Recognising the Physical and Psychological Health Impacts of Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol addiction is a spectrum disorder, which means that there is variation in the type and severity of symptoms. Cases of alcohol addiction can be mild, moderate, and severe. Alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, alcohol addiction, and even the more colloquial alcoholism fall under alcohol use disorder (AUD).

AUD is a condition in which a person has difficulty ceasing or controlling the use of alcohol despite the negative effects on health, relationships, and work performance. In this article, we will delve deep into the physical and psychological impacts of alcohol addiction.

The Vicious Cycle of Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol addiction is chronic and relapses are common.

Like other drugs, alcohol numbs negative feelings and produces pleasurable feelings. This effect drives people to drink again. The problem is, that between alcohol consumption sessions, the negative feelings tend to rise more (higher than usual). To numb these feelings and to feel pleasure again, a person seeks alcohol again. This continues until the cycle becomes vicious and repetitive. The person gets stuck in this cycle and has difficulty getting rid of the shackles of alcohol.

The stages of this cycle are the intoxication stage, the withdrawal stage, and the anticipation stage.

Did you know…?

Hyperkatifeia is the term that describes the increasing negative feelings in the alcohol withdrawal stage.

Impact of Alcohol Addiction on Physical Health

Alcohol has adverse effects on physical health. Even occasional drinking or moderate drinking have an effect, contrary to common assumption. It’s just that the effects become more obvious faster with heavy drinking habits. These are a few ways in which alcohol consumption can possibly affect a human body:

Short term effects:

• Nauseated feeling and vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Poor coordination, resulting in falls and accidents
• Impaired perception
• Injuries due to violent or risky behaviours
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Fluctuation in blood pressure
• Mood disturbances
• Poor sleep
• Forgetting
• Blacking out
• Alcohol poisoning (Could result in a life-threatening emergency)

Long-term effects:

• Inflammation of the pancreas, pancreatitis
• Chronic liver inflammation, cirrhosis, and alcohol-related liver disease
• Hypoglycemia (Low blood sugar), Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)
• Damage to the central nervous system
• Ulcers or haemorrhoids
• Heart diseases, heart attack, or heart failure
• Malnutrition (because alcohol prevents the absorption of nutrients),
• Anaemia (low count of red blood cells)
• Intestinal problems
• Lower sex drive, increase in infertility, and other sexual and reproductive problems
• Menstrual problems
• Thinner bones and weaker muscles
• Increased risk of cancer (mouth/throat/breast/oesophagus/colon/liver)
• Premature delivery, miscarriage, stillbirth, developmental issues in the baby (due to drinking during pregnancy)

Psychological Impacts of Alcohol Addiction

Although alcohol and heavy drinking became synonymous with fun for people at some point, the real psychological impact of alcohol is different, scary, and far from fun.

Alcohol can have any of these psychological effects:

• Alcohol-induced sleep disorder (sleep disruptions, excessive sleep, or difficulty falling asleep)
• Alcohol-related psychotic disorder (seeing and hearing things that other people don’t, paranoia, fear)
• Increased depression and anxiety (Alcohol can also increase the side effects of antidepressants)
• Increase the symptoms of bipolar disorder and make it harder to treat
• Negative impact on memory, learning capacity, and thinking abilities
• Wernicke-Korsakoff’s syndrome (or wet brain), an irreversible brain disease
• Suicidal tendencies

Apart from the physical and psychological impacts of alcohol addiction, the problem can also lead to the destruction of relationships and the reputation of a person. It can be the root cause of physical and sexual abuse. Alcohol can also affect work performance and interfere with career progress.

Freedom from Addiction

Getting rid of the shackles of the bottle may not be easy, but it is doable. In three steps, anyone can combat alcohol addiction. The first step is admitting that there is a problem. A person will be able to move toward resolving a problem only after realising and accepting that there is a problem.

The second step is to get the support needed. A simple search online like ‘rehab alcohol near me’ will fetch the best results. Centres like Rehab Guide can provide you with support and information about treatment programs and rehab clinics.

The third step is to adhere to the road of recovery. This is where many falter, but with the right support and willpower, it is possible to stay firm.

The efforts will pay off eventually in the form of better physical health, enhanced mental health, better relationships, higher productivity, and an improvement in the quality of life.

If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with addiction, get the help of specialists. Start the recovery process as soon as possible.

Image credits:

Image by senivpetro on Freepik (header)

Image by lyashenko on Freepik (man saying no)