The Effects of Alcohol
Alcohol is meant to be drunk in moderation, occasionally, and by responsible adults. If you can’t drink responsibly, you shouldn’t drink at all. Those struggling with anxiety, depression, or unable to cope with stress should not drink alcohol, because alcohol causes addiction… or the tendency to depend on something that doesn’t help at all.
If you, or somebody you know, is suffering an addiction to alcohol, the problem will only get worse until you seek help.
Short Term Effects of Alcohol Consumption
When you drink alcohol, you tend to loosen up a bit. After a long day or week of work, this can help you unwind and relax… but you should never drink alcohol for this purpose.
In fact, alcohol is a downer… which means that once the effects of the alcohol begin to fade, you will feel depressed, anxious, or exhausted. Alcohol creates a temporary relief from negative feelings, but will increase those negative feelings as it begins to wear off.
When this happens, you have the choice to deal with how you feel now… or drink more. This is the same way that alcohol addiction develops… it is a very self serving sense of pleasure—that causes pain.
If you drink too much alcohol, you will experience negative health effects. Extreme cases of alcohol overdose can be fatal, but there are more common damages caused by drinking too much in a short amount of time.
Impaired abilities; placing yourself and others in dangerous situations
- Clumsiness; slurred speech (temporary brain damage)
- Dizziness, nausea, vomiting
- Blackouts (temporary unconsciousness)
- Severe dehydration
- Decreased heart rate, lowered blood pressure and respiration
- Confusion, disorientation
These are all symptoms that occur anytime you consume alcohol. The more alcohol you consume, or the longer you abuse alcohol, the worse the symptoms become.
Long Term Effects of Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol addiction develops a new set of problems on its own. Instead of just causing damage to yourself, you are also hurting your loved ones. Those struggling with alcoholism will damage their relationships, their ability to keep a job and function in society, and in many cases will also create health problems for close friends and family members as the addiction worsens.
Many of these problems can be repaired, and you can start new, by seeking treatment for alcohol addiction. However, the lasting physical damages that a long time alcohol abuse creates will persist and may not be repairable.
Liver damage
A variety of cancers (including oral cancer and cancer in the digestive tract)
Lowered immunity system, making you more vulnerable to serious diseases as well as frequent colds and sicknesses
Heart disease
- Stroke
- Mental health problems (ongoing alcohol abuse causes severe damage to the brain)
- Weight gain
- Problems with memory (short term or long term)
- Infertility and other sexual disorders
- Preventing Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol addiction develops differently for everyone. In general, anybody who drinks too much… drinks too often… or depends on alcohol to cope with stress is already exhibiting the signs of an addictive behavior.
A healthy lifestyle is possible when you focus on smarter choices. A healthy and nutritious diet, with exercise and positive activities will strengthen the ability to cope with stress (a normal and important part of life.) Alcohol will only weaken a person, and their ability to cope with stress, so the best way to prevent alcohol addiction is to avoid alcohol and to focus on more positive choices in life.
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