Alcohol is the oldest drug consumed by mankind. Although legalized, it is a drug that causes dependence and changes in the behavior of those who consume it.
A sip here, another there, a little on the weekends, then during the week too and when the individual realizes he is already consuming alcoholic beverages constantly and without moderation. It is a mistake that many make and a sequence that happens to everyone, but it is so imperceptible that almost nobody notices how dependent on drinking it becomes.
The main organ that the drink affects is the liver, which can leave you completely compromised over time.
EFFECTS
The effects of alcohol vary according to the person’s characteristics, the alcohol content of the drink and the frequency of consumption, because the habit of drinking generates an increasing tolerance of the body. It is important to remember, however, that the impairment of reflexes and motor coordination is the same for those who are and those who are not used to drinking. For this reason, driving after drinking is quite risky, although many people “forget” it when they go out to have drinks with friends.
At first, alcoholic beverages are able to disinhibit people, who are more sociable and more easily able to talk and laugh. The second stage begins to manifest itself with the loss of coordination, lack of control and sleep. If the person continues to drink, alcohol can cause headache, difficulty speaking, malaise, vomiting and, the next day, the famous hangover. The mixture of fermented (like beer and wine) and distilled (like drip, vodka and whiskey) drinks makes alcohol “go up” even faster.
Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages can cause depression and lead to a coma. Diseases such as cirrhosis, gastritis, anemia and skin ulcers are also linked to alcohol abuse. In pregnancy, this “legal” drug should be avoided so as not to cause physical and mental disabilities in the baby.
Addiction to alcohol (alcoholism) has enormous costs for the professional, family and psychological life of the addict. Social costs are not far behind, since alcoholism involves specialized care and public health expenses. The large number of accidents and cases of violence associated with alcohol abuse only increase this mathematics of prejudice. A reality that the alcohol industry does not show in its advertising.
Alcohol also dehydrates the person and that is why the so-called ‘hangover’ comes the next day, when the body asks for water, in fact it is only replenishing the water it lost the day before.
It is good to know that, in case of drunkenness, coffee does not make anyone sober. That is, try to drink plenty of fluids and under no circumstances mix alcohol with other drugs.
TREATMENT
The alcohol-dependent person refuses to accept the addiction and needs the help of family members to understand that the situation in which they are living is dangerous.
When the addict starts to deny the addiction a lot, he gets easily irritated and can’t start the day without putting alcohol in his mouth, because he has already become a addict and needs help.
There are specialized professionals to treat addicts of this type of drug. There are also support groups such as ‘AA’ (Alcoholics Anonymous) where dependents hold regular meetings to try to get rid of the addiction that is drinking alcohol every day.
