Alcohol and Alcoholism Information
Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in the world today. It is socially acceptable and in many cases encouraged that we drink alcohol. Alcohol is used to celebrate, congratulate, relax, let loose, toast, cheer on, and cook…the list goes on. However, many forget or ignore the fact that alcohol is a highly addictive substance, and many people throughout history have suffered from alcohol addiction or dependence.
Alcohol consumption becomes alcohol abuse when a person drinks more than their bodies can handle and they are no longer in control of their actions, thoughts, or wits. Alcohol abuse becomes alcohol addiction/dependence when an individual continually abuses alcohol despite emotional and physical harm to themselves and others. Alcoholism is the term given to describe a dependency emotionally or physically on the consumption of alcohol.
Alcohol
Alcohol is the most commonly used and widely abused psychoactive drug in the world. It is a legal drug, while its consumption is regulated by the U.S. Government, you can buy and obtain alcohol at bars, restaurants, grocery stores, liquor stores, and even gas stations. Alcohol causes more harm to people than any drug of abuse, legal or illegal. Because it impairs judgment, alcohol is to blame for a multitude of car accidents, many of them fatal. Law enforcement has cracked down on Driving Under the Influence with harsher penalties and laws enacted. Organizations have sprung up in response to the increase in drunk driving, the largest being Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). It is estimated that 75-80% of those incarcerated are in prison for committing a crime while under the influence.
Physical Issues and Alcoholism
About 14 million people in the United States abuse alcohol or are alcoholic, that’s 1 in 13 adults. Compulsive drinking causes major health problems. Each year more that 100,000 people die of alcohol related causes. Hospital beds are full of patients diagnosed with illnesses that are either directly or indirectly related to alcohol dependence. Organs in the body most often affected by alcohol include the pancreas, liver, heart, and brain. Alcohol is a toxin that damages the transmission of nerve impulses in the brain and nervous system. Chronic alcohol abuse causes organic damage that manifests itself both physically, psychologically and in the behavior of people affected. Physically it is manifested through loss of balance, impotence, numbness of the feet and hands, tremors and in blindness. Psychologically and behaviorally, by loss of intellectual abilities, impaired ability to learn and in mental confusion, extreme excitement, anxiety, trembling, rapid pulse and hallucinations. Alcoholism damages the liver. If the damage is severe it is known as cirrhosis and can lead to liver failure, liver cancer, and death. Poor diet and malnutrition are others problems associated with chronic alcoholism. Gastritis and ulceration are common physical maladies that affect the stomach lining and are extremely painful. Finally, excessive drinking can lead to high blood pressure causing damage to your heart muscle (cardiomyopathy) and put you at increased risk of heart failure or stroke.
Social Issues and Alcoholism
It seems like no matter where you go, or what you do, alcohol is entrenched in our lives in one way or another. Alcohol is a regular participant in many social situations from the office party to the wedding reception. Alcohol is accepted in our culture as a social lubricant and is always found at most “celebratory functions”. But for alcoholics these celebrations can be deadly. Alcoholism carries with it a host of social problems. It is a family disease that affects not only the ‘problem drinker’ but anyone unlucky enough to be involved in their life. It can have devastating effects on the family. Numerous marriages have been destroyed by alcohol, both emotionally and financially. Children of alcoholics are emotionally fractured by one or two alcoholic parents. As they grow up they are prone to emotional issues such as guilt, depression, and relationship problems. Many times these children grow up to become alcoholic themselves. Communities also suffer the cost of alcohol abuse. An enormous amount of money is lost each year in the workplace because of alcohol. Insurance costs, decreased productivity, workplace injuries, and work-related grievances are just a few of many problems associated with alcohol. As stated above, alcohol is the leading factor in motor vehicle accidents and injuries, and is the leading cause of accidental death. Falls, fires, drownings, and suicides are also frequently associated with alcohol.
Alcohol Facts
If you think your loved one may be abusing alcohol, or any substance, do not turn a blind eye. Families are so fearful of the truth that a child or spouse is an alcoholic that they tend to ignore it until it can no longer be ignored because someone is injured in an auto accident, is locked up in jail, is sitting in the principles office at school or is spread out on a morticians table. Alcoholics may have additional problems that compound the alcohol issue. There are over 150 medications that should never be mixed with alcohol. Drugs, both prescription and illegal, may cause a synergistic effect in which the overall whole effect of the combined substances is greater than the sum of the parts. This can have devastating, even fatal consequences.
BAC Levels and Effects
Your BAC determines the level of impairment you will experience after drinking alcohol. Examples of different BAC levels and the effect on your mind and body are listed below:
.00% No alcoholic drinks
.02% Relaxed, slightly lower inhibitions
.05% Exaggeration of behavior, increase in intensity of emotion
.08% Impairment in balance, speech, and judgement
.10% Euphoria, impairment in coordination, motor skills, memory, legally drunk
In most states
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