ALCOHOL AND SITE EFFECTS

Sub stained excessive consumption of alcohol give rise to variety of problems in addition to those related to intoxication. A number of diseases are recognised and related to heavy use of alcohol. Cirrhosis of the liver which is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterised by replacement of liver tissue by fibrous scar tissue as well as regenerative nodules( lumps that occur as result of a process in which damaged tissue is regenerated ), leading to progressive loss of liver function.

               Gastritis is an inflammation of the lining of the stomach. There are many possible causes. Gastritis is caused by excessive alcohol consumption, prolonged use of no steroidal ant-inflammatory drugs, also known as NSAIDs, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, or infection with bacteria, such as helicobacter pylori. Sometimes gastritis develops after major surgery, traumatic injury, burns or severe infections. Fatty liver disease, steatorrhoeic hepatosis or steatosis hepatitis, is a reversible condition where large vacuoles of triglyccride fat accumulate in liver cells via the process of steatosis. Despite having multiple causes, fatty liver can be considered a single disease that occurs worldwide in those with excessive alcohol intake and those who are obese.

               Regular heavy drinking also gives to a range of other social, legal, physical and psychological problems including sexual dysfunction, attempted suicide, infertility, dementia, fraud, gambling, depression and changes in personality.

PROBLEMS OF DEPENDENCE

This group is by far the best known. The idea of alcoholism as a disease argues that ``alcoholics’’ experience loss of control over drinking and an inability to refrain from drinking it or once drinking has begun, to stop it. Some symptoms related to alcohol dependence are withdrawal symptoms e.g. anxiety, discomfort, shaking due to the absence of alcohol, tolerance to alcohol which refers to a decreased response to the functional effects of ethanol in beverages. Alcohol tolerance is increased by regular drinking. This reduce sensitivity requires that higher quantities of alcohol be consumed in order to achieve the same effects as before tolerance begun to occur. Alcohol tolerance may be a sign of alcohol dependency.

1 .Less and less variation in drinking habits

2 .Importance of drinking over other aspects of life

3. Thinking about alcohol to the exclusion of other things/ thoughts

4 .Return to original drinking patterns after abstinence

5. Craving for alcohol

Dependent drinkers also suffer a range of psychological and social problems such as those listed under intoxication and regular heavy consumption. A distinction must be made between a person being a drunkard and another being an alcoholic. The difference is not so much of degree in the use of alcohol but on its dependence. Alcoholics are completely dependent on use of alcohol. While alcoholism refers to addition to the use of alcohol, drunkenness refers to the state of intoxication in the individual either on a single occasion or in a repetitive pattern.

EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL

The primary effects of alcoholism are to encourage the sufferer to drink at times and in amounts that are damaging to physical health. The secondary damage caused by an inability to control one’s drinking manifests in many ways. Alcoholism also has a significant social cost to both the alcoholic and their family and friends. Alcoholics have a very high suicide rate with studies showing between 8% and 21% of alcoholics commit suicide. Alcoholism also has be 5080 times that of the general public.

PHYSICAL EFFECTS

It is common for a person suffering from alcoholism to drink well after physical health effects start to manifest. The physical health effects associated with alcohol consumption may include cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, epilepsy, polyneuropathy, alcoholic dementia, heart disease, increased chance of cancer, nutritional deficiencies, sexual dysfunction and death from many sources.

MENTAL EFFECTS

 Long term misuse of alcohol can cause a wide range of mental health effects. Alcohol misuse is not only toxic to the body but also to brain function and thus psychological well-being can be adversely affected by long-term effects of alcohol misuse. Psychiatric disorders are common in alcoholics, especially anxiety and depression disorders, with as many as 25% of alcoholics presenting with severe psychiatric disturbances. Typically these psychiatric symptoms caused by alcohol misuse initially worsen during alcohol withdrawal but with abstinence these psychiatric symptoms typically gradually improve or disappear altogether. Panic disorder can develop as a direct result of long term alcohol misuse can cause panic disorder to develop or worsen an underlying panic disorder via distortion of neurochemical system in the brain.

SOCIAL EFFECTS

The social problems arising from alcoholism can be significant. Being drunk or hung over during work hours can result in loss of employment which can lead to financial problems including the loss of living quarters. Drinking at inappropriate times, and behaviour caused by reduced judgement, can lead to legal consequences, such as criminal charges for drunk driving or public disorder, or civil penalties for tortious behaviour. An alcoholic’s behaviour and mental impairment while drunk can profoundly impact surrounding family and friends, possibly leading to marital conflict and divorce, or contributing to domestic violence. This can contribute to lasting damage to the emotional development of the alcoholic’s children, even after they reach adulthood. The alcoholic could suffer from others who may see the problem as self-inflicted and easily avoided.