Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol abuse, due to the high level of consumption, is believed by the American Council for Drug Education to be many times worse than illegal drug use. This research program cites abuse of alcohol and its associated health consequences as a tremendous drain on our resources, finances, families and highway safety.

Alcohol affects nerve cells deep in the brain as two or three drinks impair judgment, lower inhibitions and grant mild euphoria. Aside from the obvious smell of alcohol on the breath, other symptoms include lost physical coordination and balance, irritability and even violence, slurred speech as thinking slows and clouded short-term memory.

Once a person stops drinking these symptoms will slip away as their blood alcohol level decreases about 0.01 percent per hour. Symptoms of the chronic or long-term alcohol abuser do not so gently dissipate unless treated by reputable alcohol recovery programs.

Alcohol withdrawal produces tremors, paranoia and delusions complete with visual hallucinations, seizures, anxiety and panic attacks. These are just the alcohol abuse symptoms you can easily see.

Long term or heavy alcohol use not only increases the risk of injury or death from a traffic accident or other violence, it opens opportunities for a frightening range of medical and psychological dangers.

Neurological dangers due to alcohol consumption can include permanent brain damage, impaired vision and body coordination, memory loss, hallucinations and seizures.

The risk of stroke and heart failure soars due to alcohol elevating blood pressure and heart rate.

Mouth and throat cancer increase with alcohol abuse. Respiratory failure, pneumonia, tuberculosis and lung abscesses are also attributed to heavy alcohol use.

Stomach disorders, triggered by overconsumption of alcohol, such as ulcers, extreme acid reflux and diarrhea fatally affect the pancreas, bowels, esophagus and kidneys.

Liver disease, such as hepatitis and cirrhosis, directly caused by abusing alcohol, kill 25,000 Americans each year.

Long-term psychological damages cause inappropriate rage outbursts, impaired judgment and speech, apathy, antisocial behavior, loss of concentration and deterioration of family and social relationships.

The consequences of alcohol abuse and associated symptoms increase with long-term, heavy use. Educate yourself and the people you know, in order to stop this abuse before these debilitating symptoms destroy health, relationships and life. Please seek treatment to prevent alcohol related problems before the consequences turn deadly.

See some effects of alcohol abuse