Alcoholism happens when a person is unable to control drinking habits and keeps drinking despite the problems it causes in the family, at work or for health conditions. Alcoholism causes difficulties within society and also hurts the alcoholic by leading to life-threatening situations and disorders.
Drinking and Driving
Driving can become severely impaired with low blood alcohol concentrations, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This causes difficulty in handling a car and responding to traffic changes. The more alcohol that is consumed, the more impaired the driving skills become. Alcoholics are at increased risk of getting behind the wheel under the influence because they are regular drinkers. This risks causing major or fatal accidents to themselves and others.
Personal Problems
Alcoholics often create problems within the family that can result in spousal or child abuse. They also have an increased risk of becoming involved in violent incidents outside the home. Their work performance suffers because of lateness, absence or a decline in productivity. Loss of employment is often a result, SAMHSA notes.
Memory Lapses
An alcoholic may drink too much and forget about conversations or commitments that took place over a certain time. Details of events or entire events may be forgotten during these blackouts, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). This can cause problems in the family, among friends and at the workplace. People involved in binge drinking, having five or more drinks on an occasion, may experience blackouts that can lead to dangerous driving or risky behavior, such as unprotected sex. Blackouts can happen to heavy drinkers and are common among alcoholics.
Brain Damage
Heavy drinking over a long period of time can cause serious changes in the brain, according to the NIAAA. The disruption of brain chemicals can lead to mental confusion and problems with muscle coordination. Brain disorders can eventually lead to permanent learning and memory problems as well persistent difficulty with coordination and walking. Women who drink alcohol during pregnancy risk alcohol-related birth defects in their newborns, SAMHSA explains. Fetal alcohol syndrome can result in mental impairment and behavior problems as well as physical abnormalities in their children.
Liver Damage
Alcoholic hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver, can develop over a period of time. The disorder is reversible if drinking stops. Alcoholic cirrhosis is more serious and irreversible. The alcoholic who stops drinking can improve the survival rate. But sometimes a liver transplant is necessary.
Deadly Disease
Alcoholism increases the risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, SAMHSA says. Alcoholism also increases the risk for cancer of the throat, esophagus, mouth and larynx. Pancreatitis, which regulates blood sugar levels, can be caused by alcoholism. It causes severe abdominal pain and can result in death.
Risk Factors
The risks of becoming an alcoholic may include genetics that make you more likely to become dependent or a family history of alcoholism, the Mayo Clinic notes. Environmental factors, such as being brought up around alcoholics, or emotional disorders, including depression or anxiety, can increase the risk of alcohol dependence.
