When Irresponsible and Abusive Drinking Results in Serious Health Problems and Depression
For several years alcohol addiction exploration has demonstrated the fact that there is strong correlation between alcoholism and serious health conditions and mental health issues such as depression.
As an illustration, in 2005, scientific examination and alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics revealed that alcohol abuse and alcoholism cost the United States an estimated $220 billion per year. It may be noted that this very large alcohol-related cost was substantially more than the cost linked with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion). While it is relevant to give emphasis to these facts, it is also important to highlight the fact that an interrelationship exists between all three of these health conditions.
More correctly, chronic alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency are also highly interrelated with obesity and with cancer.
Without a doubt, substance abuse research has shown that alcoholism can augment the risk for various forms of cancer, especially cancer of the colon, voice box (larynx), liver, rectum, throat, kidneys, and the esophagus. Heavy and recurring drinking can also result in immune system issues and injury to the fetus during pregnancy.
Abusive and Irresponsible Drinking Enfeebles the Problem Drinker’s Organs and Systems
Additionally, if alcohol dependency continues over a period of years, the person’s body organs will more likely than not be affected in a negative manner. For instance, chronic, excessive drinking is especially damaging 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 eradicates the ability of liver cells to regenerate. This medical circumstance leads to a progressive inflammatory disease of the liver that can in the long run lead to cirrhosis of the liver, a serious and possibly terminal medical problem.Abusive, long-term drinking not only can result in serious liver damage, but it can also result in damage to the heart and to the brain. Physical damage this dangerous may be irreversible and may, in turn, result in severe ill health or an untimely death.
The Relevance of Alcohol Treatment
It is vital, consequently, to know how to recognize the various alcoholism symptoms and the “alcohol signs” so that the alcohol dependent person can be given the opportunity to get the professional alcohol counseling he or she needs.
Alcohol Addiction and Sophisticated Brain Exploration
Fortunately, medical research is continuously generating unique and important information. Recent alcoholism exploration provides an excellent example. Stated another way, for approximately the past ten years, sophisticated brain-imaging scanning instruments have confirmed that repetitive and chronic irresponsible drinking modifies the makeup of the brain to a substantial extent, thereby resulting in brain disease that can last months, years, or perchance as long as the individual exists.
More to the point, medical investigation has shown that people who have been drinking abusively for a sizeable length of time increase their risk for developing lasting and significant modifications in the brain.
This type of damage may be indirectly associated with the drinker’s poor overall health or directly related to severe liver disease or to the alcohol’s effects on the brain.
Abusive Drinking, Malnutrition, and Mental Disorders
As a final illustration of assorted health problems that are to a great extent correlated to alcohol dependency, consider that in accordance with medical examination, the excessive and repeated abuse of alcohol can result in erosive gastritis, a medical problem that decreases the absorption of minerals, nutrients, and vitamins.
This type of organ failure is correlated with malnutrition and to a variety of severe 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 an enduring debilitating medical condition that is exemplified by recurring memory and learning problems.
Conclusion
It is apparent that continued, hazardous drinking is directly or indirectly correlated with numerous dangerous medical conditions that can and do result in serious illness and premature death. Such information needs to be emphasized and presented to everyone in our society so that a multitude of people will be able to refrain from excessive drinking while other individuals who have a drinking problem will get the professional rehabilitation they require.
Tags: Health, exercise, nutrition
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