According to statistics, alcoholism is among the most common causes of death and disease in America. More than half a million people die due to alcohol-related causes every year. The longer a person consumes alcohol, the more likely they are to develop long-term health issues as a consequence. Alcohol can also have a significantly negative impact on the brain and heavy drinkers risk developing mental health problems unless they seek professional alcohol treatment.
Chronic alcohol consumption has a negative effect on every major organ of the body and also increases the risk of developing long-term conditions such as:
- Obesity
- Liver disease
- Pancreatitis
- Heart disease
- Dementia
- Some types of cancer
Alcoholism is such a problem today because of our acceptance of social drinking. However, not everyone is capable of consuming alcohol in moderation which in itself is unlikely to result in long-term health issues. Anyone who consumes more than one alcoholic drink a day for a woman or two for a man is in danger of developing a physical dependence on alcohol, particularly if they use it in response to stress.
Sometimes people use alcohol because they have a mental health problem like depression and are trying to reduce their symptoms. Other people can go on to develop the symptoms of a mental health condition as a result of abusing alcohol. This is mainly because alcohol is categorized as a depressant which over time has a very detrimental effect on brain function and an individual’s emotional health.
Alcohol addiction is characterized by the individual continuing to abuse alcohol despite increasing the risk of developing the following physical health problems:
- Alcohol hepatitis
- Cirrhosis
- Liver cancer
- Chronic heart disease
- Hypertension
- Heart attack
- Pancreatitis or gastritis
- Neurological disorders such as dementia
- Cancer of the digestive tract, stomach, liver, or breast
Although there are significant risks from persistent alcohol abuse, there are also many routes to sobriety. We now have a greater understanding of addiction as an illness than ever before and Casa Recovery can offer you a personalized route to recovery with drug addiction treatment in San Juan Capistrano. Contact us in confidence today to take a step closer towards a happy and healthy life in sobriety.