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Going out on the town with some friends and having a few drinks is generally perceived as an acceptable way to have a good time. Ironically enough, an active social life can help prevent the kind of anxiety or depression that can lead to alcoholism in the first place. Go figure! However, a chemical dependency of alcohol can quickly become a problem that manifests in a multitude of ways. Here are some of the reasons why alcohol consumption can become a problem.
(1) Alcohol Prevents Good Decision-Making
Whether you’re at work, with your family, or at a social gathering, it’s important to maintain a sharp mind and be able to make good decisions. But as most of us know, alcohol consumption can interfere with the ability to make sound choices. The Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research backs this up by explaining how “the higher the blood alcohol concentration is, the more impaired you become,” resulting in “inappropriate behavior, unstable moods, impaired judgment, slurred speech, impaired attention or memory, and poor coordination.” Sounds like a good way to accidentally burn a bridge or three.
(2) It’s Not Safe to Drink and Drive
We should all be well-schooled in the hazards of drinking and driving. With that being said, booze impairs our decision-making ability, including our capacity to assess risk. It’s also important to note that while 0.08 blood-alcohol content (BAC) is the legal limit for drunk driving in most states, a BAC as low as 0.02 can have a negative impact on one’s driving ability. So even if your BAC is below the legal limit, drinking and driving puts the safety and well-being of yourself and other drivers at risk. No one wants to end up in the paper for a DUI, and that’s the kind of news that shows up in a Google search too.
(3) Alcohol Does Not Mix with Other Drugs
Most people take some sort of medication on a regular basis. It could be allergy medication. It could be Tylenol to ease a headache. It could also be medication for a more serious situation. Whatever the case may be, alcohol with other medications is rarely a good combination. If nothing else, mixing alcohol with other drugs will enhance the effects of alcohol, leading to increased impairment and drowsiness. However, the consequences can be far more dire, like serious liver damage, stomach ulcers, and even life-threatening scenarios.
(4) Long-Term Health Effects
Both short-term binge drinking and moderate drinking over an extended period of time can have a negative impact on a person’s long-term health. Damage to the heart and liver are possible with either regular alcohol consumption or a large intake over a brief period of time.
Imbibing also weakens the immune system. Even after the alcohol itself wears off, the immune system is still more susceptible to certain diseases. As a result, regular drinkers are likely to get sick more often than those who consume the occasional drink or no alcohol at all.
(5) Alcohol Can Lead to Family Problems
Regular alcohol consumption can end up having a negative impact on a person’s family and loved ones. Drinking not only takes money out of the family budget, but it also takes away quality time that you could be spending with your family. Those who drink will be more likely to neglect their familial obligations and responsibilities, which can lead to conflicts with loved ones that may not have existed otherwise. In short, when alcohol becomes a problem, it’s a problem for more people than the one doing the drinking.
Before these kinds of problems escalate, friends and family need to encourage someone with a drinking problem to consider checking into a rehab clinic for alcoholics in order to receive proper treatment.
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This post is sponsored by Tiago Lacerda and PPC Masterminds.
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Photo credit: Pixabay