On the contrary to popular media and television, alcohol actually has a negative effect on the body. It is not irregular to see college parties with binge drinking, being glorified on television. Or seeing a friend posted on social media, commenting on how their “liver will hate them after tonight.” The unfortunate fact is, the liver will actually hate them, and alcohol actually has a negative effect of alcohol on not only the body but also the brain. The way we treat our bodies affects our well-being as a person and a member of society. Below are a few ways that alcohol impacts the brain and the body.
Effects of Alcohol on the Brain
Jimmy was an average individual. He enjoyed playing baseball, his brother was engaged, and he felt he was in the prime of his life as a nineteen-year-old. The issue is, Jimmy was well over nineteen, he was getting into his old age. The issue is, in Oliver Sack’s book ‘The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat’, was that he could no longer form new memories. Jimmy was constantly resetting as though he were in 50 First Dates. Due to a long struggle with alcoholism and alcohol abuse, there was no repair that could come to his memory.
Alcohol has severe effects on the memory centers of the brain. Alcohol is a depressant, thus making you feel tired, relaxed, and pleased when partaking in it. In this way, it is an easy mistake to relate alcohol use to get a good night of sleep. This too, is harmful, since studies show that alcohol actually disrupts sleep. For one thing, you are constantly getting up to use the bathroom. On a much deeper level, it disrupts your circadian rhythm and inhibits the individual from having healthy REM sleep, which is often known as the healthiest form of sleep.
Short-Term Effects
Alcohol lowers your inhibitions and clouds your judgments. Studies show that many poor decisions due to alcohol, are because the motivation center in your brain is being changed. How often do you hear about someone making a mistake due to over-partaking in alcohol?
Along with this, binge-drinking affects the cerebellum. This means that the motor-senses are effects. Swaying, wobbling, or not being able to walk in a straight line are all thanks to a misuse of alcohol, and its effect on the cerebellum. Other effects can include vomiting, not being able to remember, and other normal effects.
Long-Term Effects
The long-term effects of alcohol use disorder are deeply disturbing. Your cognition is inherently linked to the functions of your brain. Thus, if a continued trend of addiction to alcohol continues, cognition may slow, and it may become increasingly difficult to function at a normal level.
Memory is also affected by alcoholism. Sadly, some individuals, like Jimmy will never recover from the difficulties of the issues of alcoholism. Along with this, one of the biggest issues is that it develops an addiction. Over time the effects of alcohol change your brain to affect the memory, motivation, and reward centers of your brain become dependent on the substance. If you feel like you are struggling with an addiction, we are here to help. We at FHE Health want to help you walk the path of recovery.
Effects on the Body
Alcohol, unfortunately, also has difficult effects on the body. Well-known effects include the liver, cancer, and many other harrowing effects. More unknown effects include sexual impotence, fetal alcohol syndrome disorder, and so on. The lengths that alcohol affects the body will be discussed more in depth below.
Effects on the Liver
The liver turns alcohol into a substance called acetaldehyde, which can possibly cause cancer. That is only the beginning, also. The liver also becomes fat due to alcohol. This can lead to fatty liver disease. This disease is, unfortunately very common, and if this is contracted, then the liver can become inflamed. This leads to alcoholic hepatitis, which is much more common than one would think. This can lead to cirrhosis. If this happens, the individual must stop drinking or their liver will fail. Should this happen, the results can be extremely fatal.
Stomach
The stomach takes a hit as well, due to the effects of alcohol. Alcohol can build up acid in the stomach and create stomach ulcers. These are not just the pesky sores that we get on our mouth or gums, they can be deadly if not treated. This can also be due to inflammation and cause bleeding in the stomach. Along with this, the excess acid can lead to gastritis.
Heart
The heart is also affects of alcohol by heavy drinking. Cardiomyopathy can be caused by the dropping of the heart muscle. This blood pumping, people fueling machine is made loose and droopy due to the effects of binge drinking. It can also lead to arrhythmia, or an irregular heartbeat, as well as inflammation.
Women
The alcoholic lifestyle increases the risk of breast cancer. Studies show that as little as one drink per day can raise your risk of developing breast cancer. Estrogen levels are raised upon consuming alcohol, and increased estrogen is an increase in the likelihood of getting pregnant. It only takes three drinks per week for alcohol levels to raise enough for breast cancer to be 15% more likely. If you feel as though this information is terrifying, and are struggling with an addiction, we are here to help.
Getting Help
Alcohol clearly has a terrifying effect on the body and brain. However, the more terrifying effect is an addictive lifestyle. While addiction is a disease, you always have the choice to seek recovery. We at Sunlight Recovery want to help you recover, and recover well. Do not hesitate to contact us today by calling (844) 426-0790. Do not wait for the alcohol to destroy your brain, body, and livelihood. Let us walk the journey of recovery with you, for the rest of your life. Get help today.
