Alcohol comes in many forms, some of the most popular being wine, beer and hard liquor. Adults are not the only people who drink alcohol, despite the fact that the legal drinking age in the United States is 21. Approximately 20 percent of teens are problem drinkers, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. No matter what your age, alcohol can result in serious repercussions with your health and personal relationships.
Addiction
Addiction is the result of heavy, prolonged use of alcohol, as DrugFree.org explains. The first sign of addiction is tolerance. This means you can drink more than others before getting drunk, or you have to drink more than before to feel relaxed, according to HelpGuide.org.
Withdrawal Symptoms
You may begin experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you attempt to stop drinking suddenly, or when you wake up after drinking the night before. These symptoms include feeling anxious, suffering from nausea or vomiting, being irritable, having a loss of appetite and feeling shaky.
Liver Disease
You may develop a chronic liver disease from alcohol use, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The three types of disease include fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis. Merck.com states that fatty liver disease is the most common result of alcohol use, occurring in more than 90 percent of alcohol abusers. You may have the ability to reverse the effects of a fatty liver if you stop drinking, however, hepatitis and cirrhosis typically lead to liver failure.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Alcohol impairs your ability to drive, prolongs your reaction time and slows your thought process. All of these combined is a recipe for disaster when you get behind the wheel after a night of drinking. MADD, also known as MothersAgainstDrunkDriving, states that every minute a person is injured in an alcohol-related crash, while one person every 45 minutes will die in a crash.
Risky Behavior
Alcohol reduces your natural inhibitions, resulting in behavior you would not normally participate in when sober. This may include trying illicit drugs such as cocaine or marijuana, or unprotected sex that can lead to sexually transmitted diseases.
Negative Effects on Relationships
If you abuse alcohol, you are more likely to have problems with domestic violence and become divorced than those who do not drink, as HelpGuide.org explains. Your drinking problem does not just effect you, but those who are closest to you. Your children may even suffer long-term trauma from your drinking habits, as they are even more sensitive than the adults in your life.
Depression
Alcohol may provide you with a short-term feeling of relaxation, however, alcohol contributes to the development of depression, according to Depression-Guide.com. The site adds that up to 40 percent of people who are heavy drinkers also displays signs of depression.
Loss of Employment
The heavier you begin to drink, the less you think about your responsibilities, including your job. You may begin taking more days off, showing up late or showing up intoxicated. On the days you arrive on time, you may bring your beverage of choice with you, hiding it so you can drink when you take a break. HelpGuide.org confirms this, stating that alcohol abusers are more likely to struggle with unemployment.
Legal Problems
Your drinking may lead to legal problems such as being arrested for disorderly conduct, or driving under the influence. The fines for these are expensive, especially if you do not learn your lesson and continue to find yourself in court for the same charges.
Neglecting Personal Hygiene
You may begin to neglect your personal hygiene, especially if addiction sets it. You may wear the same clothes repeatedly, bathe less and forget to wear deodorant. You stop caring about how you look simply because you care more about your alcohol than yourself.
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