Essay Example on Alcohol Abuse: 14.4M Americans and 1.1M With AUD in 2017

Introduction

Alcohol consumption is considered one of the behavioral indulgences that have ruined people's lives in different ways. Research indicates that in 2017, America had an estimated number of alcohol users above the age of twelve to be 14.4 million. Among them, 1.1 million were diagnosed with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). People argue that they drink for different reasons; some say they are social drinkers while others are mere addicts. Although the type of drinker a person is alcohol has both several consequences and they include; physiological, psychological, effects on behavior, on driving, among others. For the purpose of this discussion, the paper will, therefore, explore the diverse effects of alcohol use.

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Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and its Impact

One of the effects of alcohol is on the sensorimotor, where the users lose the visual field, experience convergence, and accommodation based on the blood alcohol level. The more alcohol in the blood, the more the effects are experienced by the user. Research indicates that the cortical pathways are affected by alcohol, and spatial vision is experienced. Alcohol leads to sensorimotor impairment among people who use it.

Additionally, alcohol has physiological effects on the users, and they include damage to the internal organs. Because of the ethanol composition in most alcoholic beverages, there is damage to organs such as the liver, respiratory system, and gastrointestinal walls. Similarly, people who use alcohol are reported to be experiencing obesity, anemia, poor appetite, and ulcers, among other ailments. It is said to be more severe in women as compared to men. Alcohol also lowers the rate of metabolism in the body of the users. Also, there is difficulty in coordination and reflex action when need be.

Exploring the Diverse Effects of Alcohol Use

Psychological effects are also another consequence of alcohol use, and one other result is that it interferes with the normal focus of a person. When people are intoxicated with alcohol, they find difficulty in focusing on things that they would under normal circumstances. They also experience problems with their memories and cannot recall even the simplest things they do in their lives. Alcohol users develop reduced inhibition process. In the long run, they become depressed and anxious. Besides, there is also the experiencing of tolerance levels leading to increased consumption of alcohol.

Furthermore, alcohol has a huge effect on the driving skills of a person because it impairs vision and also the coordination aspects leading to wrong judgment while driving. It is a dangerous effect because that has led several drivers into causing accidents to self and other road users. Besides, it compromises on behavior as it leads to people lacking etiquette; for instance, drunk people urinate in the restricted areas, can vomit in public places, touch people without their consent and abuse them, among others.

Chronic Effects: Life-Threatening Consequences

Chronic effects of alcohol are life-threatening, and some people have lost their lives because of such consequences. Research indicates that people who have consumed alcohol for a long period incur changes in their brain, which are disastrous. Alcohol users experience a deficiency in the Thiamine, an important nutrient in the formation of brain tissue. The lack of nutrients leads to alcohol syndrome known as Wernicke and Korsakoff. Wernicke syndrome leads to the damage of muscles that coordinate the eyes, difficulty in muscle movement, and experience of mental confusion. On the other hand, Korsakoff syndrome results in memory difficulties and learning problems. Patients with the syndrome forget easily and have difficulty recalling old information and cannot also grasp the new ones.

Conclusion

Alcohol also has a disastrous effect on the liver of the users. The liver is naturally responsible for breaking alcohol into units that are less harmful to the body and also expels the excess. Excess and prolonged consumption of alcohol overwhelms the liver, and as a result, they develop liver diseases such as cirrhosis. It also affects reproductive health in both men and women. In men, it affects the hypothalamus, the testes, and anterior pituitary glands. It interferes with the normal functioning of the organs leading to infertility. In the female, it interferes with the hormonal balance of the body and in turn, affects the menstrual cycle making them hard to conceive.

References

Monico. N and Stein .S (2019). Effects of alcohol . Retrieved from https://www.alcohol.org/effects/National Institute Of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIH). The Effects of Alcohol on Physiological Processes and Biological Development retrieved from https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh283/125-132.htm.

Pabst, A., Kraus, L., Piontek, D., Mueller, S., & Demmel, R. (2014). Direct and indirect effects of alcohol expectancies on alcohol-related problems. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 28(1), 20. https://www.ift.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Pabst_Kraus_Piontek_Mueller_Demmel_2013.pdf