Can a person be unaware of his surroundings and yet still be able to interact with it? More importantly, can alcohol change a person's personality enough that it would cause him to do things
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 alcoholic beverage has remained an established element to society’s social world and has grown into a way of living. As alcohol continues to flourish in its prevalence among citizens of the United States, so does the concept of alcohol addiction. A person becomes addicted to alcohol when they “drink excessively and develops a dependence that results in noticeable mental disturbance, or an interference with bodily and mental health, their interpersonal relations, and their smooth social and economic functioning” (Calahan, 1970, pp. 3). In 2009, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that about 52% of Americans used alcohol at least once within 30 days of their survey. As the percentage of Americans who consume alcohol
One popular way to help somebody who suffers from alcohol dependence is to give them an intervention. There are a few treatments for alcoholism, both
In the United States, 17.6 million people – about one in every 12 adults, abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent. (NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2012) The Mayo Clinic defines alcoholism as a chronic disease in which your body becomes dependent on alcohol (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010), and indicates that more than 100,000 Americans die annually from alcohol related causes (Johnson) . Aside from the physical problems that alcohol addiction can create, there are frequently emotional and social complications. Alcoholism is a disease that harms not only the alcoholic, but also the co-workers and family of the alcoholic.