Effects of alcoholism

Alcoholism, also known as Dipsomania, refers to the pre-occupation with or the compulsion toward the consumption of alcohol and/or an impaired ability to recognize the negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption.

According to the American Medical Association (AMA), alcoholism is a disease entity involving the compulsive use of alcohol despite social, physical and mental harm.

GENERAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOLISM

•  Loss of money due to lost labour hours
• Medical costs and secondary treatment costs
•  Motor vehicle accidents resulting in injuries
• Violence and assaults
• Fetal alcohol syndrome in pregnant women
• Huge economic costs to the nation(about 1-6% of the nation’s GDP)
• Social stereotypes(with names such as “town drunk” being common)
• Increased risk for breast cancer in women
• Reproductive dysfunction in women(anovulation, decreased ovarian mass, irregular menses, amenorrhoea, luteal phase dysfunction, and early menopause)

PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOLISM

• Liver cirrhosis
• Pancreatitis
• Epilepsy
• Alcoholic dementia
• Polyneuropathy
• Heart disease
• Increased risk of cancer
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Sexual dysfunction
• Death from many sources

*Severe cognitive problems are common in alcoholics. Approximately 10% of all dementia cases are alcohol related, making alcohol the second leading cause of dementia.

MENTAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOLISM

• Panic disorder
• Psychosis, confusion, and organic brain syndrome
• Major depressive disorder
• Suicide(with 1 in 4 of adolescent suicides related to alcohol abuse)

SOCIAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOLISM

• Child abuse, domestic violence, rapes, burglaries, and assaults
• Loss of employment
• Drunk driving(criminal charges), public disorder or tortuous behavior(civil penalties)
• Marital conflict, divorce, or contributing to domestic violence
• Loss of respect and status