For a number of years alcohol dependency exploration has demonstrated the fact that there is strong association between alcohol dependency and dangerous health conditions and mental health issues such as depression.
For example, in 2005, scientific research and alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics revealed that alcohol abuse and alcoholism cost the United States an estimated $220 billion on an annual basis. Interestingly, this very large alcohol-related cost was significantly more than the cost associated with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion). While it is relevant to emphasize these facts, it is also important to highlight the fact that an interrelationship exists between all three of these health issues.
More explicitly, chronic alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction are also highly interrelated with obesity and with cancer.
Indeed, substance abuse research has demonstrated the fact that alcohol dependency can boost the risk for different types of cancer, particularly cancer of the kidneys, rectum, colon, voice box (larynx), esophagus, throat, and the liver. Heavy and recurring drinking can also lead to immune system problems and deformity to the fetus during pregnancy.
Abusive and Hazardous Drinking Destabilizes the Person’s Systems and Organs
Furthermore, if alcohol dependency continues over a period of years, the individual’s body organs will probably be affected in an unhealthy manner. As an illustration, repeated, abusive drinking is especially injurious to the liver since the liver does most of the work of processing the alcohol that has been consumed. Extreme amounts of alcohol kills liver cells and obliterates the ability of liver cells to regenerate. This medical circumstance leads to a progressive inflammatory disease of the liver that can sooner or later lead to cirrhosis of the liver, an acute and possibly incurable medical problem. Heavy, long-term drinking not only can lead to critical liver damage, but it can also result in damage to the heart and to the brain. Physical damage this critical may be irreversible and may, in turn, result in serious illness or premature death.
The Critical Nature of Alcohol Rehabilitation
It is important, therefore, to know how to identify the different alcoholism symptoms and the “alcohol signs” so that the alcohol dependent individual can be given the opportunity to get the professional alcohol treatment he or she requires.
Alcohol Dependency and Sophisticated Brain Exploration
Fortunately, scientific exploration is persistently uncovering new and important information. Recent alcoholism exploration offers an excellent example. More correctly, for roughly the last ten years, sophisticated brain-imaging scanning devices have demonstrated that continuous and chronic excessive drinking transforms the makeup of the brain to a substantial extent, thusly resulting in brain disease that can last months, years, or perhaps as long as the individual exists.
Stated differently, medical exploration has shown that people who have been drinking in an irresponsible manner for a sizeable length of time increase their risk for developing permanent and substantial adaptations in the brain.
This type of damage may be indirectly associated with the drinker’s poor overall health or directly related to the alcohol’s effects on the brain or to severe liver disease.
Abusive Drinking, Malnutrition, and Mental Disorders
As a final example of different medical conditions that are significantly correlated to alcoholism, take into consideration the fact that in accordance with medical investigation, the abusive and repeated abuse of alcohol can lead to erosive gastritis, a condition that limits the absorption of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
This form of organ failure is related to malnutrition and to a number of acute mental and neurological disorders including memory loss, sleep disturbances, and psychosis such as Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome. This latter health problem is a long lasting incapacitating health problem that is typified by recurring learning and memory difficulties.
Excessive Drinking Also Leads to Friendship and Relationship Conflicts and Problems
In addition to critical health issues, hazardous and abusive drinking also leads to relationship and friendship problems. For instance, people who engage in heavy drinking frequently suffer from sexuality problems, divorce, affairs, and marital difficulties.
Conclusion: The Relevance of Education
It is clear that repetitive, hazardous drinking is directly or indirectly correlated with many dangerous medical problems that can and do lead to serious ailments and premature death. Such information needs to be highlighted and presented to everyone in our society, especially to all students, so that a massive amount of people will be able to refrain from abusive drinking while other people who have a drinking problem will get the professional rehab they require.
Let us look at this pragmatically. Yes, alcohol therapy is significant, but alcohol therapy is something that is typically done AFTER the fact. Education, on the other hand, is something that is done BEFORE the problem becomes obvious. Stated a different way, whereas alcohol therapy is “reactive,” education is “proactive.” It is stated that both approaches are necessary when discussing alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency.
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