Health Risks of Alcohol: Problems Caused By Chronic Heavy Drinking

We offer a safe and trustworthy facility for people struggling with substance abuse. This seal indicates our commitment to continually elevating our standards and providing a superior treatment for substance abuse. Sana Lake Recovery Center is a Joint Commission Accredited addiction treatment program. Staying healthy and maintaining your sobriety takes time and dedication. Triggers, including a group of friends who drink, certain activities or circumstances can lead someone to fall back into old drinking habits. Although the drinking age is 21, teens often disregard the law to experiment with alcohol.

• Alcohol treatment professionals work with you to create a personalized comprehensive recovery plan with measurable goals.
• Alcoholism affects all people, regardless of age, gender, socio-economic status, or race.
• Alcoholism, referred to as alcohol use disorder, occurs when someone drinks so much that their body eventually becomes dependent on or addicted to alcohol.
• Often, drinking begins as a negative coping method to decrease the discomfort linked to the trauma experience.
• This can affect how much insulin you make, putting you at higher risk for diabetes.

It affects the central nervous system and acts with certain neurons or nerve cells in the brain. The neurotransmitters in the brain are also affected with long-term alcohol consumption. When a person suddenly stops drinking alcohol, these neurotransmitters can overexcite the nervous system and cause agitation, which can lead to palpitations and high blood pressure.

What’s Considered Excessive Alcohol Use?

It is categorized as a dependence syndrome by the World Health Organization. While someone of any religion can become an alcoholic, individuals who are strict adherents to religions that strongly oppose alcohol are less likely to become alcoholics. This is especially true when that religion strongly influences local laws, social practices, and the availability of alcohol. Some of the most commonly studied examples include Islam, Mormonism, Evangelical Protestantism, and Orthodox Judaism. People with alcohol use disorders drink to excess, endangering both themselves and others.

People who work long hours and have high-demand careers like doctors, nurses, lawyers and construction workers are more likely to develop alcoholism as they drink to keep stress at bay. Studies show that stressed men are 1.5 more likely to binge drink than women. Those recovering from alcoholism might also find stress to be an emotional trigger and end up relapsing. People with mental health disorders may also feel too ashamed to seek help. They might feel that turning to alcohol is easier since they fear others may judge them for their mental illness.

What are the symptoms of alcohol use disorder?

Genetic, psychological, social and environmental factors can impact how drinking alcohol affects your body and behavior. Theories suggest that for certain people drinking has a different and stronger impact that can lead to alcohol use disorder. Your culture, religion, family and work influence many of your behaviors, including drinking. Family plays the biggest role in a person’s likelihood of developing alcoholism.

Some cultures may normalize or even celebrate drinking, which leads to increased levels of alcohol consumption and increased numbers of alcohol use disorders. In some cases, social and cultural pressures can be among the causes of alcoholism. This means that people with genetic or family risk factors who begin drinking large amounts of alcohol early in life may quickly escalate from experimenting with alcohol to developing an addiction. On the other hand, people who begin drinking later in life and do not have a strong family history of alcoholism may be able to drink in moderation and never develop an addiction. Since there isn’t one exact cause of alcoholism, experts instead identify “risk factors” as potentials for development. Professionals believe that these factors may play a role in the development of alcohol use disorders as they have been evident in the lives of many individuals who suffer from alcohol dependence and addiction.

Reducing the burden from harmful use of alcohol

Abuse can lead to blowing off work, underperforming, or getting fired. These career difficulties can then create immense financial hardships. This blog-style website includes engaging articles, tools, tips, and more — and it’s all powered by the NIAAA and the National Institutes of Health.

Contact a treatment provider to find a rehabilitation facility today. Alcoholism is a very complex disease, and every case is different. There are dozens of risk factors and causes, any of which can impact a specific individual. Also, no factors are determinative; someone with very few risk factors may have severe alcoholism, and someone else with many risk factors may have no drinking issues. On both a genetic and environmental level, family history can contribute to alcoholism. Research has shown that the two genes ADH1B and ALDH2, which control alcohol metabolism, are key factors in developing alcoholism along with several others.

There is also a high risk of overdose when combining alcohol with prescription drugs. Make sure to call 911 if you ever witness this happening to someone. We’re here 24/7 to help guide you or your loved on through rehab and recovery. Submit your number to receive a call why are people alcoholics today from a treatment provider. Drugs like cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy can lead to overdose, death, or heart attack when mixed with alcohol. The support of family and friends can make a big difference in someone’s journey to sobriety, especially in the early stages.

Giving into peer pressure can lead to drinking problems down the road, as well as many health complications that arise from excessive alcohol consumption. Rather than feel the need to drink, offer to be designated driver. Growing up around family members and close relatives that suffer from alcoholism increases the risk of alcohol abuse for generations to come. When you’re surrounded by people who drink excessively, you can look at alcohol use differently and fall victim to bad habits.

Related Medical Tests

While trying their first sip of beer at a party, they’re naively unaware of the impact it can have on their lives. Many studies show that early introduction to alcohol is a https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/what-spiritual-malady-means/ risk factor for alcoholism. Drinking heavily over long periods of time may lead to changes in how the brain functions, from memory slips to more debilitating conditions.