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Dangers Of Alcohol Abuse And How To Find Support
September 27, 2022
Most people don’t realize that alcohol is one of the most harmful substances out there. It can have long-term health risks, especially if you’re mixing alcohol with prescription or street drugs. Likewise, high blood alcohol levels for long periods can do significant damage to your mental health.
Generally, you don’t feel the impact on your body, but it starts when you take the first sip. If you drink, you’ve probably experienced some of alcohol’s effects, such as the hangover the next day, a headache, and a warm buzz. They don’t last long, so you tend to forget about them.
Occasional drinking may not be much of a concern. However, when you start binge drinking, you may notice health problems. Crestone Detox Austin – Alcohol & Drug Rehab professionals are here to help you stop your excessive drinking. Call for an appointment today!
If you’re not quite ready to start, let’s learn more about what excessive drinking does to your body!
What’s Moderate Drinking Mean?
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control/Prevention) defines moderate alcohol use as:
- One drink per day (women)
- Two or fewer drinks every day (men)
In the past, guidance on alcohol use suggests that one daily drink doesn’t pose a risk of developing negative health effects.
Recent research from the World Health Organization indicates that if you consume alcohol at all, it could negatively impact your brain health. In a sense, even moderate drinking can be a bad thing.
Short-term Effects of Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol interferes with your brain’s communication pathways, even if you only have one beverage. Here are some of the temporary effects of alcohol you might notice:
- Sense of giddiness or euphoria
- Feelings of drowsiness or relaxation
- Lowered inhibitions
- Mood changes
- Slowed/slurred speech
- Impulsive behaviors
- Head pain
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting and nausea
- Trouble making decisions or focusing
- Loss of coordination
- Changes in perception, vision, and hearing
- Memory problems or loss of consciousness (blackout)
Some of the effects of drinking alcohol can show up quickly after a single beverage. However, others may happen after having a few.
Long-term Effects of Alcohol Intoxication
Long-term alcohol use can lead to lasting issues that extend beyond your health and mood.
The long-term effects of alcohol consumption include:
- Increase conflict and tension with family members and lovers
- Difficulty focusing on tasks
- Problems with concentration and memory
- Changes in weight and appetite
- Changes in sexual function and libido
- Weakened immune system (you get sick more frequently)
- Insomnia or other sleep concerns
- Persistent mood changes, including irritability and anxiety
- Nerve Cells Destroyed
Physical Effects of Alcohol on the Body
Here is a breakdown on how drinking alcohol can affect your body’s ability to function:
Endocrine and Digestive Glands
Drinking too much alcohol could cause pancreatic inflammation and pancreatitis. This might lead to abdominal pain and is a long-term condition with many complications.
Inflammatory Damage
The liver breaks down toxins and removes them from the body. Long-term alcohol use interferes with the process and can increase the risk of developing alcohol-related liver disease or chronic liver inflammation.
Alcoholic liver disease is a life-threatening condition that leads to waste/toxin buildup in the body. Too much alcohol may also cause cirrhosis or scarring, which could permanently damage the liver.
Sugar Levels
Your pancreas regulates how the body uses insulin. If it doesn’t function correctly because of excessive alcohol use, you may experience hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
A damaged pancreas may prevent you from producing insulin for sugar. This leads to too much sugar in your blood and could result in diabetes. It’s best to avoid many alcoholic beverages if you already have these conditions.
Central Nervous System
Slurred speech is a clear indication of intoxication, and it happens because alcohol prevents your body and brain from communicating. It’s harder to balance, and you have a slower reaction time.
With time, chronic heavy drinking can lead to issues with caused by damaged nerve cells such as:
- Regulating emotions
- Making rational choices
- Thinking clearly
- Creating memories
- Tingling or numbness in the hands and feet
You may also get permanent brain damage and damage to the frontal lobe. This part of the brain helps with performance, social behaviors, decision-making, and abstract reasoning.
Digestive System
The connection between your digestive system and alcohol consumption is unclear because the side effects only happen after the damage occurs. Heavy drinking can lead to many digestive problems, such as:
- Fullness in the abdomen
- Bloating
- Gas
- Hemorrhoids and ulcers
- Painful stools or diarrhea
Circulatory System
Chronic heavy drinking could affect your lungs and heart, leading to:
- High blood pressure
- Heart failure
- Heart disease
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Difficulty for the blood vessels to pump blood through the body
- Irregular heartbeat
Reproductive and Sexual Health
Heavy drinking can lower your inhibitions, which can:
- Lower your libido
- Prevent hormone production
- Make it harder to orgasm
- Prevent you from maintaining or getting an erection
Excessive alcohol use could affect a woman’s fertility and menstrual cycle.
Alcohol use during pregnancy is a poor choice. Pregnant women may have babies that have fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Miscarriage and stillbirth are possible, and children may have developmental problems and learning difficulties.
Immune System
Heavy alcohol consumption reduces your immune system, making it harder to protect from viruses and germs. Those who drink heavily over extended periods might develop tuberculosis or pneumonia. In fact, the World Health Organization links 8.1 percent of tuberculosis cases to drinking alcohol.
You may also have a higher alcohol and cancer risk. Frequent drinking leads to alcohol-associated cancer options, such as in the liver, colon, breast, and more.
Psychological Effects of Alcohol
Long-term heavy drinking might lead to brain changes affecting your:
- Impulse control
- Concentration and memory
- Personality, mood, and emotions
Your mental health might be affected, or you may develop bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety.
Alcohol-induced Mental Health Problems
Alcohol use factors into your mental health symptoms. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders is used to diagnose mental health conditions, such as:
- Bipolar disorder
- Anxiety disorder
- Depressive disorder
- Sleep disorder
- Psychotic disorder
Typically, you only notice issues while intoxicated, which improve after stopping alcohol use.
Dependence
You may develop a tolerance to alcohol, so you must drink more to get the same effects. When you stop drinking, you notice many symptoms that ease once you take another drink.
Alcohol dependence and tolerance are both parts of alcohol use disorder. Alcohol use disorder used to be called alcoholism. Regardless, you could face:
- Withdrawal symptoms
- Cravings
- Drinking more
- Having trouble stopping
- Inability to stop drinking
We can help you overcome alcohol abuse! Please call for an appointment today!
Alcohol Withdrawal
Sometimes, withdrawal is challenging or life-threatening. It’s best to seek our help for substance abuse. If you drink alcohol every day, the “cold turkey” approach might not be safe. Symptoms of withdrawal can include:
- Heavy sweating
- Irregular heartbeat
- High blood pressure
- Tremors
- Nausea
- Nervousness
- Anxiety
We can help with medical detox and other services!
Risk Factors of Excessive Alcohol Use
Here are a few factors that increase your chance of getting alcohol use disorder:
- Binge drinking
- Heavy drinking
- Ongoing stress
- Having a mental health condition
- Having a close relative who suffers from alcohol abuse
Finding Appropriate Treatment for Your Alcohol Use Disorder with Crestone
If you think you have an alcohol use disorder, it’s important to seek treatment. Crestone Detox Austin – Alcohol & Drug Rehab can help.
We offer medications and medical detox and can help you find support groups for recovery. Alcohol use disorder doesn’t have to overtake your life. You can prevent your alcohol-related problems with our services.
Stop excessive alcohol consumption before it’s too late. Call us to make an appointment!
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most cases, it starts with a single drink to wind down after a stressful day. However, you soon notice a stash of alcohol in the home. Drinking gets you through those busy days and makes life tolerable. Sometimes, you just do it to pass the time.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism indicates that 25.8 percent of people aged 18 or older had engaged in binge drinking at least once a month in 2019. This report also concluded that about 6.3 percent had heavy alcohol use within the month.
It is estimated that about 14 million adults have alcohol use disorder within the United States. Those large numbers are a huge concern for many experts and individuals caught in the cycle.
You don’t have to fear quitting drinking. Crestone has many treatment plans available to help. Please call to request assistance today! If you’re not quite ready, let’s dive deeper into the advantages of stopping.
What Does Alcohol Abuse Disorder Look Like?
Before cutting back on your alcohol consumption or stopping entirely, you should reflect on how much you drink and how dependent you are on it.
Many people quit drinking alcohol for various reasons, such as having better skin and reducing their cancer risk. If you struggle with alcohol use disorder, the first step can mark a new beginning in your life.
Alcohol use disorder can range in severity from severe to moderate to mild. Factors that determine this include how dependent you are on the substance and what symptoms you experience.
Common symptoms include:
- Putting yourself in dangerous situations
- Spending most of your time drinking
- Developing a tolerance
- Strong urges to drink
- Difficulty limiting your amounts
- Inability to cut back
What Are the Health Risks of Significant Alcohol Consumption?
If you drink alcohol heavily, it could take a toll on your mental and physical health. It reduces your ability to make sound judgments and can also increase your risk of developing:
- Heart disease
- Miscarriage
- Congenital disabilities
- Liver disease
- Stomach ulcers
- Cancer
These are just some of the physical risks you can reverse or avoid by quitting drinking!
Deciding to Stop Alcohol Dependence – Making a Change with the Help of Crestone
You’ve decided to quit drinking alcohol. Congratulations!
Though it’s admirable and beneficial to you, quitting drinking isn’t something you can accomplish overnight. In fact, it might be challenging if you’ve drank heavily for a while, though it’s possible with our help!
You’ve likely developed a substance use disorder, and finding the best treatment program can make it a little less scary and a bit safer.
Crestone Detox Austin – Alcohol & Drug Rehab offers many services, so we recommend that you call and see how we can help you. Our approach focuses on healing the spirit, mind, and body while you learn how to cope and live with long-term recovery.
Quitting alcohol is easier when you use professional programs. You learn about addiction, how to cope with stress, and prevent relapse. Still, alcohol misuse treatments can’t guarantee that you will have an easy time. Part of the problem is that alcohol changes your brain.
What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Drinking Alcohol?
Heavy drinkers who suddenly stop drinking are sure to experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms. They can include alcohol cravings, trembling, sweating, insomnia, moodiness, headaches, anxiety, and nausea.
However, your body gradually gets healthier and doesn’t crave more alcohol with time. Once you stop drinking, you start to recover from the damage done, but ideally, you want to seek addiction treatment for the best results.
The Many Physical and Mental Health Benefits of Quitting Alcohol
Quitting alcohol results in many emotional, mental, and physical benefits. They include:
Look Younger and Have Better-looking Skin
Consuming alcohol causes dehydration, which affects your bodily symptoms. However, you may not realize that it also leads to dry skin. If you’re younger when you quit, you might find that your skin bounces back.
Body tissue inflammation is also an issue. Inflamed skin gives you a reddish appearance and can damage the skin over time. Sagging and loose skin is also a concern with heavy drinking. Collagen levels get depleted quickly, so your cells can’t strengthen or regenerate.
Improve Your Sleep Cycle
Alcohol is a depressant, so it makes you drowsy, but it also lowers coordination and motor function. That’s why you shouldn’t drive after drinking.
When consumed in excess, alcohol also lowers your sleep quality and might lead to insomnia. You may get interrupted and never reach that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, so you might be sleepy in the daytime.
Individuals with alcohol use disorder usually experience insomnia symptoms. You use it to fall asleep but don’t get enough. Then, you try combating the sleepiness with stimulants, going back to alcohol to be tired once again.
Giving up alcohol altogether is often the best way to improve your sleep habits!
Achieve a Healthy Weight
Alcohol often has high amounts of calories, but they’re empty calories. Therefore, they don’t offer nutritional value to your body. Other foods like this include donuts, cookies, and cake.
Often, those empty-calorie items are appealing because they’re seen as comfort foods. However, that leads to excess fat in the body.
You may not know this, but alcohol calories are stored as sugar and converted to fat. If you are trying to lose weight or get to a healthier weight, you must limit how many sweets you eat and how many alcoholic beverages you consume.
Quitting alcohol can help you attain a healthy weight and might even reduce your high blood pressure, and lower your cholesterol with time.
Reap All the Mental Health Benefits
Heavy drinking is linked to other illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression. Some people turn to alcohol for self-medication of their mental illness issues.
However, alcohol often worsens those symptoms. This leads to a vicious cycle where you self-medicate and feel poorly, repeating the process over and over.
Overall, heavy drinking can lead to the “moral hangover.” This means you feel uneasy, regretful, or guilty after doing something you shouldn’t have done while intoxicated. We understand how upsetting it can be, but our team is here to assist!
Save Money
When you stop drinking, you can save a lot of money. Imagine how many times per week you buy alcohol. It’s not cheap, especially in this day and age. Whenever you quit, you might be able to save up that cash and use it for a vacation or necessities you’ve been neglecting.
Those who go to bars often find themselves indulging in fruity cocktails or buying drinks for others. That also adds up. It’s easy to pass the buck when you’re having a good time, but you soon regret how much you spent when the next day rolls around!
Improve Your Nutrition
Those who drink heavily are often malnourished to some degree. Excessive drinking causes your body to deplete its important nutrients. You may not eat healthy foods or skip meals all the time because you’re focused on consuming alcohol. However, that’s not enough to keep you alive and well.
In a sense, you’re not getting the fat, protein, vitamins, and carbohydrates you need. This means less energy and the inability to function properly. Quit the habit with the help of Crestone!
Lower Your Cancer Risk
We now know that some cancers are more common for those who drink heavily. They include breast cancer, colon/rectum cancer, larynx cancer, esophagus cancer, liver cancer, and mouth/throat cancer.
Alcohol is considered a known carcinogen, which means it’s got the potential to cause cancer. While you may not get it yourself, you’re at a higher risk because of your excessive alcohol consumption.
There are many factors that increase that risk of developing alcohol-related cancers. They include how much time you spend drinking, how much you drink at one time, and how long you’ve excessively consumed alcohol.
Generally, we feel it’s best to avoid alcohol altogether to reduce your risk. While it might not be easy, we’re here to help you!
Save Your Liver
Drinking is bad for your liver, so quitting drinking can help you improve your health in that area.
The liver processes the alcohol, and it’s not easy to do. When you have a large amount, the liver works hard and gets tired from doing the job all the time. It wasn’t meant to handle heavy or frequent periods of drinking! Over time, you can develop cirrhosis, fatty liver syndrome, or hepatitis.
If you quit drinking, it’s a great move to ensure that your liver stays healthy. Since it’s regenerative, it can repair itself over time. Let us help you take that first step!
Strengthen Your Thinking and Memory Capabilities
Heavy alcohol use has now been linked to difficulty focusing and memory loss. Sometimes, it can become permanent.
Alcohol is a depressant, so it slows your body’s systems down. Nerves don’t communicate efficiently and can affect the hippocampus. This part of the brain helps store and create memories.
When you stop drinking, you allow the body to repair itself. If it hasn’t been too long, you may be able to start creating memories again, though you could end up with dementia because of your prolonged alcohol use.
Maintain and Develop Positive Social Relationships
An alcohol addiction takes up most of a person’s time. They focus on their next drink and often ignore their relationships with people. However, they soon realize how much they consume and get anxious or fearful about what to do.
Quitting alcohol is the best step you can take, and we’re here to help you overcome your addiction!
Find New Hobbies and Explore Your Personal Interests
Drinking takes a lot of time away from other things. Therefore, quitting alcohol often helps you learn why you drank, what you can do instead, and develop new hobbies.
You might have enjoyed woodworking, crocheting, or playing video games. Quitting alcohol lets you go back to those personal interests and develop new ones!
No More Hangovers
Quitting alcohol now means you never have to experience a hangover again. Those headaches and nausea can be a thing of the past!
Have More Energy
You learned earlier that you don’t eat healthily when you’re drinking all the time. Once you quit drinking, you often start eating right again, which means you have more energy!
Work with Crestone Detox Austin
You’ve just learned the benefits of quitting alcohol. Many people suffer from alcohol abuse, but they don’t have to go through it alone.
If you want to quit alcohol, it’s crucial to choose the right addiction treatment program, and Crestone has what you need. Our team helps you learn why you turned to alcohol, which is the first step. Then, you find other methods for dealing with stress and daily life.
Are you ready to say that was your last drink? Call us today to get started on your new journey toward an alcohol-free lifestyle! We’re here for you!
