Causes and Effects of Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a disease in which an individual has the inability to control the strong craving for alcohol. Individual who suffer from alcoholism often need the aid of alcohol in order to feel "normal". They crave alcohol much like any other drug addict craves a "fix". The cravings can be so severe that the individual can feel as if the need for alcohol is greater than the need for food or for water. It may become so severe that they feel that they cannot go a day without consuming alcohol.

The Character of alcoholism:

The disease alcoholism is not characterized by the type of alcohol or even by the amount of alcohol that is consumed by the individual but rather by the need to satisfy the craving for alcohol. It is characterized by the loss of control that is felt by the individual when the craving for alcohol is not satisfied. Alcoholics (individuals who suffer from alcoholism) often build up a tolerance to alcohol over time so that they need more and more alcohol in order to feel "normal". They thus consume more and more alcohol, and this is what puts the individual at risk for serious health problems. There is also a psychological manifestation of the illness (alcoholism) as well as the physical symptoms of the disease.

The Difference between Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism:

Alcohol abuse and alcoholism are two different things entirely. When a person abuses alcohol they do not display a loss of control over their need to drink. An individual who is abusing alcohol acts irresponsibly while under the influence of alcohol, even putting themselves and others at risk when they drink and drive or drink and operate machinery. Alcohol abuse is also a serious alcohol-related problem because it can lead to job loss, loss of property and can lead to relationship problems and encounters with the law due to alcohol related traffic accidents or property destruction. Alcoholism is a disease where alcohol abuse is not drinking responsibly. Both can lead to serious consequences that are alcohol related.

The symptoms of alcoholism:

The disease alcoholism has many symptoms including drinking in secret, hiding the evidence of alcohol consumption, memory loss (blacking out), ritualistic drinking and becoming irritable if the ritual times of drinking are interrupted, craving a drink in order to feel "normal", loss of interest in relationships or activities that would otherwise still hold interest if alcohol was not involved, financial or relationship or legal problems instigated by alcohol, the building of a tolerance to alcohol that requires a higher level of alcohol consumption in order to achieve the same effects, and also experiencing withdrawal symptoms if alcohol is not available for consumption.

Causes of alcoholism:

Scientists believe that there may be some genetics involved in whether or not a person is likely to experience alcoholism at some point in their life. Children of parents who suffer from alcoholism have a higher risk for developing alcoholism at some point in their lives than children of parents who do not suffer from alcoholism.

Studies also show that individuals suffering from psychological problems such as attention deficit disorder, bipolar disorder, and depression are at an increased risk for developing alcoholism in order to ease the suffering they may encounter dealing with their psychological problems. This need to ease their suffering can turn into dependency on alcohol.

Effects of alcoholism:

There are many effects of alcoholism some are physical in terms of illnesses and other are the effects alcoholism has on the ability of the individual to secure and maintain employment, function at work, home or school, have meaningful relationships with spouses, family members, coworkers, or friends.

Alcoholism depresses the central nervous system and over time this can cause fatigue, muscle paralysis of the eyes and short-term memory loss. Serious health issues that are alcoholism related are bone loss, cirrhosis of the liver, heart failure, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal problems, neurological disorders, sexual dysfunction, and also stroke. There is also increased risk for certain cancers such as cancer of the colon, esophagus, larynx and liver.

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