Excessive drinking could lead to a variety of short and long-term side effects. The severity of the issues depends on how much alcohol a person consumes each day and other factors like family history, any co-occurring mental health issues, and personal stresses that could drive a person to start drinking too much. At Promises Five Palms, we provide support and therapy for individuals looking for help with an alcohol use disorder. Let’s look at a few scenarios that go over the potential risks of alcohol abuse.
The Risks of Alcohol Abuse
1. You Could Sustain Long-Term Physical Damage
The symptoms that people experience as a side-effect of excessive drinking varies. Some typical short-term side effects from consuming too much alcohol include:
- Loss of coordination
- Slurred speech
- Lapses in memory
- Slower breathing
- Mood swings
- Impaired vision
The potential risk of alcohol use disorders that could be physically damaging increases, the longer a person continues drinking without seeking treatment. The most serious side effects that come from continued heavy alcohol consumption include:
- Brain Damage — Prolonged alcohol use interferes with how the brain functions and causes damage to regions of the brain like the cerebellum and the cerebral cortex. The side effects include permanent impairment of a person’s ability to process information or control emotional responses.
- Heart Issues — Another risk of alcohol abuse includes causing damage to the heart. Long-term heavy drinking can weaken heart muscles. That impacts its ability to deliver vital nutrients and oxygen to other organs within the body. A person could also have fats build up in their blood, which could lead to conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
- Liver Problems — The liver functions as the primary filter for the body. Long-term alcohol abuse can overwhelm the liver’s ability to function, causing the development of a fatty liver. When that happens, the risk of alcohol abuse could expand to include liver damage and other complications like fibrosis and cirrhosis.
2. You May Damage Personal Relationships
The biggest risk of alcohol abuse comes in how it negatively affects relationships. Alcohol use disorders have been responsible for destroying countless marriages and causing fallout between friends and families. The problems caused by continued alcohol abuse include:
- Neglecting family, school, or work responsibilities
- An inability to be fully present with others due to feeling hungover or craving a drink
- Causing financial issues due to an inability to control drinking habits
- Not being able to control emotional outbursts
3. You May Run Into Serious Legal Fallout
Another risk of alcohol abuse is the potential to get into trouble while under the influence. That could include getting into a fight where someone ends up getting hurt. There are serious legal consequences in many states when an individual is caught driving while under the influence of alcohol. Drinking while driving could lead to an accident that results in serious injury or death to an innocent party.
Avoid The Risk of Alcohol Abuse By Getting Treatment
Avoid the risk of alcohol abuse that could occur if you don’t seek treatment. Promises Five Palms offers a number of treatments, including
In our alcohol addiction treatment program, we use therapy as the key to opening your door to sobriety. Therapy also helps manage your co-occurring disorders as a component of dual diagnosis treatment. When you have both mental health and substance use disorders, treating both conditions is key. Without treating your mental health disorder, substance abuse continues to be a tempting coping mechanism. Without treating your substance abuse, the risk of a recurring mental health disorder is greatly heightened. That’s why we offer therapies including:
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Trauma Therapy
- Individual Therapy
- Group Therapy
Look into admitting yourself to one of our programs by contacting Promises Five Palms online or calling 1.844.675.1022 today.
