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Chronic Alcohol Abuse Effects

Chronic alcohol abuse causes more than just a hangover. It causes turmoil in the home and is often a factor in accidents, suicides and murder. Alcoholism also causes cirrhosis of the liver and a shrinking of the brain. While an occasional drink with friends or family is fine, full-blown alcoholism has too many negative effects on the drinker and his family.

  1. Physical Effects

    • Chronic alcohol drinkers, or alcoholics, can experience significant physical side effects from their drinking. The alcoholic's brain will shrink as she progresses further into her addiction. This structural damage is evident at autopsy when the brain of the alcoholic is compared to the brain of the nonalcoholic. Her liver will also suffer damage as it converts the alcohol to toxic chemicals (acetaldehyde). These chemicals trigger the production of cytokines, which, in large amounts, cause liver damage. Another injury to the liver is cirrhosis, a chronic liver disease. The tissue of the liver becomes scarred and begins to decrease its function.

    Accidents

    • Because the alcoholic can be so impaired by the alcohol he drinks, his potential for accidents goes up. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, alcohol is implicated in over half of all vehicle accidents; alcohol-related accidents are blamed for being the highest cause of death in young drivers.

    Domestic Violence

    • Families and households with an alcoholic member are less stable and cohesive than nonalcoholic families. Because of the effects of alcohol, the potential and level of conflict rises as family members rely less on each other. Alcohol has been directly blamed for domestic violence. Children of alcoholics are at risk for abuse and being otherwise victimized by violence in the home; women are at high risk of injury from an alcoholic partner. The adult child of an alcoholic has a higher risk of experiencing divorce and psychiatric issues.

    Murder/Suicide

    • Chronic alcohol abuse is the foremost factor in one-fourth of all people who have committed suicide. Because of their addiction to alcohol and inability to relate to others in healthy ways, alcoholics find themselves enmeshed in interpersonal problems which are made worse by their drinking. In addition, alcohol is the main factor in 67 percent of all murders.

    Other Addictions

    • The alcoholic is at higher risk of developing other addictions, i.e., cigarette smoking. Again, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, research is linking addiction to nicotine and addiction to alcohol. As a (direct) result, more alcoholics die from lung-related diseases than nonalcoholics. Alcoholics are also at higher risk of abusing other substances as well.

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