Effects of AlcoholismThe side effects of alcoholism are numerous and potentially fatal, not to mention destructive to the alcoholic’s work, family, goals and ambitions, and relationships in general. The physical side effects of alcoholism are: Effects of alcoholism on the brain
Alcohol acts as a depressant on the brain, most strongly affecting the area that governs inhibitions and judgment. In many cases the alcoholic is seeking just that: liberation from anxiety, shyness, rigidity of thinking, and also the euphoric feeling that accompanies the release of these feelings. The temporary loss of judgment and inhibitions explain why some people are “happy drunks,” while others become angry and hostile. The happy drunk seems to get along with everyone because he loses his ability to accurately judge others. Everyone becomes his friend, and he is the life of the party. He also loses his inhibitions – which in normal life restrict him and cause him social anxiety. The angry drunk also loses his inhibitions even more, which when sober restrict him from expressing his emotions, especially, anger and violence. His loss of inhibition translates into loss of anger management and personal self-control. He can become violent and abusive, only to sink into periods of extreme remorse once the alcohol wears off. So while much study has been undertaken to try and develop a working model of the alcoholic personality, it has not been possible to do so because various personality types become alcoholics for a variety of reasons. It is certain though that alcoholism does the same physiological damage to the individual’s brain, nervous system, and liver, regardless of his personality and behavior. In spite of the initial euphoria experienced by the drinker, consumption of more alcohol leads to a more depressed state. The circulation and respiratory systems also become depressed, so that a severe consumption of alcohol can lead to stupor, coma and even death. The brain suffers from bouts of alcoholism and subsequently, so does the nervous system. Effects of alcoholism on the nervous system
One of the visible effects in alcoholics is their loss of balance and muscular coordination. As they consume more and more alcohol, their speech is slurred, their movements become clumsy and awkward, and they lose their balance. This is not due to direct effect of alcohol on the muscles, but the direct effect on the brain and its impulses to the peripheral nervous system. Effects of alcoholism on the liver
ABOVE: LEFT: a healthy liver RIGHT: a cirrhotic liver The liver is responsible for many vital functions in the body and alcoholism side effects are very serious, even fatal. One important role of the liver is to destroy and eliminate toxic substances from the bloodstream and send them to other organs for elimination. Under stress, the liver will fail to accomplish this function properly, resulting in toxemia, poor immune function, infection, skin diseases, kidney disease, impaired cirulation, tumors, and a while host of disorders. Over 90% of the alcohol consumed by the body must be eliminated by the process of oxidation, which takes place in the liver. Oxidation is the breakdown of alcohol into carbon dioxide and water (CO2 and H2O). The rate at which the liver can perform this function is the same regardless of the amount of alcohol consumed by the person. So, the more alcohol consumed, the more the liver’s work backs up because it cannot oxidize any faster to meet the higher demand. For example, if your sanitation men can pick up only 2 bags of garbage a week, but you continuously set out 2 bags of garbage every day, then you get a huge accumulation of garbage in front of your house! It’s the same way with the liver … it can only process at the same rate, regardless of the demand to process more and more alcohol. Extended drinking binges put the liver under constant and severe strain, and that is why many alcoholics develop a disease known as cirrhosis of the liver, in which many liver cells are actually dead or non-functioning. As the alcoholic’s disease progresses, the liver is less and less equipped to deal with the strain. The liver’s inability to detoxify other substances in the body becomes compromised as well. It’s a vicious cycle of consuming more and more toxic substances which cannot be processed or excreted. When the liver can no longer efficiently process these toxic substances, they get secreted into the fatty tissue and lymph nodes of the body, leading to cysts, growths, and tumors as they build up over time. In addition, prolonged alcoholism may cause weight gain because the body cannot deal with the excessive sugars consumed with alcohol, nor can it excrete toxic waste matter. The liver of the average non-alcoholic person can oxidize one half to one ounce of whiskey, or six to twelve ounces of beer, every hour. If you drink three 8-oz. glasses of beer and three shots of whiskey in one hour, you have already given your liver three hours of oxidation to perform for it to process and eliminate the alcohol byproducts. From this formula you can figure that for every drink you take your body should have one hour to process it before you drive. If you go to a party or bar and have three drinks, wait three hours until you can safely drive home again. Better still, always have a responsible designated driver to take you home. Effects of alcoholism on the skinThe skin is actually an organ of elimination weighing about 13 to 15 pounds in the average sized person. Only a small portion of alcohol is sweated out through the skin – the liver bears the major brunt of detoxifying the alcohol. A mottled, flushed complexion that never seems to clear up can be one of the more pronounced alcoholism side effects. However, the skin will suffer from the effects of alcoholism in many ways:
If you know someone who is suffering from alcohol addiction and wants help, look for a drug detox center in your area. FACTS ABOUT ALCOHOLISM
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