Critical Analysis of the Symptoms of Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a condition that results in the continuous consumption of alcoholic beverages despite having negative social-behavioral consequences and health problems. It is also known as Alcohol use disorder, it means that somebody has problems controlling their drinking that causes various factors such as physical, emotional, social and psychological. We all aware that alcoholism is an illness that affects many people not only in the Philippines but also in every part of the world. The worst part is that it not only affects the alcoholic but it also affects their family, friends and the others. There are two types of drinkers. The first one is when they drink with their friends for pleasure and also only on occasion. The other one is a compulsive drinker, which means they drink because they have to, in spite of the negative effects of drinking that has on their lives.

It is said that the symptoms of Alcoholism are many, as are the causes and the effects. Now, I will discuss the effects of Alcoholism and what causes it to happen. First is physical, it is the most important since it can cause death. According to the Healthline, Alcoholism starts when we drink too much that caused chemical changes in our brain. It makes us want to drink more and more even if it causes harm to us. It also causes cancer in the stomach, kidneys and the liver. Alcoholism can damage the neutrons in our body that can cause loss of appetite and poor absorption of nutrients in our intestines. People with alcoholism may also experience like cirrhosis, lapses in memory after drinking at night and tremors in the morning after they drink.

The second part is emotional and social. People with alcoholism affect their family and it is also the reason why some families are divided. It causes them to lose their family, their work and importantly their sense of well-being. It can lead them to depression and the downfall of their lives. Like what I’ve said, alcoholism is powerful and uncontrollable that we won’t be able to control everything and it will take over our life one day. Some people might get help, at the same time, the others lose faith that drives them to the end. There are also social factors of alcoholism that arise from culture, family and work that influence a person’s views of drinking. A person who exposed to alcohol abuse at a young age is more at risk as it falls into a risky drinking pattern. People can be also influenced by alcoholism through their job and more likely in school. For example, employers and workers often drink more after having a long workday. Furthermore, some people don’t normally drink, however, having a desire to fit in and be well-liked may cause them to participate.

The last part is psychological. At first, Alcohol makes us feel relieved and relaxed but when we drink more, our brain starts to be affected. Instead of feeling relaxed and pleasurable, we will have a negative emotional response. It leads us to become aggressive, angry, anxious or depressed. It also causes violence, family problems, changes in behaviors, memory loss and suicide. Alcohol is also a depressant; however, it is powerful and uncontrollable that changes our normal behaviors. We might think that we can handle our drinking and that it won’t affect us but it is not. This may be true for some people but alcohol is a tricky substance. Alcoholism changes our perception especially on making a decision that could change the rest of our lives. Knowing that 10,497 people died because of the drunk driving incidents, there is also a chance that we could take our own life or someone’s life as well.

To conclude, there are several causes and effects of Alcoholism that I have mentioned above. Many people that use alcohol don’t understand how harmful it is, not only in their body but also in their life. Drinking too much alcohol can cause many problems that might affect our lives in all aspects. It changes our brain and our behavior that results in problems with our family, friends and ourselves. Let us drink responsibly or else might be ended up losing our minds.