Many people drink a moderate amount of alcohol without harmful consequences, while for others, just one drink can lead down a dangerous path. Problem drinking is not defined only by how often or even how much a person drinks. Instead, it comes down to the effects of alcohol addiction on a person’s life. People who have issues with their work life, family relationships, finances or emotions because of their alcohol use could have a drinking problem.
A pattern of unhealthy or dangerous drinking habits, clinically known as an alcohol use disorder, can range in severity. Over time, it can affect the brain and lead to compulsive alcohol use and dependency, or alcoholism. It can be difficult to assess a drinking problem, but we can help. If diagnosed early, some alcohol addiction effects can be reversed.
Over the long term, the side effects of alcohol addiction on the body and overall health can be significant. They can be difficult or impossible to reverse. Studies show alcohol use can affect these parts of the body:
Wondering which condition is often a result of alcohol addiction? Alcohol abuse has been linked to cancers of the breast, mouth, esophagus, throat, larynx, colon and rectum. It may also increase the risk of stomach and pancreas cancers.
Alcohol can have short- and long-term effects on the brain and disrupts the brain’s communication pathways. These can influence mood, behavior and other cognitive functions.
Brain damage may also occur through alcohol-induced nutrition deficiencies, alcohol-induced seizures and liver disease. In pregnant women, alcohol exposure can impact the brains of unborn babies, resulting in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
It is reported that alcohol-induced brain problems can often be corrected with proper treatment. Abstinence from alcohol for months or years can help partially repair some effects of alcohol addiction, including thinking abilities, like memory skills.
Slurred speech, motor impairment, confusion and memory problems are just a few common consequences of alcohol consumption in the short term. This can make drinkers more prone to accidents, injuries and violent behavior. Alcohol is a factor in more than half of fatal burn injuries, drownings and homicides. It’s also a significant factor in moderate to severe injuries, suicides and sexual assaults. Alcohol plays a part in 40 percent of fatal motor vehicle crashes.
Heavy drinking may also result in risky sexual behaviors like unprotected sex, which can lead to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. These alcohol addiction effects can have lifelong consequences.
Alcohol affects everyone in different ways. Genes, environment and diet can influence whether a person is prone to develop an alcohol-related disease, while factors such as age, weight and sex can impact alcohol’s more immediate effects.
Women tend to be more vulnerable than men to the effects of alcohol due to differences in how their bodies absorb and metabolize alcohol. For women, binge drinking is defined as consuming four or more drinks during a single occasion, while heavy drinking is defined as eight or more drinks per week. For men, binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks during a single occasion, while heavy drinking is 15 or more drinks per week.
The effects of alcohol addiction may also have a more serious impact on seniors, as aging changes how the body handles alcohol consumption. Alcohol abuse may worsen some health problems like diabetes, osteoporosis, memory loss, high blood pressure and mood disorders. It may also increase the likelihood of accidents such as falls and fractures.
To get help with a possible alcohol use disorder or other substance use disorder, learn more about our treatment program options or give us a call at 877.377.2027.
There’s a lot of mistaken “all or nothing” thinking about alcohol use. Many people assume there are two options: Either you don’t have a drinking problem, or you’re a “total alcoholic” whose life is falling apart. The reality is not simply black or white, but a spectrum with shades of gray. An alcohol use disorder—that is, alcohol abuse or alcoholism—can be mild, moderate or severe. People with an alcohol use disorder can be highly-functioning, highly compromised or somewhere in between.
Even a single bout of binge drinking can destroy the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain, causing them to relay information too slowly and trigger mood changes. This can result in depression, agitation, memory loss and seizures. Sadly, many people die every year during bouts of binge drinking. For heavy, long-term drinkers, alcohol has been found to reduce the size of brain cells and overall brain mass. This can impact motor coordination, sleep, mood and an array of cognitive functions.
Alcohol dependence has vast-reaching effects that extend beyond your health. Addiction changes people — it can turn the kindest, most well-intentioned person into someone who lies, steals, and betrays the ones they love most. When someone is focused on feeding their addiction, they may hurt the people around them, even if they do not mean to. Increasingly risky behaviors make loved ones worry, and shame over being unable to recover without assistance creates distance from people who would gladly be part of your support system.
Addiction can permanently affect relationships. Often, the best way to repair them is to get help with your substance use disorder and prove through actions that you have changed.
Alcohol treatment centers deliver a wide range of therapies and addiction treatment programs to patients. These can all be helpful because each individual patient needs to create their own route to recovery. Part of this process is finding fulfillment that stems from something other than alcohol. In treatment, patients will find joy and purpose in unexpected places.
Some patients, for example, may struggle to socialize without alcohol. In group therapy and in social activities during rehab, they can relearn how to communicate while sober. Through games and activities, it is possible to find joy and happiness in these environments.
Other patients might want to re-enter the professional world. Alcohol addiction can be a stumbling block, but it doesn’t necessarily prevent you from having a successful career again or for the first time. During treatment, counselors can help you plan for the future and discover what your purpose is in life. Finding this purpose can motivate patients to get healthy for all the right reasons.
Alcohol addiction treatment centers shouldn’t just keep patients sober for 30 days. The most successful alcohol treatment centers have a full continuum of care. This allows patients to have support from day one all the way back to their independent lives.
Relapse is always a risk for those who struggle with alcohol addiction. Even after patients have completed rehab programs at alcohol addiction treatment centers, the risk is there. Aftercare is one of the best possible ways to prevent relapse.
Aftercare can start with sober living facilities. Others patients might prefer to live at home but continue with outpatient drug treatment centers in Illinois. Local support groups, alumni connections, and peer support are all incredibly valuable. Through family education and training, family members can also learn how to become part of the aftercare support system for their loved ones.
The consequences of alcohol addiction impact all areas of life. When people are ready to make a significant change and work toward a lifetime of sobriety, alcohol treatment centers are ideal. Gateway offers patients a full continuum of care, which means that patients can find the programs that best fit their needs, their health and their schedules.
Patients can also expect to find a wide range of recovery strategies. From evidence-based to holistic, some of the most successful programs include:
Alcohol addiction treatment centers can pave the way to a lifetime of sobriety. To end your dependence on alcohol once and for all, Gateway can help. Call 877.381.6538 to learn more about the programs and strategies that best meet your needs.
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