The Effect of Alcoholism

Introduction

Alcoholism refers to uncontrolled drinking of alcohol without considering its adverse effects on health and family relationships. The effect of drinking solely depends on the length of time an individual has been drinking alcohol. In the cases when the drinker does not feel satisfied after drinking, he often increases the intake which causes more problems. Alcoholism can also be referred as a serious craving which makes it very difficult for individuals to fight against it. However, the two terms “alcoholism” and alcohol abuse” are two different terms. Individuals suffering from alcohol abuse do not lose control when they over drink and they also have the ability to stop drinking. However, they are irresponsible and can put others at risk when they drink. The alcoholics cannot stop drinking at any time.

Causes of Alcoholism

From many of the causes of alcoholism some are when individuals start consuming alcohol at a very early stage. This refers to excessive drinking by late adolescence and they are prone to become alcoholics. Lack of family support, a network of friends or caring acquaintances increases the risk of alcoholism. A huge number of people get affected by alcoholism all over the world on a regular basis. In order to cure alcoholism, it is also essential to know the reasons why an individual consumes alcohol. It is very hard for individuals to spend their day if they do not get to drink alcohol. Moreover, they might also face some serious physical withdrawal symptoms in case they do not drink at all. Therefore, this prevents them from stop the consumption of alcohol. Genetic Predisposition takes places when the parents of the grandparents have been addicted to alcohol. This also increases the risk of alcoholism in the children due to the medical history. This is because alcoholism not even runs in the families but the genes also increase the risk of alcoholism. Psychological problems are also a cause of alcoholism. This is because the people who are depressed or have low self-esteem tend to develop a drinking problem. In order to minimize the emotional problems, alcohol is consumed to reduce the pain in life and is used as a coping device (Turcotte, 122-133). Since alcohol is easily available and is socially accepted, media promotes it heavily and is a part of the American culture. Therefore, the adolescents are also attracted towards it due to peer pressure. Youngsters have a higher possibility of drinking alcohol, and if they start drinking at the age of 16, they tend to increase their consumption when they turn 21.

Effects of Alcoholism

There are several physical side effects from drinking. One of the biggest problems caused by drinking is the effect on the liver that causes cirrhosis. This is when the liver is unable to function properly because of which it stops working. Other diseases caused by alcoholism are heart disease, pancreatitis, epilepsy and cancer. Moreover, it also causes brain damages and increased risk of breast cancer. Many other mental issues such as "dementia" can also ...