When Irresponsible Drinking Leads To Serious Health Problems And Divorce, Marital Difficulties, Sexuality Problems, And Affairs
For more than a few years alcohol dependency research has revealed the fact that there is strong correlation between alcoholism and life-threatening health conditions and mental health issues such as depression.
As an illustration, in 2005, medical investigation and alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics revealed that alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency cost the United States an estimated $220 billion annually. Interestingly, this very large alcohol-related cash outlay was significantly more than the cost linked with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion). While it is pertinent to accentuate these facts, it is also important to emphasize the point that an interrelationship exists between all three of these health problems.
More exactly, chronic alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction are also highly associated with obesity and with cancer.
Without a doubt, substance abuse exploration has shown that alcohol addiction can boost the risk for different forms of cancer, particularly cancer of the esophagus, kidneys, throat, rectum, liver, voice box (larynx), and the colon. Excessive and repetitive drinking can also lead to immune system difficulties and impairment to the fetus during pregnancy.
Excessive and Abusive Drinking Deteriorates the Drinker’s Systems and Organs
Furthermore, if alcohol dependency continues over a period of years, the person’s body organs will likely be affected in an unsafe manner. As an illustration, chronic, abusive drinking is especially dangerous to the liver since the liver does most of the work of processing the alcohol that has been consumed. Excessive amounts of alcohol kills liver cells and eradicates the ability of liver cells to reproduce. This medical condition results in a progressive inflammatory malfunction of the liver that can at the end of the day lead to cirrhosis of the liver, an acute and possibly lethal disease. Heavy, long-term drinking not only can lead to serious liver damage, but it can also lead to damage to the heart and to the brain. Physical damage this severe may be unalterable and may, in turn, lead to serious disease or premature death.
The Importance of Alcohol Counseling
It is imperative, consequently, to know how to recognize the various alcoholism symptoms and the “alcohol signs” so that the alcohol dependent individual can be given the opportunity to get the professional alcohol rehabilitation he or she requires.
Alcoholism and Sophisticated Brain Exploration
Fortuitously, scientific exploration is persistently discovering unique and significant information. Recent alcoholism exploration offers an excellent example. More exactly, for approximately the last ten years, technologically advanced brain-imaging scanning instruments have verified that repetitive and chronic excessive drinking changes the constitution of the brain to a significant extent, therefore resulting in brain disease that can last months, years, or maybe as long as the individual lives.
More to the point, medical examination has shown that individuals who have been drinking in an excessive manner for a considerable length of time increase their risk for developing lasting and significant transformations in the brain.
This type of damage may be directly related to the alcohol’s effects on the brain, to severe liver disease, or might be indirectly associated with the drinker’s poor overall health.
Malnutrition, Excessive Drinking, and Mental Disorders
As a final illustration of assorted medical conditions that are significantly correlated to alcoholism, consider that according to scientific examination, the abusive and repeated abuse of alcohol can lead to erosive gastritis, a medical condition that diminishes the absorption of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
This form of organ breakdown is correlated with malnutrition and to an assortment of severe neurological and mental disorders including sleep disturbances, memory loss, and psychosis such as Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome. This latter medical problem is a long lasting debilitating health problem that is characterized by repetitive memory and learning complications.
Careless Drinking Also Results in Friendship and Relationship Issues
In addition to major health problems, excessive and abusive drinking also results in relationship and friendship issues. As an illustration, people who engage in abusive drinking typically experience divorce, marital issues, affairs, and sexuality problems.
Conclusion: The Relevance of Education
It is apparent that repetitive, hazardous drinking is directly or indirectly related to a variety of severe medical conditions that can and do lead to dangerous ailments and premature death. Such information needs to be underlined and presented to everyone in our society, especially to all students, so that most individuals will be able to refrain from irresponsible drinking while other people who have a drinking problem will get the quality therapy they need.
Let us look at this practically. Yes, alcohol rehab is important, but alcohol treatment is something that is usually done AFTER the fact. Education, to the contrary, is something that is done BEFORE the problem becomes obvious. Stated a different way, whereas alcohol therapy is “reactive,” education is “proactive.” It is stressed that both approaches are required when discussing alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency.












