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Alcoholism: the enemy that poisons your health and home

Author: DavidPeters
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Alcohol enjoys a long tradition of being an inseparable part of celebrations and social gatherings in almost every society. Be it the customary flute of champagne at weddings, or the officious glass of scotch which has become mandatory at almost every social do it is not uncommon to find the occasional drink being accepted, and even encouraged, at numerous occasions in the course of an individual's adult life. But it is when this occasional drink becomes a way to escape or deal with stress, or when an individual gets accustomed to his round of drinks every evening, that without realizing it, he succumbs to the deep dark void of alcoholism.

Alcoholism as a disease is very deceptive as often the victim himself is prone to shrug away his excessive drinking habits as something he can 'deal with'. The perception of those who are in his vicinity is also apt to be skewed as society by and large believes that this is a phase the alcoholic himself can pull out of, with just a little determination and will power. But not many are aware of the disastrous effects alcoholism has, both on the victim and those he interacts with, until it is indeed to late. Apart from the physical havoc that alcohol wreaks on the individual's body, this disease also has several far-reaching consequences on society as a whole, both in terms of the huge dent it causes to economies all over the world, and also the delinquent behaviors it can lead to.

Alcohol first lashes out against the physical well-being of the individual, weakening his heart, tormenting his liver and kidneys, which leads him to skip work for prolonged periods of time. Gradually, as this disease overcomes its victim, it can even result in him losing his job, which in turn negatively affects the performance of the organization as a whole. And every organization that incurs such losses, contribute to loss of revenue for the economy of the country, slowing down its progress and growth.

In addition to the diminished amounts of income that an alcoholic earns, his expenditure only increases as he spends more and more of his earnings on alcohol. Needless to say, this behavior takes a toll on the physical and emotional health of his immediate family, causing relationships to be estranged and burdening the victim with financial woes. To escape these worries, he tends to drink more and more, without realizing the fact that alcohol is only further adding to his depression, as the inherent trait of alcohol is that of a depressant. This pattern of drinking has no end to it, as he continues to drink to evade the depression that his drinking itself is causing him.

Conventionally, society has little patience with victims of alcohol abuse as, instead of recognizing it as the disease it is, the alcoholic viewed as a weak-spirited individual who is unable to resist, what seems to them, a mere indulgence. This plunges the victim into despair and brings about low self-esteem. Alcohol also interferes with the functioning of the brain and the nervous system, aggravating the victim's depression until it develops into more severe conditions like schizophrenia and paranoia. Alcohol addiction also makes an individual more susceptible to other types of substance abuse, which further complicate the problems alcoholism itself is accountable for.

Children, whose parents are victims of alcohol abuse, are also more susceptible to depression, which exhibits itself in the form of uncontrollable crying, bedwetting and nightmares, when they are younger and acting-out behaviors as they grow older. This means that they may either be very rebellious, failing classes and engaging in destructive behavior, or they may be overly compliant and obsessive about their grades, extremely self-conscious and suffer from phobias. These children often isolate themselves as they have no one to confide in about their fears and often believing that they are destined to be failures, no matter how hard they try.

The mounting pressures of the modern day world and the relentless pace of life lead to larger numbers of people trying to drink away their fears and worries with every passing day. But if you think that these are reasons enough for you to loosen up with 'just another tin drink' think again. Your excesses can not only jeopardize your life and well-being, but also that of your family and those you are close to. Take a minute to consider if the gamble, though a seemingly harmless one, is a wise choice to make, given all the disastrous effects it can lead to. Take that first step today and pull yourself out of the reaches of alcoholism and you'll soon realize all the wonders of life you had shut your doors to.

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Drinking Causes problems. Having the right information and the right connections can really make a difference. Begin finding up Myths about Alcohol for Teens.