Alcoholism is a medical condition in which an individual drinks large quantities of alcohol over a long period. Primarily, most of the alcoholics have problems in controlling the consumption of alcohol even if they are conscious of the inherent effects of excessive use of alcohol.Roger notes that overconsumption of alcohol over a long period leads to addiction. Besides, alcoholism has immense effects on both the lives of alcoholic and the members of the family.
A study by Carlson reiterates that people who abuse alcohol are at risk of many health issues some which are characterized enhanced tolerance to drinking. Prolonged use of alcohol has adverse effects on an individual’s mental and physical health a fact that can expose one to risks of suicidal feelings, depression or psychiatric disorders. Also, alcohol usage results in risky conditions like alcohol tolerance and withdrawal when an alcoholic stops drinking abruptly. Alcoholics are also ashamed of their condition a fact that can cause stress.
Teenagers are always at risk of alcohol dependence. Primarily, an individual starts with taking small quantities of alcohol. The individual then starts taking large volumes of alcohol occasionally. With time, the drinking pattern of the alcoholic changes thus causing addiction.
According to Poprawa alcohol consumption impairs the effectiveness of the motor skills. Also, the increase in blood alcohol concentration due to consumption of alcohol led to an overall improvement in the mood of the alcoholic and enhanced self-confidence (5). Large concentrations of the BAC can lead to ineffective coordination of the fine muscles are impaired judgment. This condition can cause fatal accidents especially when one is driving or operating a machine. Khaltourina and Andrey contend that overdrinking is the third leading cause of deaths globally. Also, Alcohol poisoning and respiratory depressions are life-threatening conditions that are related to overconsumption of alcohol (601).
Alcoholism has been blamed the spreading of sexually transmitted infections among the teenagers. Research by Lewis et al. (10) Indicates that most of the youths who indulge in unhealthy sex behaviors while drunk are less likely to use protection during sexual intercourse. Overindulgence in alcohol is another cause of premature pregnancies among the teenagers and the spread of HIV/Aids. Also, an individual who is drunk is more likely to involve himself in deviant behavior like sexual harassment which can lead to spreading of the venereal diseases.
Women who are alcoholics are susceptible to more health complications that their male counterparts. Lewis et al. note that the mortality rate among the women who overindulge in alcohol tends to exceed that of men (15).Also; alcoholism has a significant effect on the reproductive health of a woman. Reproduction dysfunction issues like an irregular menstrual cycle and early menopauses are some of the effects of overindulgence of alcohol among women.
Excess consumption of alcohol can cause some life-threatening diseases. For instance, those individuals who drink excessively are at a high risk of getting a heart attack. Hematological disorders like anemia are also common among the addicts. This is because most of the alcoholics are poor eaters since overdependence on alcohol makes them lose appetite a condition that can lead to nutrition deficiency diseases.
Chronic heavy consumption of alcohol impairs the development of an individual’s brain. Also, some health conditions like dementia, alcoholic polyneuropathy and the shrinking of the brain are among the long-term effects of drinking on the alcoholic’s nervous system. The distortion of the brain chemistry and cognitive disorders due to drinking can cause the disruption of an individual’s memory and learning-related issues.
As noted by Roger there is a positive correlation between alcoholism and stroke. Alcohol increases the probability of one to contract stroke by about 50%.Alcoholism causes the impairment of the prospective memory. The impairment of an individual’s cognitive ability enhances the failure of an individual to carry out an intended task thus leading to the postponement to a later date. Carlson highlights that overdrinking reduces the efficiency of an individual at the workplace. Addiction has made many people lose their jobs due to poor performance in the workplace.
Depressive disorders are common among people who abuse alcohol and heavy drinkers. Alcoholics are always ashamed of their inability to control the consumption of alcohol a condition that causes stress. The addict is likely to turn to self-medication if he doesn’t get adequate social support. Self-medication may increase the drinking habit since the alcohol which acts as a depressant is used to produce a calming effect to the user. A study by Carlson on people who were hospitalized for suicidal attempts found out that 50% of the victims were alcoholics. In general, people who abuse alcohol are at a higher risk of committing suicide compared to non-drinkers.
According to Carlson, chronic drinking impairs the social skills of an individual. This is because excess alcohol causes neurotic effects on the brain. An alcoholic with impaired social skills always has problems with perceiving the facial emotions and humor a fact that a fact that makes alcoholics poor communicators.
The alcoholic liver disorder is a critical public health issue. For instance, the US has over two million individuals with alcohol-related diseases. Treatment to some of the diseases like the alcohol hepatitis and liver cirrhosis are limited. In the event of a servers liver disorder, the only viable treatment option is the liver transplant which is too expensive.
Excessive drinking of alcohol during pregnancy has immense effects on the development of the fetus. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a common birth defect among children whose mothers abuse alcohol. A study by Carlson reveals that alcohol has small molecules that make it easy to cross the placental barrier. The exposure of alcohol to the fetus leads to damages the brain structure of the unborn baby a fact that may lead to mental retardation in children. Also, mothers who abuse alcohol tends to give birth to underweight children.
Alcoholism has a great effect on the children. Johnson and Stone opined that parents who abuse alcohol in any way were likely to cause frightening conditions for their children. This is because most of the children find it hard to understand a shift in personality that is brought by consumption of alcohol (10).Also; parents whose parents drink excessively are more likely to suffer from residual neglect. Children who are brought up in families where parents are chronic drinkers are likely to engage in drinking habits at a younger age. Continued exposure to alcohol can cause addiction. Many teenagers have become victims of sexual abuse since they are lured by unsuspecting adults who takes advantage of their condition.
Crime and violence are highly associated with alcoholism in the family. Besides; battering and incest are some of the common phenomena in the families where parents’ abuse alcohol. John argues that almost 35% of the father-daughter incest incidents and about 70% of domestic violence cases are perpetrated by family members who abuses alcohol. Victims of battering and incest usually feel ashamed of themselves (65). This condition can make the victims turn to drinking as a way of escaping the pain. It is imperative to provide a strong psychosocial support to children of the alcoholics. If proper social care is not provided, the children are likely to carry their issues into later life (Belleair 20).
Family members of the alcoholic often become codependent.Fernández-Solà define codependency as an unconscious addiction to an abnormal behavior of a loved one. Alcoholics usually have periods when they stop drinking for a short time a fact that makes codependent members of the family believe that the drinking issue can be solved.Besides.The alcoholic codependent family members often strive to hide the drinking problem from strangers so as to preserve the family dignity. The children and the spouse avoid making friends or bringing friends at home. The codependent individuals also tend to forget their personal desires and needs since they devote a considerable amount of time taking care of the alcoholic (Fernández-Solà ).
Alcoholism also has a significant effect on the spouse. This is because many spouses sexually develop feelings of self-pity and hatred and avoidance of social contact. Also, excessive drinking shifts the responsibilities of the family from two parents to one of the parents. The non-alcoholic parent is likely to neglect the children since he is overburdened by the family responsibilities.
Families whose one of the parents is an alcoholic are often faced with financial issues. Family members are occasionally forced to give up on particular privileges since a substantial amount of money is used for alcohol by one of the parents. Exposure to alcoholism in the family has been attributed to the rise in divorce cases among couples. Alcoholism can cause domestic violence due to misunderstanding among the couples.
Children of parents who are alcoholics may develop health issues like depression and impulsive behavior. A study by Laaksonen highlights that these children are likely to abuse drugs so as to hide from their problems. Children of the alcoholics always experience difficulty in establishing strong, healthy relationships with their colleagues. Also, the children are also embarrassed by the condition of the parent a fact that dents their self-image (687).
Alcoholism affects all family members from the spouse to the unborn child. The problem of alcoholism has far reaching consequences on not only the physical health of the alcoholic but also on the psychological well-being of the family members. Even if the alcoholic reforms, the family members who were affected by the drinking condition takes a long time to recover since they are always afraid that the alcoholic can go back to his old drinking habit.
Despite the fact that alcoholism treatment programs like Alcoholics Anonymous are critical in helping the alcoholic to reduce the dependency, it is imperative to provide psychosocial support to families of the alcoholics so as to enhance their well-being. Also, the government has a responsibility of enacting legislations that ensure that teenagers are not exposed to alcohol until they reach a particular age.
Works Cited
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Carlson, Corissa. Stress and substance abuse in homeless and matched housed adolescents: A longitudinal model. www.digitalcommons.wayne.edu/ n.d. web. March 8, 2016.
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John, Bowes. "American Indian Removal beyond the Removal Act." Wicazo Sa Review 1.1 (2014): 65. Print.
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Khaltourina, Daria, and Andrey Korotayev. "Effects of Specific Alcohol Control Policy Measures on Alcohol-Related Mortality in Russia from 1998 to 2013." Alcohol and Alcoholism 50.5 (2015): 588-601. Print.
Laaksonen, E., S. Vuoristo-Myllys, A. Koski-Jannes, and H. Alho. "Combining Medical Treatment and CBT in Treating Alcohol-Dependent Patients: Effects on Life Quality and General Well-Being." Alcohol and Alcoholism 48.6 (2013): 687-693. Print.
Lewis, Judith A, Robert Q. Dana, and Gregory A. Blevins. Substance Abuse Counseling. Australia: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.
Poprawa, Ryszard. "A subjective assessment of the short-term effects of alcohol consumption. Preliminary studies on the Polish language adaptation of “The Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale”." Alcoholism and Drug Addiction (2015): Print.
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