Alcoholism is uncontrolled drinking of alcohol regardless of the bad effects on the health and family relationships that it has on the person. The longer a person drinks in excess, the more effect it has on his body. His body develops an increased tolerance to the effect of alcohol. When a person doesn’t get the same high or good feeling from drinking, he increases his amount of alcohol intake, which in turn creates more tolerance which increases drinking amounts. It’s a vicious downward cycle.
There are several side physical side effects from drinking. One of the biggest ones is the effect on the liver. It causes cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is when the liver loses its ability to function and stops working. Alcoholism also causes pancreatitis, epilepsy, heart disease, and cancer. Alcoholism can also cause brain damage and an increased risk for breast cancer.
Alcoholism can also trigger dementia and other mental health issues. Many alcoholics suffer from anxiety, depression, and panic disorder. Alcoholism in women can lead to bulimia and post-traumatic stress disorder. Men often develop a bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, have an attention deficit, and become either narcissistic or antisocial. Both men and women who are severe alcoholics can experience suicidal tendencies.
Alcoholism reaches out beyond just the person who is drinking. Drinkers develop marital problems because the spouse does not like how the drinker behaves when drunk nor the amount of money spent on liquor. Many times, the alcoholic becomes abusive to the spouse or gets in physical and verbal fights with them. Many marriages end in divorce when one partner is an alcoholic.
Alcoholism also affects society. Many times alcoholics lose their job. They drive while under the influence and cause accidents which damage property, cause injuries to others. Sometimes other people die in accidents caused by alcoholics. Sometime they commit crimes and when convicted they end up in the overcrowded penal system.
There are several causes for alcoholism. People who start drinking at an early age (excessive drinking by late adolescence) have a tendency to become alcoholics. Lack of family support or a network of friends or caring acquaintances increase the risk o alcoholism.