Alcohol Problems

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It has been known for thousands of years that abusing alcohol and excessive drinking lead to a number of social and personal alcohol-related drinking problems.

Depending on the amount of alcohol that is consumed and how quickly the alcohol is ingested, alcohol problems and drinking problems can range from mild headaches and slight nausea at one extreme and traffic accidents, alcohol poisoning, alcohol related traffic fatalities, coma, and death at the other.

An Overview of Alcohol Problems and the Human Body

Alcohol has a biphasic effect on the human body. This means that the effects of alcohol change over time. Initially, alcohol typically elicits feelings of relaxation and cheer.

Increased consumption, however can result in coordination problems, dehydration, blurred vision, and a whole array of social, medical, and health problems.

Quite obviously, higher quantities of alcohol can also lead to intoxication or drunkenness.  One of the consequences of intoxication is the lowering of an individual's inhibitions.  Consequently, when people are intoxicated they frequently do things they normally would not do while sober, often ignoring social, legal, moral, and religious norms.

This, then, is a quick overview of some of the alcohol-related drinking problems.  What follows is a more detailed analysis of how alcohol problems escalate and become magnified as an individual suffers through the alcoholism degenerative process.

Perhaps the most logical way to discuss alcohol problems is to first address the classic alcoholic behaviors and problems that appear in the four states of alcoholism. We will then examine some of the social problems associated with alcoholism, and finally, discuss the diseases, medical conditions, and health problems that are caused directly or indirectly by alcohol addiction.

Alcohol Problems During the First Stage of Alcoholism

In the first stage of alcoholism, drinking is no longer social but becomes a means of emotional escape from inhibitions, stress, and problems.

Simply put, early in the illness the problem drinker starts to depend on the "mood altering" capabilities of alcohol.  Another characteristic in the first stage of alcoholism is that a gradual increase in tolerance develops, meaning that more and more alcohol is needed in order to experience a "high" or a "buzz."

The following list features some of the classic alcoholic behaviors and drinking problems experienced by problem drinkers in the first stage of alcoholism:

• The use of alcohol as a way to forget problems or to "mellow out"
• Boasting and a "big shot" complex
• A conscious effort to seek out more drinking opportunities
• Gross Drinking Behavior - more frequent drinking of greater amounts
• An ability to drink great amounts of alcohol without any apparent impairment
• Drinking is not social but a psychological escape from stress and problems
• Increasing tolerance
• Lack of recognition by the person that he or she is in the early stages of a progressive illness

Alcohol Problems During the Second Stage of Alcoholism

In the second stage of alcoholism, the need to drink becomes more severe.  During this stage, moreover, the person with the drinking problem typically starts to drink earlier in the day.  As tolerance increases, however, the problem drinker consumes alcohol not for emotional stress relief but because of his or her dependence on alcohol.

During this stage, while the alcoholic's loss of control has not yet become noticeable on a regular basis, it is, nonetheless, sporadically observed by others such as family members, friends, and coworkers.  It is interesting to note that a key aspect in this stage of the disease is that the problem drinker's physical problems start to become more frequent and intensified.

The following list typifies some of the drinking problems and classic alcoholic behaviors suffered by problem drinkers in the second stage of alcoholism:

• Sneaking extra drinks before social events
• Feelings of guilt and shame
• Drinking because of dependence rather than for stress relief
• Increasing physical problems
• More frequent blackouts
• Blaming problems on others and on things external to themselves
• Sporadic loss of control
• Unsuccessful attempts to stop drinking
• Chronic hangovers
• Increasing tolerance
• Denial

Alcohol Problems During the Third Stage of Alcoholism

In the third stage of alcoholism, the loss of control becomes more prominent, meaning that the person with the drinking problem is not able to drink in accordance with his or her intentions.  For instance, after the person has had the first drink, he or she typically can no longer control what will happen, even though the intention may have been to have only one of two drinks.

During this stage of the disease, moreover, the individual with the drinking problem usually starts to encounter alcohol-related employment, relationship, financial, and in many instances legal problems (such as multiple DUIs or DWIs).

Furthermore, during this stage of the illness the person starts to avoid family and friends and exhibits a loss of interest in things that used to be fun or important.  "Eye-openers" are also common during this stage.  Eye-openers are drinks that are taken whenever the problem drinker awakens as a way to help lessen a hangover, calm the nerves, or to extinguish the feelings of sorrow the drinker experiences after going through a period of time without consuming a drink.

The following typifies some of the classic alcoholic behaviors and drinking problems that are experienced by problem drinkers during the third stage of alcoholism:

• Loss of willpower
• The start of physical deterioration
• Problems with the law (such as DWIs)
• A decrease in alcohol tolerance
• Neglect of necessities such as water, shelter, and food
• Half-hearted attempts at seeking medical aid
• Changes in friendships, such as associating only with friends who drink
• Loss of interest in activities that used to be important
• Aggressive and grandiose behavior
• Serious financial, relationship, and work-related problems
• The development of an alibi system - an elaborate system of excuses for their drinking
• Frequent violent or destructive behavior
• An increase in failed promises and resolutions to one's self and to others
• Unreasonable resentments
• Loss of control has become a pattern
• Eye-openers
• Diabetes
• Increasing tremors
• Avoidance of family and friends

Alcohol Problems During the Fourth Stage of Alcoholism

The fourth and final stage of alcoholism is typified by a chronic loss of control.  For instance, in the earlier stages of the illness, the person with the drinking problem may have been able to maintain employment.  Now, however, due to the fact that drinking starts earlier in the day and typically continues throughout the day, few, if any, full-time work positions can be maintained once a person reaches this state of affairs.  

In the earlier stages of the illness, moreover, the alcoholic had a choice whether he or she would take the first drink.  After ingesting the first drink, the alcoholic frequently lost all control and would then continue drinking.  In the last stage of alcoholism, however, problem drinkers who are alcoholics no longer have a choice:  they simply need to drink in order to make it through the day.

The following list characterizes some of the classic alcoholic behaviors and drinking problems that manifest themselves in the fourth stage of alcoholism:

• The collapse of the alibi system
• "The shakes"
• Nameless fears and anxieties such as feelings of impending doom or destruction
• Indefinable fears
• Devaluation of personal relationships
• Auditory and visual hallucinations
• Impaired thinking
• Loss of tolerance for alcohol
• Persistent remorse
• Vague spiritual desires
• The possibility of alcoholic psychosis
• Moral deterioration
• Continual loss of control
• Benders, or lengthy intoxications
• Unreasonable resentments and hostility toward others
• The realization of being out of control
• The "DTs"
• An obsession with drinking

Alcohol Problems and Social Relationships

Alcoholism not only affects the problem drinker, but it also negatively influences those who are closest to the alcoholic, namely his family, friends, other relatives, coworkers, and neighbors.  The following list is a sample of the social problems that result from alcoholism:

• Alcohol related traffic fatalities and injuries on the highways
• Birth defects such as fetal alcohol syndrome
• Broken, dysfunctional homes
• Work-related injuries and accidents
• Destroyed relationships
• Wife battering
• Child abuse
• Codependent behavior in others
• Destroyed lives

Alcohol Problems: Diseases and Medical Conditions

Alcoholism directly or indirectly causes a number of medical conditions, diseases, and health problems.  We will focus first on the various types of cancer associated with alcoholism and then discuss the non-cancerous ailments and illnesses that are related to this disease.

Alcohol Problems: Cancer

The following is a list of various types of cancer that are directly or indirectly caused by alcohol addiction:

• Rectum
• Throat
• Stomach
• Colon
• Larynx
• Liver
• Esophagus
• Kidneys

Alcohol Problems: Non-Cancerous Medical Conditions

The following is a list non-cancerous medical conditions, diseases, and health problems caused directly or indirectly by alcohol dependency:

• Cirrhosis of the liver
• Cardiovascular problems such as strokes, cardiomyopathy (damage to the heart muscle), heart failure, and high blood pressure
• Sever thiamine deficiency
• Brain damage
• Kidney and urinary tract infections
• Impaired learning ability
• Pneumonia
• Ulcers from the perforation of the stomach and the intestines
• Numbness of the feet and hands
• Alcohol withdrawal symptoms when the alcoholic stops drinking
• Alcohol Poisoning
• Vitamin D deficiency (which can result in bone fractures)
• Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach)
• Organ and system malfunction
• Inflammation of the digestive system
• Memory loss
• Vitamin deficiencies (such as folate, selenium, riboflavin, thiamin, and vitamin B6)
• Wernicke's disease (a memory disorder)
• Infections
• Coma
• Kidney failure
• Mental confusion
• Death (from alcohol poisoning, excessive intoxication, and organ malfunction)
• Harm to the fetus while the mother is pregnant
• Korsakoff's syndrome (a memory disorder)
• Problems with the immune system
• Pancreatitis
• Nervous system damage
• Destruction of brain cells
• Sexual problems such as erectile dysfunction and impotence in men
• Diabetes
• Dehydration
• Vitamin A deficiency (which can cause night blindness)
• Loss of intellectual abilities

Alcohol Problems:  Conclusion

Drinking Problems.  As one reflects on the four stages of alcoholism, it becomes apparent that as the disease progresses, not only does the alcoholic experience more frequent and severe alcohol problems but the disease also negatively and progressively affects family members, friends, relatives, coworkers, and society in general.

In short, the drinking problems that are the consequence of alcoholism are widespread, extremely unhealthy, damaging, destructive, and in many instances, fatal.  Examples of the latter include alcohol related traffic fatalities, cancer, heart disease, cirrhosis of the liver, and alcohol poisoning.

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