Author: James Anderson

Alcohol’s Effects on the Body National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism NIAAA

The harmful use of alcohol causes a high burden of disease and has significant social and economic consequences. When is it common in society, it can be hard to tell the difference between someone who likes to have a few drinks now and then and someone with a real problem. A  causal relationship has been established between harmful drinking and incidence or outcomes of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV. The Healthline FindCare tool can provide options in your area if you need help finding a mental health specialist. Many people addicted to alcohol also turn to 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). There are also other support groups that don’t follow the 12-step model, such as SMART Recovery and Sober Recovery.

Alcohol is a very simple chemical that can bring about big changes in the complex functions of the human brain. When we drink alcohol, it triggers the release of other chemicals in the body that make us feel more content and less sensitive to pain. So, it is no surprise that once we start drinking, we often want to carry on. Alcohol addiction is a serious problem that can have lasting health effects. Knowing why alcohol is addictive, the types of drinkers, and how it affects the body can help people recognize when they may have an issue and take steps to address it.

It can also help them temporarily escape from negative emotions and feelings of low self-worth. There is a group of drug therapies aimed at attacking GABA receptors and the dopamine and serotonin pathways. For example, Baclofen is an approved GABA agonist for seizures that has shown to decrease craving and anxiety in alcohol addicts (7).

Nearly all risks involved with alcohol addiction may be avoidable or treatable, with successful long-term recovery. As an addiction tends to get worse over time, it’s important to look for early warning signs. If identified and treated early, someone with an alcohol addiction may be able to avoid major consequences of the disease. Regardless of how the addiction looks, someone typically has an alcohol addiction if they heavily rely on drinking and can’t stay sober for an extended period of time.

How Does Addiction Develop in the Brain?

It can also interfere with the development of young people’s brains, resulting in lowered IQ scores. Alcohol can damage the organs, disrupt communication between brain cells, and weaken your immune system. It affects mental health, increases the risk for certain cancers, and can cause addiction. It also increases the risk of injury and death due to impaired judgment.

The idea of ‘alcoholism’ as a disease first grew in the 19th century. At that time, it was certainly a much more compassionate idea than the widespread belief that heavy drinkers were weak or immoral. Over time, that substance or behaviour can start to take priority over other things and we can start to feel uneasy when we are not feeding our habit.

What Happens When You Drink Alcohol Every Day?

Therapy is useful to help teach someone how to manage the stress of recovery and the skills needed to prevent a relapse. Also, a healthy diet can help undo damage alcohol may have done to the person’s health, like weight gain or loss. For example, antidepressants, if someone with an alcohol addiction were self-medicating to treat their depression. Or a doctor could prescribe drugs to assist with other emotions common in recovery. In order for treatment to work, the person with an alcohol addiction must want to get sober. These complications are reasons why it’s important to treat alcohol addiction early.

1. Sober communities can help someone struggling with alcohol addiction deal with the challenges of sobriety in day-to-day life.
2. See your doctor if you begin to engage in behaviors that are signs of alcohol use disorder or if you think that you may have a problem with alcohol.
3. Seeking professional help early can prevent a return to drinking.

Although there is very little scientific basis for it, it is an idea that has helped millions of people to turn their lives around. There are countless people around the world today who are living happier and more fulfilled lives because they decided that they were ‘an alcoholic’ and decided to do something about it by never drinking again. Perhaps the simplest description is that it is doing something to the point where it harms us, and not feeling able to stop. In addition to its physiological effects, a few psychological factors can contribute to alcohol dependency. Stress relief and emotional regulation are the most common factors that make alcohol addictive. Another series of perhaps more effective drugs directly target the reward pathway.

Medications also can help deter drinking during times when individuals may be at greater risk of a return to drinking (e.g., divorce, death of a family member). Many people with alcohol use disorder hesitate to get treatment because they don’t recognize that they have a problem. An intervention from loved ones can help some people recognize and accept that they need professional help.

What’s the outlook for a person with alcohol use disorder?

But where does the college drinking culture come from and where can we draw the thin line between being in control of alcohol and having alcohol control you? Approximately one out of five college students meet the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s criteria for alcohol dependence (1). Even those who don’t drink can be one of the 599,000 students that are often unintentionally injured in alcohol-related situations (1). One of the causes behind these alarming statistics is simply the biology of the adolescent brain.

Outpatient treatment provides daily support while allowing the person to live at home. Someone with an alcohol addiction who has remained sober for months or years may find themselves drinking again. They may binge drink once or drink for a period of time before getting sober again. It’s important that the person get back on track and resume treatment. Regardless of the type of support system, it’s helpful to get involved in at least one when getting sober. Sober communities can help someone struggling with alcohol addiction deal with the challenges of sobriety in day-to-day life.

Alcohol tolerance, cravings, and withdrawal symptoms are all signs of physical addiction. An increase in tolerance marks the second stage—people drink larger doses of alcohol to experience the same effects. This leads to decreased pleasurable effects and alcohol dependence, as the person needs alcohol to feel normal.

Ultimately, sobriety is the responsibility of the person who has the alcohol addiction. It’s important to not enable destructive behaviors and to maintain appropriate boundaries if the person with the alcohol addiction is still drinking. This can mean cutting off financial assistance or making it difficult for them to fulfill the addiction. Friends and family members of people who have an alcohol addiction can benefit from professional support or by joining programs like Al-Anon. Several evidence-based treatment approaches are available for AUD. One size does not fit all and a treatment approach that may work for one person may not work for another.