Alcohol Addiction and Its Side Effects
Alcoholism is a complicated disease with psychological, biological, and social components. Also, it often involves cycles of relapse and remission, similar to other chronic disorders. Some people can consume alcohol and even overindulge from time to time without it being a problem. Others may develop mild, moderate, or severe “alcohol use disorder.” Now, doctors and clinicians refer to it as “alcohol use disorder” rather than “alcoholism,” “alcoholic,” or “alcohol abuse.”
Long before physical symptoms develop, mental and emotional issues appear. Long-term alcohol consumption can lead to physical consequences such as liver cirrhosis, persistent brain deterioration, and, most importantly, mortality. Only if behavioral or mental symptoms aren’t handled properly. Nowadays, the effects of alcohol in Miami have increased. This causes a lot of trouble for the individual and their families.
However, many ask about what are the effects & consequences of underage drinking on the brain? So, until a person reaches the age of 25, the human brain continues to develop. Underage drinking may impede this neurological development. It is leading to reckless decisions, memory lapses, and slower processing and transmission of neural impulses. In short, the brain becomes trained to crave addictive substances to the point where it can’t decide the difference between healthy and drug rewards.
Risks Factors of Alcoholism
A variety of risk factors are involved, including age, genetics, biology, environment, and social influences. But one element is universal: alcohol impacts our brain’s reward center. Our brain releases bursts of dopamine, a hormone that drives us to “do that again.” It happens when we consume nice food, listen to music or exercise.
Individuals who are more prone to addiction are more likely to have lower dopamine. Also, those who are genetically predisposed to certain mental illnesses are likely to have lower dopamine levels in their brains. There are no options for this basic addiction in the brain or the body. So here are the risk factors that cause an individual to drink alcohol.
- High-stress level
- Trauma or mental health problems
- Family history of alcoholism
- Frequent drinking
- Mixing alcohol with other drugs
- History of substance abuse
- Binge drinking
Hence, alcohol is depressive; it can upset that equilibrium, impacting our thoughts, feelings, and actions, as well as our mental health. This causes an effect on neurotransmitters. They are molecules that assist in transmitting messages from one nerve (or neuron) in the brain to another.
