Alcoholism, what is normally referred to as a family disease, has a myriad of negative effects on the individual and the family as a whole. Alcoholism is also commonly referred to as alcohol use disorder and can be described as a form of addiction. As stated by alcoholrehabguide.org, this disease is the most serious form of alcohol abuse due to the over-dependence on the alcohol.

Alcohol use disorder can be divided into three sections: mild, moderate and severe. Most individuals often graduate to severe alcohol use disorder if the disease is neglected and left untreated. Also, the longer a person drinks the alcohol, the more he or she is  likely to get addicted to it

Individuals suffering from alcoholism find it hard to function without consuming alcohol. This makes it harder for them to stop, and over time, the alcohol problem develops from mild to severe. This over-reliance will negatively impact their health, their professional pursuits, personal lives as well as their relationships.

However, even the negative impacts caused by their alcohol problem are not enough for them to stop. In other words, they are so dependent on or addicted to the alcohol that they do not care about the negative consequences. This remains true even if the consequences end up affecting their close relationships or costing them their jobs.

Now, how does alcoholism develop? As previously mentioned, the longer a person consumes alcohol, the more he or she is likely to become addicted. However, are there any risk factors that may increase a person’s chance of developing the disease? What causes alcohol drug disorder? Let us take a look.

The Development of Alcohol Drug Disorder

Alcohol consumption is not considered illegal within the continent of America. However, alcohol consumption is regulated and operates under certain prohibitions. In certain, if not most, states in America, individuals under the age of 21 are not allowed to purchase or drink alcohol.

Why? Alcohol has the ability to impair a person’s judgement and inability to make sound decisions. Additionally, the earlier a person starts consuming alcohol, the more he or she is likely to develop an addiction. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc., bears testament to the above fact.

According to them, children under 15 years of age that are already drinking are more likely to develop an addiction problem later on in life. In fact, they are at least five times more likely to become addicted to alcohol as compared to those that start drinking at age 21. 47% of those that started drinking alcohol at 15 or earlier developed an alcohol problem, as stated by the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Alcohol is a chemical substance that interferes with the chemicals in the brain. Hence, young individuals that drink early are not only in danger of developing an addiction problem, but they are also interfering with the brain’s normal development. Of course, this will, in turn, affect the person’s future success and overall performance.

Once a person consumes alcohol, the liquid interferes with chemical substances in the brain as mentioned earlier. The alcohol tends to increase and production of a substance known as dopamine, as well as other hormones that influence a person’s mood. The overproduction and release of dopamine tend to increase the feeling of pleasure and euphoria. In other words, after a person drinks alcohol and dopamine is released, the feeling of pleasure is heightened.

Hence, a person tends to drink more so as to experience the feeling over and over again. However, after a while, the alcohol may lose its effect, prompting the person to increase his intake so as to experience the pleasure he seeks. This will then cause the person to start over drinking, as the body becomes more and more used to the alcohol.

And as previously mentioned, the more and longer a person drinks, the more he or she is likely to develop an alcohol problem. Now, we’ve heard cases of people that drink alcohol on occasion, and do not suffer from the disorder. So, what gives?

Let us take a look at some of the factors that may increase a person’s risk for developing alcohol drug disorder. They include:

• Drinking at an early age More specifically, individuals that start drinking at the age of 15 years and below are likely to become addicted to alcohol.
• Family History
• Genetics
• Mental health problems such as anxiety
• Peer pressure
• Culture
• Stressful situations and environments
• Consuming alcohol with medicine
• Family abuse and neglect

Alcoholism is a disease that has dire effects and consequences. Yet, there are people that still choose to drink or consume it. As seen above, there are numerous reasons and factors that may lead a person into drinking.

However, the best way to deal with it is to abstain from alcohol consumption. Moderate consumption of alcohol may not cause physical or psychological harm. This is as long as the drinking does not progress to alcohol abuse or over-consumption.

This begs the question, how much alcohol is too much? What exactly is the moderate amount of alcohol consumption? Does it mean that you only drink on special occasions or you drink once a week?

Well, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.women should drink once a day, while men should drink at least twice in one day. One drink equals 5 ounces of wine, 15 ounces of beer and 1.5 ounces when it comes to drinking liquor. A person is recommended to watch their alcohol consumption by limiting it or abstain from it completely.

Now, let us move on to individuals that drink and end up developing Alcohol Use Disorder. What are the effects of the disorder? Let us take a look.

The Negative Effects of Alcohol Use Disorder

As we’ve seen from the above information, alcohol tends to affect individuals differently. While others can manage to consume a moderate amount without being affected, others end up abusing the alcohol. Others, end up developing a severe drinking problem known as Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

There’s a fine line between Alcohol Use Disorder and Alcohol Abuse. Alcohol abuse is where a person consumes too much alcohol in one sitting and ends up engaging in risky behavior. Alcohol abusers differ from those that suffer from Alcohol Use Disorder in that they are not dependent on the alcohol.

Those that suffer from the disease, on the other hand, are so dependent that they cannot go through a single day without it. They need the alcohol to get rid of the withdrawal symptoms and function normally. This is condition needs to be treated immediately.

The problem is that most people are not aware that they are suffering from the disorder. Others are hesitant and unwilling to admit that they have a problem, regardless of the consequences. So, how does one know that they are suffering from Alcohol Use Disorder? Let us take a look.

Signs and Symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder

• Unable to control the amount you drink
• Unable to stop consuming alcohol
• The continuous urge to drink
• Drinks in order to socialize with others
• You drink at night to fall asleep
• You drink alcohol first thing in the morning
• Neglect of responsibilities due to drinking
• Experiences withdrawal symptoms such as shaking
• Drinking more to induce the heightened feelings of pleasure
• Unable to stop drinking despite legal, financial and social problems occur
• Drinking in seclusion
• Memory problems, especially after drinking
• Development of various illnesses such as cirrhosis
• You tend to experience involuntary shaking the morning after you were drinking
• Skipping or replacing hobbies and important matters for alcohol

Alcoholism, as earlier mentioned, is often referred to as a family disease. This is because it not only affects the individual suffering from the disease but the family as well. Everyone from the children to the spouse is adversely affected by this disease.

Below, are some of the ways this disorder affects the family. Let us take a look.

• Trauma to the family individuals including the children
• Children are forced to grow up faster
• The user may end up abusing his or her family members verbally, physically and emotionally
• The individual suffering from the disease may end up engaging infidelity: Alcohol is known to impair judgement and a person’s ability to make sound decisions. Hence, the person is more likely to cheat on the spouse.
• Divorce: Families end up splitting due to the problems caused by the individual suffering from the disease
• Codependency- The person suffering from Alcohol Use Disorder is likely to become dependent on his or her family for money to drink and survive
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Increase in stress
• Low self- esteem among the family members and the individual suffering from the disease as well
• Legal problems
• Financial instability and debt
• The children end up being neglected
• Foetal alcohol syndrome: This may occur if a pregnant woman drinks while pregnant. The alcohol easily passes through the placenta to the fetus, inhibiting normal foetal development. The drink limits the normal flow and the supply of oxygen and nutrition to the fetus, hence the lack of proper development. A baby that is born with foetal alcohol syndrome often exhibits the below-mentioned symptoms. They include:

1. Hyperactivity
2. Unable to focus or have a short attention span
3. Problems in speech and movement
4. Hearing problems
5. Sight problems
6. Heart problems
7. Inability to learn
8. Underweight and is below average in height
9. Has a small head
10. Lack of proper coordination
11. Slow growth rate

The symptoms are numerous. From the symptoms mentioned above, we can see that the baby will adversely affect both physically, emotionally and mentally. It’s best to stay away from alcohol, especially while pregnant for the sake of the baby’s health.

Let us take a look at how alcoholism affects the entire family in more detail.

Effects of Alcoholism To The Family If A Parent Suffers From Alcoholism

A parent with suffering from Alcoholism will end up affecting his or her family in more ways than one. Instead of focusing on his family, the individual will end up neglecting them. Instead, all his or her attention will be on drinking and how to deal with the withdrawal symptoms.

Moreover, the parent may end up neglecting his professional responsibilities. This may lead to job termination that may drive the family into financial problems. The family will have to look for ways to not only support themselves but support the parent with the addiction problem.

Once the parent loses his job, he will obviously be unable to fund his addiction. Hence, he or she might result in stealing from the family members or depending on them for money. This may drive them into financial debt and may find it hard to support their individual’s needs.

Alcoholism often causes the addict to be violent and abusive to those around him or her. Other than neglecting his family, the addict is likely to verbally, physically and emotionally abuse them. The addict will have a tendency to become violent and aggressive when the family tries to confront their drinking habits. This is because the addict may interpret the genuine care and concern of his family members as a threat.

Below, is the summary of the negative effects. They include:

• Constant fights and arguments
• Financial instability and debt
• Trauma
• Neglect
• Emotional, verbal and physical abuse

Effects of Alcoholism To The Children If A Parent Suffers From Alcoholism

Children in such situations end up getting neglecting. Instead of growing up in a secure and nurturing environment, they grow up in an unhealthy one. Such children may end up abusing alcohol or some other form of the drug to numb the pain or for a temporary escape.

Others end up becoming rebellious or taking up roles within the family as a way of dealing with the neglect and trauma. Of course, the children also end up taking up certain roles to help the family deal and cope with the problems they are experiencing.

In essence, children that grow up in an environment where one or both of the parents have a drinking problem always end up growing up too fast. According to Sharon Wegscheider, children end up taking up roles within the family as a means of survival, as mentioned earlier. The roles include:

• Family Hero: This position is often taken up by the firstborn; the eldest of the children. They are always the most hardworking and responsible. Yet, they are also hurting and dealing with feelings of neglect and low- self-esteem.
• The Mascot: Such children are the clown of the family. They enjoy having fun and making jokes. Regardless of their fun, enthusiastic and energetic nature, they battle with feelings of neglect, inadequacy and self- worth.
• The Scapegoat: This person seems rebellious, tough and very troublesome. This type of child often takes the blame for most things. Hence, he or she ends up engaging in unruly activities as a way of dealing with the pain and feelings of anger, neglect and unfairness.
• The lost child: This type of child appears to contend and is always daydreaming. In a way, the child seems unaffected by the things going on around him or her. However, this is not normally the case. Such a child is hurt, feels neglected and angry.

Below, is a summary of the effects:

• Children end up getting neglected
• Some, if not most children end up abusing drugs and/or alcohol as well
• Become rebellious
• Trauma
• Verbal, physical and emotional abuse
• They end up growing to fast and taking up family roles

Effects of Alcoholism To The Partner If The Spouse Suffers From Alcoholism

More often than not, the spouse or partner to the addicts often blames themselves. They end up feeling unworthy, angry, hurt and scared.

The partner suffering from the disease is often torn between wanting to drink more alcohol and wanting to stop. However, due to their inability to stop drinking, they end up blaming others for their problems and failures.

As a way of dealing with their anger, they may end up abusing the spouse or partner verbally, emotionally or physically. Such actions could end traumatizing the affected spouse considerably. Not only will the spouse be emotionally scarred and damaged, but may end up in the hospital from physical abuse.

Some addicts tend to steal money from their spouses or lie to them in order to get money for drinking. Whenever the addict is confronted, he or she is likely to lie so as to cover up their act.

Spouses in such a relationship are advised to seek assistance first before they can try to help their partner. The more equipped and informed they are about the disorder, they better they are likely to deal with it. Moreover, once they’ve learnt how to effectively deal with and treat the addict, partners and spouses are advised to have them treated immediately.

Below is a summary of the negative impacts on the spouse:

• Neglect: Emotional, physical and social neglect
• Physical, verbal and emotional abuse
• Financial problems
• Financial debt
• Have to deal with deceit and emotional deception
• Trauma

Effects of Alcoholism To The Family If A Child Suffers From Alcoholism

When a child is suffering from an addiction problem, the entire family is often on the verge of breaking up. Parents struggle and argue on how best to deal with the situation accordingly. Continued arguments and rows with each other or with the child may cause the parents to divorce.

If there are other children in the family, they may end up being neglected. Parents always tend to focus most of their attention on the child with the addiction problem and neglect the rest. Also, parents may end up taking it out on the other children.

In other words, the entire family will be in constant disarray, pain and anger. Parents are advised to take care of their needs first before they can attend to the affected child. Moreover, parents are advised to seek help from counselors, health consultants and even other individuals that can help.

Below, is a summary of the negative effects.

• Divorce
• Trauma
• Constant arguments and disagreements
• Parents end up neglecting the needs of the other children
• Parents end up neglecting their own needs

In conclusion, alcoholism is a serious disease that not only affects the individual but the family. It ends up affecting everyone emotionally, physically, socially, mentally and financially. The affected family members are advised to seek assistance on how to deal with a person suffering from Alcohol Use Disorder. Moreover, the family is asked to take care of their needs as well, so that they can effectively take care of the needs of the addicts.

Parents are also advised to ensure that the needs of the children are not neglected. Ensure that they grow up in a healthy environment by engaging in responsible drinking or staying away from alcohol altogether. If your spouse is suffering from the disease, seek help as well and have him or her treated immediately.

Alcohol Use Disorder is a disease that can be treated effectively. By taking the affected person to the proper rehab facility, he or she can receive the proper care and help that he need.

Taking alcohol is legal in the majority of the nations around the world. However, when it comes to its production, sale and consumption, some nations prefer to put some regulating laws so that their populations can consume it responsibly.

Due to this allowance of alcohol consumption, it plays a significant social role in various cultures since it is a recreational drug. This explains the drinking of alcoholic beverages in weddings, after funerals and other social functions. It seems to be something that brings people together for celebrations.

In a study conducted on alcohol consumption in the United States, the results indicated that about 89% of the adults consumed it in 2015, and 56% consumed it in a single month.

Alcohol

Every alcoholic drink that you take contains ethanol. This type of alcohol is extracted after the fermentation of fruits, grains and various other sugar sources and then mixed with other substances to form alcoholic drinks. There drinks come in three categories; spirits, beer and wine. Depending on the manufacturers, their alcohol content ranges from 3 to 50%.

Alcohol is known as a psychoactive drug because it is a depressant that causes various effects on you upon consumption. Additionally, if you consume it for a lengthy period of time, you may end up abusing it, developing alcohol dependence or becoming an alcoholic. As a result, men are advised to consume about 2 drinks a day, while women should only take 1.

Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol addiction does not begin instantly. Instead, it is a process that begins slowly and develops with time, depending on the amounts of alcohol that you consume, plus the frequency. As you begin to consume alcohol for recreational purposes, you tend to consume little amounts since your body is still vulnerable to its effects.
With time, your body adapts to the introduction of alcohol in your system, leading you to consume larger amounts. If you consume high amounts of the substance often, your body builds a tolerance with time, causing you to continuously increase your intake. After a while, you will want to take alcohol on a more frequent basis, especially if you are evading some life challenges or issues.

If you are not careful, you may become dependent on alcohol, to the point that you want to carry out most of your activities under the influence. At this point, it is highly likely that you will lose control and land in alcoholism.

As soon as you begin alcoholism, you can hardly manage your drinking habits. This alcohol use disorder can either be mild, severe or moderate. Each of these categories has serious symptoms that could later result to harmful side effects.

Drinking Reasons

You may begin and continuously consume alcohol for multiple reasons. As you begin, it appears as just a way to escape your issues. Unfortunately, this habit later results into alcohol abuse. The following are some of the reasons behind the development of drinking habits.

> Stress– stress in normal in the life of every human being. However, how you deal with it could determine the outcome of a lot of things. If you rely on alcohol to relieve your stress you are likely to develop a drinking problem since stress occurs from time to time.

> Loss – not everyone accepts the loss of a loved one instantly. Denial makes the situation worse because you will often rely on alcohol whenever reality of the loss hits you. This is a remedy to the development of a drinking problem.

> Excitement – during social events like weddings, you tend to be excited and happy. Since you do not want that happiness to end, you may turn to alcohol since it increases the pleasure feelings.

> Anxiety – you may be the type of person that is always anxious around people or less confident. Since alcohol is known to cause relaxation, you are likely to consume it. However, continuation of this habit will eventually cause a drinking problem.

Signs Of A Drinking Problem

At times, you do not have to become an alcoholic for you to realize that you have a drinking problem. There are so many signs that can help recognize the problem before it becomes worse. Most of the people that recognize these signs have self-awareness and defined goals, but probably get carried away due to bad company or situations.

Therefore, the following signs can help you if you are not too deep into drinking, but could land there if you do not take action.

• If you often have some temporary short-term memory loss or experience blackouts, it means that you have a drinking problem that causes you to take too much alcohol thus causing a high blood alcohol concentration.
• You may have extreme mood swings and irritability signs.
• You tend to prefer drinking alone rather than with friends.
• You create excuses to give for drinking or often lie about it.
• You forego obligations and responsibilities and prefer to drink.
• You have health problems related to the intake of alcohol.
• You have school and work problems such as lateness, punctuality and demotions, among others.
• Your behaviors while under the influence such as driving while drunk have often caused you legal issues.
• You like isolating yourself from friends and family members.

Signs Of Alcoholism

If your drinking problem has gone beyond the above signs, then it is possible that you are an alcoholic. The following signs can help you analyze yourself in deeper lengths.

• Your appearance has changed; you seem unwell, irritable and tired
• You cannot say no when alcohol is offered to you
• You have developed depression and anxiety, among other mental health issues
• You are often dishonest and very secretive
• You are intoxicated on a regular basis
• You hardly care about normal activities and self-care such as cleanliness
• You cannot control the amount of alcohol that you consume
• You have alcohol cravings when sober
• Your behaviors change after alcohol consumption
• You care more about drinking than catering to your responsibilities
• You spend a lot of resources on alcohol as you forego payment of essential bills

Effects Of Alcohol Abuse

The consumption of alcohol has different effects on your body. These effects are dependent on the levels of alcohol concentrations in your body, the alcohol amounts you consume, the alcohol percentage in your drinks, consumption time span, the food amount you have consumed and if you are taking any other drugs.

Short-Term Effects

Blood alcohol concentration of 0.03 to 0.12 % results to effects such as; euphoria, overall mood improvement, decreased anxiety, fine muscle coordination, increased self-confidence and sociability and impaired judgment.
BAC of 0.09 – 0.25% results to blurred vision, lethargy, balance issues and sedation. Blood alcohol concentration of 0.18 to 0.30% is known to cause impaired speech, dizziness, staggering, profound confusion and confusion.
BAC of 0.25 to 0.40% results to respiratory depression, unconsciousness, stupor, vomiting, which can cause death if you inhale the substances, and anterograde amnesia. Blood alcohol concentration of 0.35 to 0.80% may cause fatal alcohol poisoning, coma, respiratory depression that is quite life threatening. Other effects include; lowered inhibitions, slow reaction time, restlessness, reduced brain activity, poor reflexes and breathing difficulties.

Long-Term Effects

The long-term consequences for long term abuse of alcohol may not surface as soon as they begin. They tend to stay dormant for even years and later surface even after you have managed to quit drinking without medication.
Due to this reason, admission in a rehab center entails thorough diagnosis to determine the presence of any health issues. They include; vision damage, diabetes complications, liver disease, and heart problems such as stroke, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Additionally you could suffer from brain defects like Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, bone loss and cancers like pancreatic cancer, female breast, esophagus, liver and oral cavity cancers.

Effects On Life

If you have a drinking problem, mild or severe, you are also bound to experience life challenges. For example, spending a lot on alcohol jeopardizes your chances of achieving financial as well as personal growth. You may pay your bills late since you opted to drink rather than pay the bills on time.

Your work or school life will also be affected due to issues like lateness, poor performance and bad productivity. Consequently, you could miss a scholarship to a good college or get expelled or get demoted or fired. Your relationships as well will suffer. Due to drunkenness, you may become violent leading to domestic violence or end up disrespecting your friends.

If caught driving while drunk, you will obviously face some charges in court. Such legal issues will affect your finances and work too. Additional, drunken driving is a known cause for deaths on the roads. If not due to road accidents, you could be among the three million people who die prematurely each year due to excessive alcohol consumption. Furthermore, this substance does reduce your life span.

Quitting Alcohol

Quitting the consumption of alcohol is quite a challenge. You are bound to experience some denial despite acknowledging the signs, and reason that it is not that bad. But then again you later find yourself wondering if you are an alcoholic. More challenges occur in maintaining your sobriety.

If you find yourself in this dilemma or find that you have severe signs of a drinking problem, it is time that you take action for the sake of your future. These tips of stopping alcohol consumption will probably work depending on the level of your abuse, dependency or alcoholism. Nevertheless, they are all worth trying because staying sober is worth.

1. Admit the problem
Admitting that you have a drinking problem could be hard because you tend to compare yourself with others that you drink with. You forget that what matters is you not them. For you to fully admit this issue, forget about the online assessments and comparisons and just ask yourself the following questions;

> Is drinking alcohol derailing your growth and preventing you from achieving your goals? If yes, then you have begun accepting facts in your life.
> Do you often compare yourself with other’s drinking habits? If yes it means you are aware of the problem but unable to fully accept. So stop justifying your drinking with others’
> Is this the life you want in about 5 to 10 years to come? If no, then it means that you really want to quit because you know your future could be better.

If you consistently ask these questions, it will finally hit you that you need to act on your current drinking trends.

2. Find reasons to stop drinking
The most known reasons for not taking alcohol is acquiring good health and living a good life. However, these are long-term reasons. What about the short term reasons that will encourage you to avoid the alcohol thoughts at any given moment?

> You will reclaim the lost time -let us assume you are a moderate drinker. You will probably drink three times a week, which is about 3 hours every time. So in a year, you will have lost almost two months on drinking, without counting the time you spend with a hangover. This is time you could spend productively when sober.
> Get richer faster – from the above assumption, imagine how much you could earn from the lost time. Additionally, if you spend 150 dollars on alcohol every week, you tend to waste 600 dollars a month. That is money you could invest.
> Acquire meaningful tasks – conversations made while drunk hardly build any solid friendship. So get sober so that you can create a network of friends that can benefit you socially.
> Sleep better- as alcohol causes tiredness; it disrupts your sleep patterns. Consequently, it throws off the balance of your body. On the other hand, staying sober guarantees you better quality sleep.

3. Healthy diet
The food you consume influences the behavior of your brain, which is prone to develop alcohol cravings if the diet is wrong. Therefore, it is important to eat foods that keep blood sugar stable since your decision making becomes better. Consumption of starchy and sugary foods could lead to energy crashes due to drops in blood sugar.
This causes food cravings as well as any other substance that can make you feel better including alcohol. So consume healthy high quality fats to maintain the blood sugar levels.

4. Practice mindfulness
Paying attention to your actions can help you assess your impulse to drink before you act. Therefore, mindfulness keeps you in control of your brain. To acquire mindfulness, you can meditate for a few minutes on a daily basis to raise your awareness and strengthen the pre-frontal cortex of your brain. Notably, its weakness is linked to addiction.

5. Manage stress
Stress is normal. However, lack of its proper management can lead you down the wrong path. When you are under stress, resisting impulses becomes very difficult. So keep your stress levels as low as possible through yoga, meditation, breathing exercises and physical exercises.

6. Sobriety should be a priority
Since you are on a journey towards sobriety, you should as well make it the first priority in your life. A partial commitment will cause you to fail because you will be unable to say no to any event that could lead to drinking. Instead, set some rules and ensure that you do not break them.

7. Good bye to you drinking pals
There are those friends that you only meet in the drinking zone. They have your contacts and will often call you for one or two drinks. You need to fire these pals for you to quit drinking. The rest whom you share meaningful relationships need to respect your refusal to drink and not pressure you. If not, say good bye to them as well. Your life comes first.

8. Advertise your intentions
You need to tell those you care about that you are on a path to sobriety. With this announcement, you will strive to be accountable. Additionally, they will exclude you in their plans of going out for drinks since they understand that you are not interested.

As you let your loved ones know about you choice, build a support system that will help you stay sober. These are mostly the individuals who support and respect your decision, and are ready to hold you accountable if you tend to relapse.

9. Change of attitude
Your attitude towards anything in life dictates what your actions will be. Therefore, adapt a positive attitude regardless of the things you did while under the influence of alcohol. Most of all, avoid people that bring any kind of negativity around regarding your choice.

10. Avoid temptations
Triggers are the most causes of drinking or relapse. So you need to identify the things that pushed you into temptations. Is it alcohol kept at home? Is it a bar near your house? Is it a restaurant that you like that sells alcohol? Whatever it is, you need to find a way around them. While doing this, it is advisable to find alternative activities that will keep you occupied and thus hardly realize the temptations. You can find new interests, hobbies and activities that are beneficial to you or others.

11. Reward progress
You can program your brain to expect a reward whenever you do something for yourself. So begin by setting short term goals like avoiding alcohol for a week. If you succeed, do something that yourself like, probably buy yourself a new cloth with the same money you could have spent on alcohol.

By doing this, you will improve your life, especially where you had neglected before and stay sober at the same time. As you make higher goals, make your rewards more beneficial to you.

12. Check into rehab
If you have tried all the above tips but failed, then you actually need professional help. This includes going to rehab to get the required treatment. Rehabilitation is mostly for persons that have already developed alcoholism since quitting their addiction is quite a hard task.

The majority of the alcoholics that have tried quitting alone have relapsed. If you are among such people, it means that you need alcohol treatment for you to sober up again. This treatment takes place in three stages.

> Detoxification
As soon as you get admitted in the rehab center, treatment starts with stopping alcohol consumption. This period is tough since you must stay without consuming alcohol and you are prone to experience some withdrawal symptoms.
These symptoms include; sweating, confusion, anxiety, depression, hallucinations, mood problems, seizures and shakiness. Luckily, the doctors may give you some medication to ease your pain.
> Rehabilitation
In this phase, you get to confront the reasons behind the heavy consumption of alcohol and identify your triggers. If you suffer from depression, you get therapy to get your mind back on track. Counseling is also available to let out your feelings and regrets so that you can feel burden free.
> Maintenance
As soon as you are done with rehabilitation, you go back to your society to begin a new life in sobriety. This stage is quite tough as well because you have to be strong for your own good. To make your path easier, there are support groups, recovery resources and counseling that keep you on your sobriety path for months and years.
> Bodily Response
After managing to quit alcohol for a while, you will notice a change in your body. First, you will sleep better since your brain is not intoxicated. Also, you will lose the unnecessary fat, since your exercises will get rid of the fat from the alcohol calories. Your skin will also look much better as your water regulation in the body will return to normal.

In conclusion, despite that alcohol is allowed in most places around the world, it does not mean that it is that good for you. Actually, those that do not drink are advised not to bother since they are better without it. Since it is your responsibility to take care of your body, consider all the above and strive to quit alcohol, especially if you have a drinking problem.

Is true what they say that you don’t have to be an alcoholic to have a drinking problem? No one wakes up one morning and decides to have a drinking problem, it’s a ripple effect that happens over time even to the best of us, and while not intentional, the problem gets out of hand and before you know it you are labeled an “addict.” Ask anyone who has struggled with alcohol use disorder, and they will probably tell you that they don’t know how having an occasional drink turned into a full-blown alcohol dependence because truth be told, not everyone turns to alcohol only because of stress as many would have you believe.

Alcohol use disorder can also start at an early age, and as the body’s tolerance levels increases, physical dependence on alcohol becomes a comfortable habit. Individuals who do actually turn to alcohol to relieve stress, maybe from their jobs or lack thereof, or from an extremely stressful personal life, or maybe as a result of something that they feel they can’t control are more likely to turn into heavy drinkers.

Did you know that a family history of alcoholism can increase a person’s predisposed to alcohol dependency? This is in part due to genetics or environmental factors such as being constantly around an alcoholic parent, sibling, or relative that directly influences you to emulate their behavior. This may be a hard pill to swallow, but our genetic structure determines all our human traits and numerous studies have been carried out to show that approximately 50% of alcohol dependency is attributable to genetics.

Since our DNA (passed on to us by our parents) dictates our physical characteristics as well as our behavioral characteristics, people who are genetically predisposed to alcoholism can inherit alcoholic tendencies, thus making them susceptible to alcoholism in the future.

Alcoholism Vs. Binge Drinking

While binge drinking and alcoholism are both forms of alcohol abuse that pose similar health and physical risks, they are not identical, for lack of a better word. In fact, they are two different concepts. Take this for example, we know by now that alcohol is both psychologically and physically addictive, but it’s your attitude about or toward alcohol that can help you determine whether or not you are suffering from alcohol addiction.

You may not realize that you have an alcohol dependence until members of your family or your close friends mention called out on your drinking. Additionally, there are individuals who don’t know they have a drinking problem until it begins to take a negative toll on their health, finances, relationships, work, school, etc.

Binge drinking, on the other hand, is characterized by consuming copious amounts of alcohol in a short span of time. Where a “normal” person will drink one or two drinks in a span of two hours, a binge drinker will consume up to or more than five drinks in a 2-hour period for both men and women. Where most people can drink moderately and have a glass or two to relax, unwind or celebrate, an individual with a binge drinking problem only downs alcohol for the sole purpose of getting drunk or “wasted.”

Statistically speaking, binge drinking is more prevalent than alcoholism. An issue that is very common among young adults and usually turns into a disconcerting problem very quickly. Characteristically, most bingers habitually drink excessively on the weekends and get through an entire week without a single drop of alcohol. Unlike a full-blown alcoholic who will present with all the signs of alcohol dependency, you wouldn’t know a binge drinker unless you are in their company because they seem “normal” and function perfectly fine without alcohol.

While a binge drinker “may” not suffer from alcohol withdrawals or have a compulsion to drink every single day as would an alcoholic who has a physical addiction, both individuals are in the same vicious cycle of alcohol abuse.

When binge drinking becomes a problem

Everything in moderation, right? After all, it promotes the idea of a balanced approach to life, but why is it such an easy concept for some people to adopt yet challenging for others? When you are struggling with a weight issue, and someone tells you to eat in moderation, isn’t it a neat and simple way of saying you can have all the junk food you want, provided it’s in small portions?

The negative effects of imbibing are pretty obvious; however, new studies have shown that pregnant women can drink alcohol “moderately” without harming their babies. In fact, apparently mothers who drink moderately have children with better mental health than children of mothers who abstain. The jury is still out on this one.

Imagine telling a binge drinker to do so in moderation. It is safe to assume that the majority of individuals who develop an alcohol use disorder engaged in or began with binge drinking at one point in their lives. So, when does binge drinking become a full-blown problem because even though habitual binge drinkers might not qualify as alcoholics, they do meet the criteria of heavy drinking, don’t they? Consider the following signs of a binge drinker:

• Drinking more than five drinks in a short span of time
• Drinking more alcohol than originally intended. From just one to more than five
• May not drink daily but drinks excessively on weekends or “holidays”
• Becomes defensive when others express their concern or tries to rationalize their excessive drinking
• Having blackouts and issues with memory after a binge
• Engaging in risky behavior during a binge
• Mixing drugs with alcohol
• Neglecting their responsibilities (work, school, family, etc.) after a bingeing episode
• Neglecting personal hygiene
• Not eating or developing poor eating habits
• Giving up on social or recreational activities

Types of binge drinking

There are certain people who are fortunate enough not to have a drinking problem. They can limit themselves to a certain number of drinks and walk away when they’ve had enough. They do not get drunk and are in control of their alcohol intake instead of letting alcohol take control of their lives or relationships. The term “responsible drinking” probably does not appear in a binge drinker’s vocabulary mainly because drinking is a crutch. What is more alarming is that more women than men aged 16-34 have emerged as the biggest binge drinkers, especially career women with more money to spend on drinking sprees, irrespective of the alcohol-related risks and illnesses.

For one reason or the other, alcohol becomes rooted in a binge drinker’s life that any form of intervention would result in outright denial or defensiveness. And even though a binger will not reach for a drink the second they wake up, it’s a lack of control over the amount one imbibes, regardless of how often they actually drink or the reason for drinking that matters. Consider the following types of binge drinkers:

• De-stressed drinkers who drink to cope with stress
• Depressed drinkers will drink when they crave comfort
• Boredom drinkers use alcohol for stimulation due to their lack of social skills
• Conformist drinkers will drink to seek structure in their lives
• Hedonist drinkers use alcohol to prove something because they crave stimulation
• Community drinkers want to fill the need to belong when they drink
• Macho drinkers as the name would suggest, they drink to stand out from the crowd
• Border dependent drinkers will always be at the pub regardless of the time of day

Regardless of the type of binger you are, excessive consumption of alcohol is considered extremely because, in addition to exposing yourself to physical injury, continued use of alcohol could potentially cause loss of productivity, life-long diseases that can’t be easily treated, and even death.

Effects of binge drinking

Make no mistake about it; alcohol is alcohol and binge drinking is dangerous. There are both short and long-term effects of binge drinking a continuous exposure to ethanol leads to a variety of mental, physical, and emotional problems, some, which are irreversible. For starters, around 2 to 8% of the alcohol you drink is lost through urine, sweat, or the breath, the rest (92 to 98%) is metabolized by your body by an enzyme in the liver known as alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). How quickly you absorb the alcohol content depends on the concentration of alcohol in your drink, whether your stomach is full or empty, or whether your drink is carbonated.

The amount of alcohol in a standard drink is about 10 grams, which takes an average person about an hour to process it. You can imagine a binge drinker who consumes more than five drinks in less than two hours. When you drink copious amounts of alcohol, the liver has to process it over a very short period of time, which is, essentially what causes people to experience a hangover and consequently cause metabolic harm to the body. From the moment you take your first sip, the impact of alcohol on your body is almost instantaneous, and the cumulative effects of over consumption take its toll slowly but gradually. The following are some of the negative effects of excessive alcohol use:

• Alcohol dependence
• Damage to your nervous system
• Liver cirrhosis /liver damage
• Psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, paranoia, hallucination
• Impaired thinking – up to 30 days after a binge
• Irresponsible behavior – drink driving, risky sexual activities
• Lack of motivation
• Blackouts and memory loss
• Cardiovascular disease
• pancreatitis
• Damage to the digestive and endocrine glands
• Diabetes complications
• Lung infection that makes you susceptible to pneumonia and TB
• Chronic fatigue
• Infertility
• Sexual dysfunction
• Malnutrition
• Lack of coordination
• Thinning bones or osteoporosis
• Tingling and numbness in your extremities
• Muscle cramps, weakness, and eventually muscle death
• Death from alcohol poisoning

Causes of alcohol abuse

We all experience “one of those days” where we would rather be run over by a garbage truck than get out of bed. While some have mastered the art of de-stressing without a stiff drink such as exercising, meditating, dancing, and so forth, others not so much. A glass of your favorite drink may help in the short term, but certainly not in the long term because situations arise in everyday living that causes us to experience sadness, anger, fear, anxiety, etc. Individuals who do not handle stress well and those who exhibit impulsivity, novelty seeking, negative emotions and anxiety are more likely to developing alcohol use disorder. These traits are all linked to an increased risk for substance abuse disorders.

As mentioned earlier, genetics also play a major role in the development of alcohol use disorder. However, if someone is not genetically predisposed, there are certain factors that may increase an individual’s risk of developing alcohol use disorder, for example:

• A mental health problem such as schizophrenia
• Consuming more than 15 drinks (male) and 12 drinks (female) per week
• Binge drinking more than five drinks at least once a week
• Experiencing peer pressure as a young adult
• Low self-esteem
• Drinking alone

Are you a binge drinker?

Maybe no one has mentioned it or pointed out your alcohol dependence, or maybe they have but you are still in denial, or you feel you are in control of your drinking. If the aforementioned negative health effects of excessive alcohol use such as irreversible liver damage, obesity, a chronic dependence and even damage to the brain and entire nervous system haven’t sunk in, consider taking a self-test. Ask yourself:

• Are you happy when you drink or do you drink to get drunk?
• Is drinking affecting your personal, work, or school life?
• Do you feel guilty about drinking and how do you feel after the effects of alcohol wear out?
• Are you an irritable or violent drunk?
• Do you make excuses to have a drink?
• Do you sometimes tell yourself that it would be better if you cut back on your drinking?
• Do you experience blackouts or exhibit reckless behavior during a binge?
• Do you experience severe alcohol withdrawals such as tremors, irregular heartbeat, sweating profusely, high blood pressure, anxiety, nervousness, nausea, vomiting, seizures, hallucination, and delirium?

You may not necessarily experience all the above signs of alcohol misuse, in fact, some of the short-term effects of binge drinking such as headaches, hangovers, nausea and vomiting, unpleasant as they are, wear off pretty quickly. Drawing the line between safe alcohol use and alcohol misuse is the most difficult thing for individuals with alcohol use disorder. Not all hope is lost because you can seek help.

There is help

Any type of addiction is often seen as a sign of weakness or something you can just snap out of. This can’t be further from the truth. Like heart disease, cancer, or diabetes, addiction is a disease that is brought on by a combination of biological, environmental and behavioral factors and it involves changes in how the body and brain functions. Researchers are hard at work trying to develop various medications that can return balance to the body’s stress-response system, primarily to prevent relapses in individuals who are recovering from alcohol use disorders.

Withdrawals are the hardest to deal with, especially for people who have been drinking for a long time and many newly sober individuals will return to drinking again to alleviate these symptoms. The thing to understand is, hard it may be to ask for help, consequences of untreated alcohol dependency or any type of addiction for that matter becomes more severe, disabling and life-threatening. While addiction cannot be completely cured, it is a progressive, long-lasting and chronic disease that can be controlled with intensive treatment, continuing aftercare, monitoring, as well as family and peer support to manage it.

Often, individuals struggling with substance dependence are blamed by those around them for suffering from addiction. While we always have a choice when it comes to certain pertinent matters of life, no one can choose how his or her brain and body will respond to drugs or alcohol use. Such is the case with addiction, and even though an addict can stop drinking altogether, it is much harder to maintain recovery without proper treatment including help and support of family and friends.

There are a couple of different medications that can be administered to mitigate alcohol cravings including various treatment options for alcohol use disorder that are designed to help sufferers stop drinking and abstain from alcohol altogether. Individuals who choose to seek help can do so at an inpatient facility that provides 24-hour care to monitor a person’s withdrawals and recovery from alcohol dependence. Depending on individual needs and level of addiction, treatment for alcohol use disorder may include:

• A medically managed program of detoxification and withdrawal at an inpatient treatment center or a hospital
• Rehabilitation involving alcohol treatment specialists to help a recovering individual establish new coping skills, behavior change techniques and much more
• Psychological counseling and therapy to address aspects of alcohol use and to help individuals understand their addiction better
• Support from 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous
• Administration of oral or injected medication that helps to reduce the urge to drink and combats alcohol cravings. Patients may also receive medical treatment for alcohol use disorder-related health conditions
• Certain patients may also require to undergo psychological evaluation and treatment for issues such as depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions that may arise as a result of alcohol use or mental issues that may have led to the addiction
• There are aftercare programs available as a form of continuing support that help people recovering from alcohol use disorder to manage relapses and cope with future lifestyle changes
• Newly recovering individuals can also receive spiritual support

Life without alcohol

Reducing your risk of binge drinking may seem like an uphill battle, but it’s possible. It may seem difficult at first but being able to set solid boundaries for yourself when drinking is a start. Deciding to quit drinking in totality, especially when alcohol begins to call the shots in your life is even better and advisable, your body and mind will thank you for it. It is still not clear how some individuals are able to achieve sobriety on their own, however those who aren’t able to abstain from alcohol need to seek treatment. Remember, you are not alone, statistically speaking, one in six adults binge drink about once a week, that makes over 37 million people who consume an average of seven drinks per binge. Whichever way you choose to look at it, binge drinking is a serious but preventable health problem that has been attributed to thousands of alcohol-related, life-long diseases and deaths.

Recovery from alcohol dependence may take time, but you can change your narrative. Do not wait for the negative effects of alcohol use to get their claws on you when you can do something about it sooner rather than later. Binge drinking will cause damage to your brain cells, increase your risk of developing dementia, cause nerve damage, pancreatitis, high blood pressure, depression, and much more. This is certainly not the life you envisioned yourself living, and you can certainly overcome alcohol dependence by seeking help from the right people.

There are a few things that you can do to help you steer clear of alcohol use especially during the first few weeks of living sober. Adopting an exercise routine is always recommended because not only does working out increase your overall well being, but it also helps the body heal from the damage left behind by alcohol use. Drinking alcohol has been shown to slowly diminish a person’s ability to feel pleasure, which is why most alcoholics abandon social or recreational activities that used to bring them pleasure.

A good workout will not only boost a person’s mood, but it also helps the body release chemicals known as endorphins, or “feel good hormones” that trigger a positive feeling in the body to help ward-off feelings of stress, anxiety, depression. Regular exercise has also been proven to improve sleep, boost self-esteem and self-worth, something that many addicts lack. Therefore, develop healthy habits, adopt a positive attitude, and surround yourself with wholesome people.

We have all seen it, depicted in movies or in real life situations. Broken marriages and hopeless children are always the highlight of alcoholic families. Sometimes we think it is an exaggeration or just something that only happens in movies. Unfortunately, the situation on the ground is much more intense that depicted in movies. Alcohol is the most abused drug in the world. 80% of individuals battling drug abuse suffer from an alcohol use disorder. Alcoholism is a disease that results from excessive use of alcoholic beverages. The American Psychiatric Association gives three criteria for the diagnoses of alcoholism. The criteria includes:

1.) Physiological problems. Examples of these problems are hand tremors and blackouts.
2.) Psychological problems. These are issues that affect the mental health of a person such as cravings for alcohol and an obsessive desire to drink.
3.) Behavioral problems. These are issues related to the life of a person and affect their social and work life.
Just like any other addiction, alcoholism begins with experimentation. Before anyone is deemed to be an alcoholic, they first began by experimenting whether they were driven by curiosity or other life challenges. It is not surprising that a majority of alcoholics did not intend to be alcoholics but found themselves in such a situation.

After experimentation, the use of alcohol becomes regular. A person begins to incorporate alcohol in their daily lives. Over a long period of time, the regular use becomes problematic. It turns out to be risky use where a person’s behavior significantly changes with or without taking alcohol but most especially when they do not take it. Symptoms of dependence begin to emerge where a person exhibits agitation or tremors without having a drink. At this point the body and mind are reliant on the alcohol. Serious behavioral changes are now noticeable. At this point, it is essential to help the person seek treatment.

When all these stages progress, the person ultimately becomes addicted to alcohol. A person becomes hooked to the continual use of alcohol and can be referred to as an alcoholic. In such cases, professional help is the only way to help treat the addiction. The ‘uniqueness’ of alcohol as compared to other drugs is that it is easy to acquire, easy to get addicted to and affects the entire family unit, alcoholic or not.

Alcoholism does not discriminate on the basis of age, background, income level, social group or ethnic group. On the contrary, research shows that alcoholism is very common in highly educated people. Furthermore, highly motivated people are more likely to be alcoholics compared to less motivated people.

Alcoholism is viewed to be a hereditary disease. 50% of all alcoholics can attribute their addiction to a hereditary or genetic factor. It is common to find children picking up alcoholic habits from their parents. Besides the fact that it is deemed to be hereditary to some extent, alcoholism is a family disease because it disrupts the lives of everyone in the family. Alcoholism can cause life lasting harmful effects on any family.

76% of American adults have been exposed to alcoholism in the family. Alcoholism is the single most cause of family problems than any other problem. Statistics show that one in every four families has problems with alcohol. Parents, children and adolescents have all fallen victims to these disease called alcoholism.

Parental Alcoholism

Alcoholism can affect children even before they are born. When a pregnant takes alcohol, it circulates throughout the mother’s organs and tissues. The alcohol circulates to the placenta as well. Ultimately, the alcohol passes through the membrane separating the maternal and fetal blood vessels. It is important to note that the level of alcohol in a mother’s system is the same will be the same in the blood system of the child they are carrying. Alcoholic pregnant women have been found to give birth to children suffering from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). This is one of the leading causes of birth defects in children. More than 40,000 babies are born with a mild or severe form of FAS every year.

Effects of FAS on a Baby

The more alcohol a pregnant woman takes, the more the severe FAS is in an unborn baby. Such babies are shorter and underweight unlike normal babies. Furthermore, they have brain and skull deformities with very characteristic facial features. These facial deformities include:

• Small eye openings,
• thin upper lips
• long flat faces
• a long groove in the middle of the upper lips.

The alcohol in the infant’s bloodstream does not only damage their physical traits, but also their central nervous system (CNS). A damage to their CNS means they have difficulties in learning, attention span, judgment, memory, problem solving and behavioral problems.

Children with FAS lack social skills. They become easily frustrated and angrier as they grow older. They are hyperactive in such a way that they are unable to stand or sit still for a long time. Children with FAS are more often than not impulsive, poorly coordinated and have impaired speech and hearing. The effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome are permanent. Generally, they lead to lifelong problems and eventual mental retardation.

Psychological Problems from Parental Alcoholism

Parental alcoholism does not only affect unborn children, but the living ones as well. However, those who are already born tend to suffer from psychological problems rather than physical issues. Children with alcoholic parents suffer from low self-esteem, loneliness, guilt, feelings of helplessness, fears of abandonment and chronic depression. For such children, they have a tendency to feel that they are the cause of the alcoholic problem their parents are facing. They feel responsible and the creators of the problem. Eventually, they begin to experience high levels of tension and stress. Young children may experience nightmares and frequent bed wetting. Children of Alcoholics (COAs) may never have friends are always afraid of going to school.

Older children are obsessive perfectionists, hoarders, stay by themselves and are excessively self-conscious. They are mostly depressed because they feel different from other people. As a result, they develop a poor self-image which closely resembles that of their parents. Teenagers may develop phobias.

COAs have problems in schools because their stressful home environment prevents them from concentrating in school. There are unable to perform well since they cannot clearly express themselves. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that they cannot form meaningful relationships with other students or teachers. Generally, they end up repeating academic years or dropping out of school altogether. Statistics show that at least 30% of young women who dropped out of high school grew up with alcoholic parents.

It is common for COAs to suffer from behavioral problems such as truancy, lying, stealing and fighting. Their home environments are greatly unstable and they never know what to expect from their alcoholic parents whose moods are unpredictable. Inevitably, they do not know how to behave themselves. The feeling of being responsible for their parent’s alcoholism drives COAs to think that they can alleviate their parents’ alcoholism by performing good works such as getting good grades. They always seek to please their parents, something that never works. They are always walking on eggshells around their alcoholic parents because they don’t want to ‘make them angry’. COAs always want to rescue their parents form the devastating condition and always feel guilty when they fail. This takes a heavy toll on their emotional and mental state.

Adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) suffer from depression and aggression. They are incapable of establishing healthy relationships of any kind with other people. Moreover, the presence of a poor self-image causes them to make poor career choices with feelings of worthlessness and failure developing.

ACOAs are unable to be intimate because the do not trust other people. They are afraid of falling in love due to feeling like they will let their loved one down as their parents let them down. Unfortunately, they end up being intimately involved with other alcoholics or abusive partners. They are more likely to become alcoholics than children from non-alcoholic families. They have higher rates of developing psychological or mental disorders such as anxiety.

Physical Problems from Parental Alcoholism

Alcoholism is associated with crime and violence. Alcoholic families have a proliferation of rape, incest and battering cases. Recent studies show that 75% of domestic violence cases involved alcoholic parents while 30% cases of incest involved alcoholic fathers. Victims of incest and battering always blame themselves. They end up feeling guilty, ashamed and helpless which may drive them to drink as a way of escaping the pain.

These children may also be neglected when it comes to provision of their basic needs. Alcoholic parents neglect their responsibilities to provide for their children. Eventually, the children suffer from malnutrition or have to find ways to fend for themselves.

Adult daughters of alcoholics have been shown to have more reproductive problems and eating disorders.
Aside from abuse from parents, adult children of alcoholics are prone to the abuse of psychoactive substances.
It is a sad state of affairs when the unit that is supposed to provide safety and security for children, is the same unit that breaks them, some beyond repair.

Spousal Alcoholism

It is common to find one spouse as an alcoholic. This situation negatively affects the other spouse. Feelings of hatred or self-pity may develop. Furthermore, they may avoid social contacts and suffer from mental and physical exhaustion. One spouse will have to perform the roles of both parents since the other cannot live up to their responsibilities. These responsibilities may be too confounding for the non-alcoholic parent that they end up being inconsistent, demanding while often neglecting the children. Since one spouse has stability it terms of work, financial difficulties mat overwhelm the family. The alcoholic spouse may spend all their money on alcohol or may even be jobless. The financial instability affects the children as well. They will have to give up certain privileges.

Alcoholism is one of the major reasons for widowhood or divorce. Many marital problems are a result of alcoholism. Spouses and children can contribute to the alcoholic persisting in their habit by allowing the heavy drinking rather than dealing with the serious alcoholic problem. For such families, it is more important to keep the family together even if it means allowing the habit to go on. Many family members of alcoholics face denial. The denial is an excuse to rationalize the alcoholic’s behavior. Denial s expected because the natural instinct of every person is to protect their loved one. However, this denial becomes detrimental in the long run. It prevents them from seeking help, triggering emotional problems for the non-alcoholic spouse or the children.

Adolescent Alcoholism

Alcoholism is not just a reserve for the old. Teenagers and young adults are falling victim to the disease as well. Unfortunately, the contributing factor in most of such cases is the behavior modeled by alcoholic parents. Emotional frustrations that they face may drive them to drinking. In the end, they become just like the people they did not want to be. It is more difficult for adolescent alcoholics because they have to deal with their own baggage and that imposed on them by their alcoholic parents.

Since they have no jobs, they resort to uncouth means to sustain their alcoholic problems. Lives are cut short too early by alcoholic related diseases or getting caught up on the wrong side of the law when undertaking illegal ventures. Alcoholic adolescents face a myriad of physical, emotional and mental challenges.

The General Aspects of Alcoholic Problems

Psychological Problems

Alcoholism can cause problematic issues in a family. From emotional instability to mental disorders, alcoholism deprives family members of a sound mental health. Children suffer whether born or unborn, young or adult. Spouses suffer as well. Psychological torture can be worse than physical ailments because our mental health is what predetermines our physical health in most cases.

Furthermore, members of alcoholic families develop codependency. A codependent person is someone who is unconsciously addicted to another person’s abnormal behavior. There are times when alcoholics can let go of the bottle for a while. In such a situation, the codependent person may believe that the problem has been solved. However, the alcoholic falls of the wagon again and the codependent family members do everything to hide the problem. Their agenda: ‘to preserve the family’s prestige’ and project an image of the ‘perfect family’.

Codependent people eventually become enablers (one who unknowingly helps the alcoholic in continuing the habit) because they clean up the mess the alcoholics leave behind. They clean the vomit, make excuses for them and lie to protect them. They forget about their needs and devote their lives to cure the drinker.

It is not surprising to find that some members of alcoholic families becoming psychotic. The mental and emotional turmoil of alcoholism can be too painful to bear causing psychotic breaks.

Social Problems

Alcoholic families do not like leaving in the public eye. They do not want their lives to be scrutinized. For this reason, they avoid social gatherings and interactions. Moreover, their children cannot form long lasting relationships because they always feel short. They are withdrawn and may have no friends.

Social relationships can also be destroyed when families lie to friends or bosses to cover up their loved one’s alcoholic problem. At times, alcoholic families are embarrassed about their alcoholic family member and would not want to be seen together with them. Unfortunately, most alcoholic families have no social life which is redundant because the community can help.

Health Problems

Alcoholism comes with a myriad of health issues which affect both the drinker and his/her own family. We have seen that alcoholic women who are pregnant as well give birth to children with deformities which last for a lifetime.
Besides the unborn children, alcohol slowly swindles the life out of an alcoholic. They experience health issues related to the liver such as liver cirrhosis. This condition is life threatening and leads to death if the person does not give up their drinking habit. More than just the liver, other organs of the body are affected by the constant abuse of alcohol. Without treatment, alcoholics end up dying robbing the family of parents or spouses who were the bread winners of the family.

Financial Problems

Sustaining an alcoholic habit is very expensive. Most times, alcoholics are unable to hold down a job or perform poorly in their jobs. Their salaries are spent on alcohol and nothing else. Inevitably, basic needs cannot be met and children are deprived of their needs.

Finances are also needed in the treatment of alcoholic addictions or alcoholic related problems. On average, treating an alcoholic addiction requires $28,000 annually. For many families, this is a price they cannot pay.
In the end, alcoholic families end up with large amounts of debt, joblessness and no way to fend for themselves. Money becomes tight and dreams have to be given up because they cannot be sustained.

Behavioral Problems

Alcoholism takes a toll on the behavior of children or non-alcoholic spouses. Children become frequent delinquents. They end up dropping out of school. Furthermore, COAs are aggressive and have impulsive behavior tendencies, always getting in to trouble with society and with the law.

The financial troubles they face may lead alcoholics or their families to result in crime to sustain their habit or to provide for their basic needs.

Marital Problems

Alcoholic families lack stability. Widowhood and divorce are inevitable in such family settings. The family unit breaks apart because emotional and mental fatigue is prevalent. It is impossible for children from such families to come out unscathed.

Alcoholic families are scarred with stories of physical abuse, battering or rape. Sadly, most spouses or children who undergo abuse from an alcoholic parent and spouse defend their actions. Rarely do they take action against such behavior. In the end, the physical abuse is no longer just physical but emotional abuse as well.

Adult children of alcoholics tend to move away from home to distant themselves from their alcoholic parents. They try as hard as possible to keep themselves from being associated with their alcoholic parents. This may be due to fear of discrimination or of a greater fear of ending up like them.

Children need stable home environments to develop socially and mentally. When they do not experience such stability, they will have nothing to relate to. All they know is neglect and hopelessness. Eventually, their marriages will not work as well and the cycle goes on and on.

Is there hope for alcoholic families?

There are various ways that alcoholics can receive treatment such as Alcoholic Anonymous groups. These groups help people dependent on alcohol to stop drinking and improve their lifestyles. Frequently, most alcoholics relapse and kicking off the habit can be very challenging.

However, this is not the only solution because alcoholism affects the whole family unit. Alcoholic families need treatment just as much as the alcoholics do. This is achievable through family and marital therapy. Families can be assisted by family and marriage counselors to reduce the tensions at home. Furthermore, school counselors can help adolescents who have an alcoholic home background.

Those who suffer most from alcoholism are children and non-alcoholic spouses. It is unfortunate that society maligns such people while labeling them as undeserving on their account of their parents’ mistakes. This should not be the case. They need help and such families should accept any assistance offered because their future relies on just how they deal with an alcoholic issue.

Alcoholism is something one would not wish on their worst enemy. It destroys lives, some which cannot be recovered even with treatment. Unfortunately, our society is ailing from the many prevalent alcoholic homes. Action must be taken to snatch our innocent children from the claws of alcoholism.

It is not the desire of any person to live in an alcoholic family. However, when faced with this situation, one has the choice to follow the footsteps of the alcoholic or to charge themselves and crawl out whole from that situation. It is not easy. But, is there anything easy in this life?