Alcohol Abuse

QUESTION: Alcohol Abuse – How Serious is It?

ANSWER:

First of all, we need to recognize how extremely serious alcohol abuse is, and how easy it is to become a victim of alcohol addiction. Our bodies can cope with an occasional small intake of alcohol, but unfortunately alcohol has an added lure. This is due to the fact that it makes us feel happier, more relaxed and at ease, and best of all, it helps us to forget the problems and pressures in our lives.

For this reason, it is too easy for someone who normally drinks only sparingly to be tempted into having a little more each day, especially when they are going through a difficult time. This is one of the ways where the abuse of alcohol begins, and once it has a real grip on someone’s life, it can ruin that life and have devastating effects on the lives of their friends, coworkers, and family. This terrible addiction can cause marriages to fall apart, families to split up, and bring untold misery and damage to the children who are involved.

Regular drunkenness often results in violence towards the spouse and children. Instead of a having happy, united family where the children feel loved and secure, the children live each day in terror, not knowing what to expect next.

Alcohol Abuse – What are the health risks?
Added to all this is another very real danger which is the damage alcohol abuse can cause to physical health. Long term and often fatal damage is done to the internal organs of the body:

• irritation to the stomach lining resulting in ulcers,
• high blood pressure which can bring on a stroke, heart failure, inflammation of the pancreas,
• cirrhosis of the liver which is irreversible and eventually causes complete liver failure,
• killing off of brain cells, resulting in possible brain damage.