08 Mar Complications of Alcoholism And Abuse
Alcohol initially improves the person’s mood, but a long period of regular heavy drinking depresses the nervous system. Alcohol abuse undermines judgment, lower inhibitions and alters thoughts, emotions and behavior. Regular drinking affects muscle and speech coordination. Binge drinking can cause coma.
Long term regular drinking increases risk of many serious diseases. It may cause chronic fatigue, memory loss, weak eye muscles, liver diseases – particularly hepatitis and cirrhosis, gastrointestinal complications – gastritis and pancreas damage, inability to absorb nutrients, vitamins and minerals, low metabolism, hypertension, heart problems – cardiomyopathy (damaged heart muscle), heart failure, stroke, diabetes and consequent complications, disrupted menstruation, erectile dysfunction, fetal alcohol syndrome in children of mothers alcoholics, thinning bones, nervous system problems causing numbness in the limbs, dementia, cancers of esophagus, liver, colon, rectum, breast, prostate and pharynx, and mental illness.
Other aspects of life are also severely compromised with alcohol abuse. Alcoholics are prone to injuries from car crashes, falls, muggings, street violence etc. The National Institute of Health reports that more than half of traffic deaths in the US are alcohol-related.
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- Alcohol is a major cause of domestic abuse, spouses and children beating and fighting with neighbors;
- Alcohol abuse causes frequent employment problems that often lead to unemployment;
- The rate of suicide among people who abuse alcohol or are alcoholics is much higher than in other groups ;
- The number of alcoholics who have problems with law or end in prison is much higher than in other population groups.
Learn more about getting treatment for your alcohol use disorder.