Six months ago, I attended my friend Ann’s funeral. Ann was only fifty years old. Ann was a high functioning closet drinker for many years until it spiraled out of control, drinking herself to death, and leading her into full blown alcoholism. What a sad day it was to those friends and family of Ann. Alcoholism is a disease and it is chronic. “Alcoholism affects people from all walks of life. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), more than 80,000 people die from alcohol.
Consequently, alcohol abuse is common and affects a diversity of people regardless of age, gender, or race; knowing the cause and effects of this horrific disease, might shed some light on helping someone addicted and save a life. Why do people drink alcohol? The causes of alcoholism can vary from each person. “According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), the single most reliable indicator of drug or alcohol dependence is family history. In an article written for NCADD, Robert Morse, MD, says, ‘Research has shown conclusively that family history of alcoholism or drug addiction is in part genetic and not just the result of the family environment…millions of Americans are living proof. Plain and simple, alcoholism and drug dependence run in families.’”
Alcohol abuse can be heredity, and can run in the family, however there are other causes for this alarming addiction. Some people drink to relieve stress, to cope with loss, or to overcome anxiety and depression. A person that has a hard time coping with life issues might use alcohol to medicate the problem, which is only a temporary fix. Since alcohol is a depressant and a sedative, drinking produces emotions of pleasure. However, ordinary consuming builds tolerance, requiring you to consume extra alcohol to acquire the equal effects. Alcohol can give feelings of pleasure which encourages the brain to keep repeating drinking.
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With, alcoholism not being discriminate it can be caused by so many factors. If you know or suspect someone may be struggling or having a problem with drinking, please seek help for them. Furthermore, the effects of alcoholism are quite damaging to the body. Alcohol can cause damage to the human liver, heart and brain. “Alcohol has many physical effects on the body and leads to the prevalence of many diseases, such as cancer, liver disease, pancreatitis and heart disease. Alcohol addiction has serious and long-lasting effects on brain chemistry and can decrease the volume of gray and white matter in the brain, especially in the frontal lobe. “ AMA (American Medical Assoc.)
Alcohol destroys the liver and causes the lethal liver cirrhosis. This disease is very dangerous and is almost always fatal. Consuming large amounts of alcohol over a lengthy amount of time just destroys the liver. At first the liver gets fatty tissues inside the liver cells and it is known as steatosis, causing the liver harder to function. Next, the liver can contract alcoholic hepatitis which destroys the liver cells. The final stage of liver damage is cirrhosis of the liver. This stage the liver is surrounded by scar tissue and the scar tissue prevents the liver from making protein helping fight any type of infection, digest food, cleanse the blood, and to store energy, and prevents blood low in the liver, Cirrhosis can also cause severe bruising, excess bleeding, swelling in the body, jaundice, gallstones, jaundice, and eventually may lead to liver cancer. Unless you are on a liver transplant list, and the end result is a very painful death.
“Your heart and lungs are the two main organs in the human body. They are what keep blood and oxygen flowing through your body and to your brain. These too can be negatively impacted and damaged due to alcoholism. You may experience high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke or heart failure among many other illnesses. When your blood and body are unable to absorb the nutrients and vitamins it needs, you may fall victim to anemia, or a low red blood count. You may notice that someone who consumes large amounts of alcohol has red or blotchy skin and eyes. These are indications that their circulatory system is not working properly, and certain vessels are clogged. If these blood vessels burst, it can cause internal bleeding or even death.”
Clearly, the effects of alcoholism on the human body is a total catastrophe. This disease is so potent every vital part of the human body needed to function is debilitated. The results of any of these health concerns are most always devastating and extreme pain and suffering for the alcoholic. Finally, along with the medical side effects, comes the detrimental personal effects to the friends, family, and loved ones of the alcoholic. The adage ‘A drunk mind speaks a sober heart’ is simply not true. Drunks can say harmful things to people they love when in fact if they were sober, they never would have said those things. Intoxication causes personality changes therefore the drunk person is simply not the same sober person. Drunk people tend to be more selfish, angry, and self-centered.
Morals have a way of deteriorating when drinking and aggression and simply rises in a drunken state. This should be considered when dealing with an intoxicated person where we don’t get hurt feelings. “Alcoholism is often associated with selfishness because the alcoholic cannot see the damage they are causing in the lives of those around them, nor do they care to because it would require them to face the consequences, which would of course interfere with their drinking. However, alcoholism does impact loved ones, and its reach expands far beyond missing plans or a dinner.”
Many family members feel guilty and do not use the hard love technique. The hard love method is extremely tough when we love someone and are afraid of losing them. They always worry about the alcoholic every minute of every day, there is always fear of losing them. There is always an inclination of hope to save them. It builds up trauma and stress beyond compare to loved ones. Their minds are blown with concern’s if they are enabling or helping them which causes them to be in a constant state of confusion and stress. When you love an alcoholic, you feel like you are on a rollercoaster with emotions and you getting off seems unbearable and impossible, furthermore, you didn’t even want the ticket for the ride.
In conclusion, alcoholism is a very harmful incapacitating disease. Although there are numerous causes, the effects are immensely similar. All things considered, alcoholism does not discriminate and can happen to anyone. Being rich, poor, man, woman, white, black, old or young, does not follow into the rules of alcohol addiction and anyone who is vulnerable can be sucked in the ravages of alcoholism. With alcoholism, there are so many negative effects on health we need to keep rationalized thoughts and try our best to help anyone with this crippling disease. To prevent anyone from the painful suffering of alcoholism knowledge is a great gift we can give freely. There is nothing more important than saving a life.
