Since we are young children many of us watch our parents pour a glass of wine with dinner or open a beer to watch the football game. Most family barbecues consist of hamburgers, hot dogs, and booze. We watch people drink to have fun, drink with food, and drink to relax. As teenagers we can’t wait to legally buy our own alcohol and go to our first bar or club. It is treated like it is not an addictive substance, many people just hear “don’t drink as a teenager” and “don’t drink and drive.” Other than that, no one really talks about anything negative associated with drinking. Many people don’t drink just one or two, they drink to get intoxicated, or binge drink. Most every social event is centered around drinking. Holidays, celebrations, fundraisers, and more, all have alcohol and when you don’t drink people make fun of you or think of you as weird. There is social pressure to drink by friends, family, magazines, and commercials. Drinking is considered a social norm by most people.
Dangerous Effects
What people don’t talk about is how dangerous alcohol really is. They don’t talk about the dependency that can occur and how millions of people suffer from alcoholism. They don’t talk about the harm alcohol does to your mind and body. They don’t talk about the number of families broken up by alcohol or hurt by alcohol. According to the World Health Organization, more than two million people lose their lives to alcohol abuse a year. Alcohol is absorbed through the stomach and small intestine to the bloodstream where it goes to the brain and starts its effects. Drinking is more harmful for teenagers because their brains are not fully developed, leading to coordination problems, motor skill issues, and memory problems. Drinking at a young age also increases their chance of becoming dependent on alcohol. here is alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. When someone is dependent on alcohol they will experience physical withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, tremors, and nausea. It can also cause criminal records, damaged relationships, and a lost job. Those who abuse alcohol do not have cravings for alcohol like alcoholics do. However, there is a fine line between the two. The main points of dependence include withdrawal symptoms and cravings between drinks. Alcohol dependence can lead to severe, life-threatening withdrawal symptoms which start within 12 hours of the last drink. The delirium tremens (DTs) start three to four days later when the user is agitated, hallucinations, shaking, and loses touch with reality.
Mixing Substances
Alcohol is commonly mixed with other drugs. This can be very dangerous especially depending on the drugs it is used with. If it is mixed with other depressants such as benzodiazepines or some pain killers, breathing and heart rate can be slowed to dangerous levels. If it is mixed with stimulants the user may not realize how much they have drank and can even cause heart attacks or strokes. If pregnant women consume alcohol it passes through the placenta and enters the unborn child. This can severely damage the fetus especially during the first few months of pregnancy. This is commonly known as fetal alcohol syndrome. There are many birth defects that alcohol consumption can lead to including facial abnormalities, growth deficiencies, and damage to the nervous system and brain.
What to Look for
Since alcohol is legal and often expected at certain gatherings or celebrations it is sometimes difficult to notice when someone you love or yourself has become addicted to or dependant on it. Alcoholism is classified by cravings and the inability to stop drinking even if it has caused personal and social harm. If consuming alcohol has interfered with work, school, or other activities because they are hung over or want/need to drink it has become a problem. Other signs to look out for are that they start drinking early in the day, stay drunk for a long time, or drink alone and give up activities and relationships that used to be important to drink. They cannot control how much or when they drink and rely on alcohol to relieve stress or solve problems. They may have tried to stop drinking but cannot. They will also have withdrawal symptoms such as sweating, shaking, and feel anxious or sick. High-functioning alcoholics are in their own classification because they keep their alcoholism from interfering with their professional and personal lives. They usually will not admit to or notice a problem until faced with severe alcohol-related consequences. This is dangerous because they can continue using alcohol for years without ever recognizing a problem.
The Use of Alcohol
Alcohol is one of the most commonly abused substances in America and it can lead to serious destruction. It can cause financial ruin, long term health effects, criminal activity, injuries, and death. Alcohol is not limited to a specific demographic, everyone young to old, rich to poor, all races, cultures, and genders use alcohol. The National Institution on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimated that 16.6 million American adults had an alcohol use disorder (AUD) in 2013. Alcohol causes a psychological and physical dependence which makes it even harder to stop using especially since it is a legal substance. It is very addictive. The important thing is to know what the signs for abuse and addiction are. It is important to notice those signs and know the consequences of not finding help. There are ways to get sober and stay sober and live a happy and long life. If you or someone you know needs help, the sooner the better. Many alcoholics need interventions because they don’t believe they have a problem or that something so socially accepted and promoted can be addictive. It is important to get the help they need as soon as possible.
