Many people think nothing of having a few drinks on the weekends or a couple of drinks each night with dinner. While the occasional alcoholic beverage may not have much of an impact on a sober person’s life, it can wreak devastation on the lives of alcoholics who struggle for sobriety.
Alcoholism is a disease that is just now gaining mainstream notice and widespread empathy.
Still, many people assume that alcoholics can just stop drinking and improve the quality of their lives overnight. In fact, recovering from this disease takes just as much effort and specialized care as any other medical condition like cancer or diabetes.
When you want to overcome this debilitating addiction and learn more about the Dangers of Detoxing from Alcohol and other addictive substances, you can take the first step by going online today to get more information about recovery services.
Excess Alcohol Intake and Its Effect on Your Life
As noted, the occasional alcoholic beverage may not have much of an impact on a sober person’s body or lifestyle. Someone who drinks excessively, however, suffer far more devastating consequences that greatly and negatively influence this person’s physical and mental wellness.
The most noticeable effect on the human body takes place in the liver. Alcohol breaks down this important organ until it can no longer function properly. Alcoholics who have been drinking for months or years often develop conditions like cirrhosis of the liver and anemia, or low blood iron.
Alcoholics also develop gall stones and diabetes as the alcohol takes its toll on the gall bladder and pancreas. When the liver, gall bladder, and pancreas can no longer filter the blood or regulate insulin, they work together to create calcium buildup, or stones in the gall bladder, as well as diabetes because of the inability to keep blood sugar low. In fact, alcohol contains copious amounts of sugar, which contributes to the onset of diabetes.
People who develop cirrhosis likewise put themselves at risk of contracting Hepatitis C. There is no cure for Hepatitis C; when alcoholics continue to drink unimpeded, they actually hasten the toll that this devastating disease has on their livers.
Along with wreaking havoc on your physical body, alcoholism also negatively impacts your mental wellness. Many alcoholics become skilled liars, so much so that they con relatives and friends out of money. They may also suffer from financial problems and always need to borrow money, hence their need to lie. Some alcoholics also take to robbing stores or missing work because they are always in need of their next drink. Alcohol can become very expensive to buy when you must buy it on a daily basis in order to retain your buzz. In time, the need to drink can take its toll on your finances.
Starting Toward Recovery
Even as it takes its toll on many aspects of your life, you still may not have the resolve to stop drinking on your own. Alcohol is actually addicting, particularly in people who are prone to substance dependency. Trying to stop drinking is no easier than trying to stop drinking soda after years of consuming it on a daily basis or weaning oneself from cigarettes after being a chronic smoker for decades.
It can in fact take professional help to guide alcoholics onto the path of recovery and sobriety. You may feel embarrassed about your own need to drink or your own mental and physical weakness. You may fear that you will be judged by the recovery center’s staff or the other people seeking help there.
However, as you check out the website, you will quickly discover that the staff will not judge you and in fact are there to help you. Many counselors are former addicts and alcoholics themselves. Likewise, the people are seeking help there tend to be sympathetic to your situation and could be ready to speak to you in group counseling and share their insight with you. As you spend time in the recovery program, you may learn things like Life Skills in Recovery and other coping mechanisms, and also come to realize as well that the people in the facility are your advocates and your supporters, more so than anyone else in your life.
You can get information today about recovery for alcoholism by filling out the online form. Alcoholism takes its toll on your life in many ways. You can recover and become sober again with professional rehab services.
