Signs and Causes of Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol can be found anywhere in our daily life, from being offered in the local liquor store and every large supermarket, to our favorite dining spot right down the corner. While most people don’t view alcohol consumption as an impending threat, drinking it too often in our daily lives could bring on certain physical, mental, and social issues in the short and long term future.
Yet, the media and peer pressure encourages that there’s no harm in alcohol because drinking a few shots, margaritas, or beers can make us appear sociable, relaxed, and even attractive among young people in particular.
Almost sixty percent of college students drank alcohol in the past month and almost two thirds of that group engaged in binge drinking during that same time. It’s not disturbing to hear people’s drunken stories while wondering what could have happened to your friend if they were not so lucky in those hazy hours.
Although not illegal to consume and purchase after being of age, it’s a drug that is dangerous when consumed in excess and can lead to harmful side effects and eventually alcohol addiction.
While you can think that telling yourself to be more responsible will be enough, the truth is that we can still get tempted and maintaining self-discipline is hard to do. Above all else, we must be educated about alcohol’s effects and seek treatment if addiction is present.
Physical Symptoms of Alcoholism
After drinking lots of alcohol in a short time, many can feel intense physical symptoms of alcoholism.
This includes:
- Drowsiness
- Slurred speech
- Painful headaches
- Vomiting
- Blacking out
- Impaired motor skills that lead to poor and dangerous decisions.
Drinking frequently also hikes up their risk of health consequences from doing something regrettable like participating in drunk texting and driving, falling victim to sexual harassment, and experiences that will include injuries as well. If someone maintains a high level of drinking, alcohol abuse symptoms eventually develop a tolerance to the point where more drinks are needed for satisfaction.
Long-term effects on the body and mind also fall into the various physical symptoms of alcoholism.
First, severe withdrawal symptoms are common if someone suddenly stops drinking alcohol for a certain period of time. Effects like heightened memory loss and being unable to concentrate on important tasks throughout the day are also common for people dependent on alcohol.
Mental symptoms can include built up anxiety and depression, heightened chances for cancers in the colon, liver, throat, breast, etc., higher blood pressure, and a damaged digestive system that can’t absorb the vitamins it needs to function.. Other serious risks include a weakened heart and lungs as they develop difficulty pump blood and air correctly.
So, it’s a wise choice to stay away from the substance as much as possible and learn about what can put you at risk.
Causes of Alcoholism
Stresses from work, social relationships, and a person’s upbringing can contribute to developing alcoholism. Every year, thousands of students enter the workforce without knowing about the extremely high stress that employees have while facing the high expectations in their profession. One study showed that 8.7 percent of full-time adult workers aged 16 to 64 used alcohol heavily in one month, 8.6 percent used illegal drugs, and 9.5 were dependent on one or both of the substances during the year.
A high percentage of the wealthy population also turn to drugs to fit in a group, find a thrill from a boring lifestyle, or having no other facets to spend money in. Since much of the wealthy ultimately experience unwarranted financial freedom and almost unlimited spending, it’s easy to fall into a cycle of purchasing drinks out of spontaneity and wanting to fit in.
Most of society doesn’t realize that when having money is a given with your family’s name, it becomes difficult to find your own personal passions and discover genuine friends who don’t only value your wealth. These stress causing factors lead to low self-esteem, boredom, and even loneliness which all spark the fire of substance abuse and physical symptoms of alcoholism.
Younger brains that are not yet completely developed may be at a much higher risk for developing alcohol abuse symptoms and simultaneously occurring mental disorders later in life as well. A highly stressful environment, their own individual personality, and even their own genetics play a huge role in the formation of both body disorders in the long term.
It’s highly important to treat both issues simultaneously with experts at a professional recovery treatment center as soon as possible before worse consequences happen. At the end of the day, alcohol addiction is a long term disease that not everyone may want to talk about. However, no one’s completely immune to recovering from alcohol addiction without seeking integrated help. Finding a professional alcohol assessment is crucial before it’s too late to regain control of your life.
Reach Out
If you feel that you have an alcohol abuse problem and are eager to regain control of where your life is going, there’s no time to waste by being idle.
While forming a plan to recover by yourself may seem more convenient, it’s more helpful to see an expert who can create an action plan for your own schedule.
Pay attention to serving sizes of your drinks as well, since different glasses hold higher contents of alcohol. Start being proactive in the present and pursue an alcohol assessment to reaps enormous benefits to the body, mind, and spirit.
Instead of worrying about what others may think about how you are improving your disorders, think of the long-term benefits you will reap. Nothing beats having the strong confidence to step outside as a substance-independent person!
