Long-Term Effects of Alcohol Dependence
Long-term effects of alcohol consumption are capable of damaging each & every organ within the human body. An adolescent brain in the developing stage is particularly most vulnerable to toxic reaction of alcohol consumptions. A developing fetal brain is also equally vulnerable to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) as a result of pregnant mothers consuming alcohol.
Extreme level of chronic alcohol abuse is commonly associated with increased risk of alcoholism, chronic pancreatitis, malnutrition, alcoholic liver disease & cancer.
High alcohol consumption can also damage the central & peripheral nervous systems among heavy drinkers.
Organic & Neurological Effects of Alcohol Abuse
This is not all. Chronic excess & alcohol dependence eventually lead to a wide spectrum of neurological or neuropsychiatric impairment, cardiovascular diseases, liver diseases alongside malignant neoplasms. The psychiatric disorders associated with excess alcohol intake include phobias, schizophrenia, mania, dysthymia, panic disorder, hypomania, general anxiety disorder, suicide, personality disorder, neurologic deficits & major depression.
Neurological impairments largely effect proper functioning of emotions, working memory, visuo-spatial abilities, executive functions like gait & balance along with brain damage. Apart from producing a negative impact on aging, alcohol dependence is linked to chronic liver damage like cirrhosis.
Heavy alcohol consumption is directly associated with ischemic strokes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, cancers of the respiratory system, digestive system, breasts, ovaries & liver.
Moderate Alcohol Consumption
Moderate alcohol consumption has definitely shown some protective benefits over cardiovascular disease & hypertension. An inverse relation in many western cultures between moderate alcohol consumption & cardiovascular diseases is a well known fact for over a century now.
Though many physicians still do not openly promote alcohol consumption citing other health concerns associated along with, some suggest alcohol can be regarded as recreational drug alongside exercise & proper nutrition.
Quite a few argue the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption get outweighed by increased risks of violence, injuries, liver disease, fetal damage & certain forms of cancer.
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms Vs Alcohol Dependence
Both alcohol withdrawal symptoms & alcohol dependence are similar in nature. As the build-up to alcohol dependence was gradual, so also must be the retreat if we would like to reduce the severity of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Considering our bodies as machines bringing them back to the default status requires a systemic approach which does not eventually harm the functional ability of the system.
As it is, chronic alcohol misuse & abuse causes serious effects on the physical & mental health of the individual, which perhaps is the reason we are looking forward to drop the habit. While giving up alcohol dependence, due care must be taken so that we do not defeat the very purpose of abstaining from alcohol consumption.
Do You Know
- A normal glass of wine contains as many calories as a good cake of chocolate.
- A pint of lager contributes an equal count of calories as a pack of crisps do.
- An average drinker of wine takes in about 2,000kcal from alcohol each month.
- Five pints of lager in a week add-up 44,200kcal in a year, as much as 221 doughnuts would do.
- Drinkers generally add-up the calorie count by having snacks alongside alcohol.
- Snacks accompanying tipple normally include nuts, crisps & pork scratching.
- Heavy drinking sessions are eventually followed by unhealthy breakfasts to enable cope with hangovers. This again pile-on unnecessary calories.
Opting for fry-ups in place of a usual bowl of cereal add an extra 450kcal count from the night before.
