Alcoholism Symptoms And Its Effects
Have you ever felt guilty about the number of bottles you have drunk and the frequency of drinking alcohol? Have you ever suspected that you might be displaying some alcoholism symptoms? Haven’t you people talking about alcoholism symptoms and its effects? Here are some information that can help you prevent from succumbing to the downward spiral that is alcoholism.
An estimated 140 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, are alcoholics. Alcoholics are described as people who engage in uncontrolled and compulsive consumption of alcohol, with no regard to the known effects it has on them. It can also be referred to as alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence. It is an addictive disorder that affects people in too many aspects of their lives and can only lead to more negative issues towards themselves and the people around them.
The social environment of the person plays a big role in alcoholism. Peer pressure is one of them. People who are surrounded by buddies who like to drink excessively are more likely to develop alcoholism than those who engage in other hobbies with their friends. Stress is another factor that can lead to alcohol abuse. Having knowledge on alcoholism and its effects will lead you to think twice.
It can stem from stress from the workplace, stress from family life, or just simple stress. Genetic predisposition, age, ethnic group, and even gender are also determining factors in alcoholism.
It is ironic that stress, a psychological factor, can lead to alcoholism, and also become even more pronounced when someone becomes an alcoholic. It also further leads to other disorders like anxiety and depression, psychosis, panic disorder, anti social personality disorder, bipolar disorder, attention deficit – hyperactivity disorder. Alcoholism has also proven to be the second leading cause of dementia in old people. It is a dangerous illness that causes severe damage to brain function and will only lead to more stress – a vicious cycle indeed.
Intoxication, a constant state of alcoholics, also causes regular function to decrease. Because of this the social relationships of an alcoholic become severely affected. Alcoholism has been linked to many criminal offenses such as domestic violence, child abuse, assault, and rape. Drunk driving is also one fatal effect of intoxication, and the loss of an innocent victim’s life, or your own, should be enough reason to try to prevent it from ever happening.
Aside from destroying close personal relationships, an alcoholic can also begin to have problems in his professional life. Alcoholism symptoms may also begin to manifest itself in the workplace. The job never gets done on time, or at all. Your co-workers begin to detest your presence during company parties and even in the workplace, and you have an increasing suspicion that they don’t want you around at all. Eventually it can lead to missing workdays and begins to become a pattern.
And eventually you lose your job.
So how do you know you suffer from alcoholism? Surely you will think a few drinks everyday can’t do any harm; however, it can, and you may not be aware of it. You may be aware of it, but you turn a blind eye on what’s happening because you feel it is the only way you can deal with personal issues. The CAGE Questionnaire, usually used in clinics as a first screening test for suspected alcoholics can help:
- Have you ever felt you needed to Cut down on your drinking?
- Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
- Have you ever felt Guilty about drinking?
- Have you ever felt you needed a drink first thing in the morning (Eye-opener) to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?
If you answered yes to at least 2 of the questions above, go to a clinic for further investigation by a professional. The earlier you can manage the problem, and knowing alcoholism symptoms and its effects, the better chances you have of overcoming it. There is no reason for you to further damage your health and your life by alcohol abuse and dependency. If you experience any or some of the above-mentioned alcoholism symptoms, seek help now.
