Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse

            Alcohol plays an important role in the life of human person. It brings joy during the time of celebration, it helps two friends come together, it can also destroy the health of a person, and it can also create fight among family. Sometimes it is good for health because it is used as medicine. But taking too much of it may create a problem for the health. It also plays an important role during the times of wedding ceremony or some traditional ceremony.

            You cannot look at a stranger and say with confidence from his appearance that he is an alcoholic. It is easy to tell that a man is drunk but not that he is a habitual drinker. Yet continued excessive drinking does produce bodily change and these in turn result in illness both physical and mental.

            People who drink regularly in a group in a bar, with the same bunch of friends are a well-recognized variant. They compensate in this way for deficiencies in their social relationships. Every where else they feel inferior; only here, surrounded by trusted and uncritical companions, increasingly so as the evening proceeds, are they able to feel at ease, inspired by the each other, round after round; each drinker orders in his turn, not only for the satisfaction of his own drink but also for the pleasure he gets from treating the friends he holds in such regard. Here, at least, he is somebody’s peer.

            Some who drink in this way are basically isolate, friendless people. Passive, good-nurtured, they have never learned to form mature relationship and in the undemanding, casual camaraderie of the bar they are never taxed intellectually or emotionally; they are in their element

            Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are due to many interconnected factor, including genetics, how you were raised, your social environment, and your emotional health. Some racial groups, such as American Indians and Native Alaskans, are more at risk than others of developing alcohol addiction. People who have a family history of alcoholism or who associate closely with heavy drinkers are more likely to develop drinking problems. Finally, those who suffer from a mental health problem such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar are also particularly at risk, because alcohol may be used to self-medicate.

.           Not all alcohol abusers become full-blown alcoholics, but it is a big risk factor. Sometimes alcoholism develops suddenly in response to a stressful change, such as a breakup, retirement, or another loss. Other times, it gradually creeps up on you as your tolerance to alcohol increases. If you’re a binge drinker or you drink every day, the risks of developing alcoholism are greater.

            Denial is one of the biggest obstacles to getting help for alcohol abuse and alcoholism. The desire to drink is so strong that the mind finds many ways to rationalize drinking, even when the consequences are obvious. By keeping you from looking honestly at your behavior and its negative effects, denial also exacerbates alcohol-related problems with work, finances, and relationships.

            Alcoholism and alcohol abuse can affect all aspects of your life. Long-term alcohol use can cause serious health complications, affecting virtually every organ in your body, including your brain. Problem drinking can also damage your emotional stability, finances, career, and your ability to build and sustain satisfying relationship

           

            Alcoholism and alcohol abuse can also have and impact on your family, friend and the people you work with.

             Despite the potentially lethal damage that heavy drinking does to the body-including cancer, heart problems, and liver disease-the social consequences can be just as devastating. Alcoholics and alcohol abusers are much more likely to get divorced, have problems with domestic violence, struggle with unemployment, and live in poverty.

By Cl. Vinay Ganawa