Alcoholism can adversely impact your personal and professional life. Extensive and long-term drinkers may face many serious health complications. The Mayo Clinic reports adolescents who begin drinking in their early teenage years are more likely to develop alcoholism, or a dependence on alcohol, than those that begin boozing later. The website About Alcoholism reports individuals 55-64 represent the age group in which alcoholism is most common.
Alcoholism Defined
The clinic labels alcoholism a chronic disease that evolves gradually over time and creates a physical dependence within your body on alcohol. Alcoholics may not be able to control how much, or how long, they drink for. The clinic states excessive drinking can alter the chemicals that cause feelings of pleasure in your brain. When that occurs, alcoholics may covet alcohol to regain feelings of normalcy.
Physical Effects
The website Teen Drug Abuse notes extreme alcohol abuse can cause liver damage, pancreatitis, and certain cancers, and potentially even shrink your brain. The same site mentions alcohol abuse is the second-leading cause for dementia and it triggers premature aging. The website Focus Adolescent Services notes alcohol dependence is also associated with depression, anxiety and antisocial personality disorder.
Personal and Professional
Alcoholism can sabotage your personal and professional life. Alcohol addiction can make drinking a priority over family and career obligations. Despite not possessing sufficient finances, it is not uncommon for alcoholics to spend the bulk of their earnings on booze. The effects of drinking can also make alcoholics liabilities at work.
Teen Drinking
Regardless that the legal age to drink is 21, Focus Adolescent Services reports that Americans begin experimenting with alcohol at the average age of 15.9. It has been shown that teens who drink before age 15 are five times more likely to become alcoholics than those who wait until they are 21 to booze. Focus Adolescents Services additionally mentions that binge drinking is most prevalent among those ages 18-22.
Middle Age Group
About Alcoholism states drinking is statistically most problematic for people in the middle age group. A study conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics National Health Survey found men and women in the 55-64 year old age group are at the highest risk to have a dependence on alcohol. Somewhat similarly, the National Hospital Discharge Study discovered the 45-64 year old age group was most likely to succumb to alcoholism.
