The Destructive Nature of Alcohol Addiction
Millions of people across the world are suffering with alcohol addiction every single day. Now, it’s easy to assume that it’s a result of exceeding your limit due to carelessness and having fun, but the problem is much more complex than first meets the eye. There are a variety of factors that goes into someone becoming an addict, there are many signs of alcoholism, but all of them lead to the same outcome – destruction to the individual’s life.
Mental Trauma
Addiction may come about due to extreme mental trauma. So, if someone is exposed to something catastrophic at some point during their life, it may cause them to find comfort in the bottle. Of course, this isn’t a viable method to relieve anxiety or depression and your sorrows can never truly be drowned. But, alcohol tends to mask emotions or feelings which is what the individual wants as short-term relief.
Unfortunately, that short-term relief snowballs out of control, and the person ultimately becomes prisoner to the alcoholic substance. The most obvious negative impact this has is on the person’s health. Over time, the individual’s mind and body will become accustomed to the effects of alcohol. This means that they will need more and more to achieve the same thing; if at first half a bottle made them drunk, after frequent use they may end up needing two bottles and so on.
Health Problems
This is when health problems start to arise. It has been proven that alcohol increases the risk of cancer, significantly damages the liver, causes cardiovascular diseases and promotes anemia. If the alcohol consumption then continues, the results can be fatal. Furthermore, alcohol can indirectly put your health at risk in other ways. What this means is that disastrous accidents occur every year due to someone being under the influence of alcohol, which can cause both yours and other people’s lives to be destroyed.
Career Roadblocks
Moving on, having an alcohol addiction can also prevent you from succeeding in your career. Before long, one of two things will happen. Either you’ll carry on showing up for work while drunk and end up losing your job, or you’ll lose your job as a result of missing too many days of work. As you may know, the world essentially revolves around money, and without an income more and more things can start to go wrong.
Financial Issues
You won’t have the money to pay your bills or your rent, which will subsequently cause you to lose your home. Then the next thing you know you’re on the street without a house, and drinking a lot more as you’re then depressed and worried about the whole situation. It honestly turns into a vicious cycle, and you’ll need family and friends to be your robust support system.
Relationship Troubles
Now, this brings me onto the effects alcohol can have on your relationships with friends and family. They will no doubt have an endless amount of love for you, and all they’ll want to do is help you regain control of your life. However, that love will start to get tested, as alcoholics can often be very selfish. They’re typically so caught up in their own problems and drinking heavily each day, that they neglect time with their family and friends in favor of the bottle.
Help is Available
It is important to remember that this is not a true reflection of your original self and, there is hope for those with alcohol addictions and, there are many options for someone looking for help, each one is designed to help you obtain a happy, healthy life again.
You can speak to your doctor regarding treatment for alcohol, medication and counselling, and many people have found success through groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. These proven groups provide alcoholics with solid support from others who have been or still are in the same position as them. For more serious cases, an alcoholic may be encouraged to admit themselves into a rehabilitation center with a proven record of success.
You can’t change the past and you can’t magically remove alcohol addiction, but you can start working towards your sobriety one step at a time. Commit yourself to doing something to remove alcohol from your life, find your true self again and begin to rebuild your most important relationships with family and friends.
