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Alcohol Facts and Statistics: Bringing Awareness to Addiction Issues

Alcohol Addiction Facts, Effects, Detox, Withdrawal, Recovery

Unfortunately, many people realize it's time to get treatment for alcohol Addiction when their health is damaged beyond repair.

Good news? It's not going to be you!

Whether you have a family history connected to alcohol addiction or you're just going through some tough times, there is a way up. There are multiple services for addiction treatment and disease control.

There are also communities where people help each other heal in meetings, sharing their painful experiences. Many of them are backed up by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

And they work. But to get to that stage, you need to realize the effect of substance abuse on your health and life overall. In this article, we'll share some statistics and facts about the drug, addiction treatment, and connected topics.

What is alcohol?

To some, it's just an ingredient found in some drinks. To others, it's a daily drug they think they can't live without. Many heavy drinkers even don't realize they have a literal drug addiction around the corner.

Facts About Alcohol Addiction on Your Health

There are many interesting facts; this is more of an inspirational article that may help you realize the issue. The stats are provided by the US National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, as well as relevant sources.

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According to the US National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism:

  • Over 85% of people aging 18 and over have drunk alcohol at least once in their life;
  • Almost 70% were drinking in the past 365 days;
  • Almost 55% were drinking in the last month.
  • Over a quarter of surveyed older and young people state they binge drank last month. Over 25% of people!
  • Around 6.5% indulged in heavy drinking in the same timespan.

The facts fluctuate depending on the month and year. People drink alcohol on holidays or weekends with friends, which seems like not that big a deal.

Facts About High-intensity Drinking

Besides, there's a relatively new trend of high-intensity drinking. This means consuming over 2+ times the binge drinking measurements (different for genders). These people had 70 times more chances to have an alcohol overdose and end up at an Emergency Room than those who drank moderately.

Related Articles:US Binge Drinking Is Intensifying

Why do people drink alcohol?

Alcohol aids the release of dopamine, which makes people drink it to feel happy; Temporary stress relief is also connected to drinking due to the release of another neurotransmitter, GABA. Although, the consequences will bring even more stress.

Effects of Alcohol Addiction on your health

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The Effects of Alcohol Addiction on your health And Life

  • Heart diseases
  • Heart rate disorders
  • High blood pressure;
  • Injuries;
  • Violence towards yourself and others;
  • Unwanted sexual interactions;
  • Miscarriage and other fetal issues in pregnant women;
  • Alcohol poisoning;
  • Temporary Stress Relief
  • Hepatic disorders and failure
  • Alcohol overdose

People who frequently drink have a higher chance of getting heart diseases, starting with heart rate disorder;

The substance is processed by the liver, which may bring serious issues, including hepatic disorders and failure;

Future substance abuse may cause drug addiction and alcohol overdose.

All this is considered you're not a long-term heavy drinker.

Related Article:

What Are The Harmful Effects of Alcohol?
How Alcohol Abuse Affects Your Mind and Body
The Impact Drug or Alcohol Overdose Has On The Body
Do You Think Alcohol Is A Depressant?

Long Term Effects of Alcohol on Your Health and Life

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Here are the long term effect of alcohol

  • Heart and liver diseases;
  • Strokes;
  • Breast, mouth, liver, colon, etc. cancer;
  • Immune system deterioration;
  • Mental health issues, heavy anxiety, depression;
  • Alcohol overdose;
  • Memory issues;
  • Learning and perception issues;
  • Dementia;
  • Heavy digestion problems.

Drinking Alcohol with Other Drugs

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Using alcohol with different kinds of drugs may cause serious disorders and even death:

  • Depressants.

As alcohol is a depressant by itself, additional drugs with the same purpose will add to the effect. This will cause sudden heavy dizziness, memory loss, potential injuries due to stumbling, and even lethal outcomes;

  • Prescription pain-killers.

This combo may cause difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, unconsciousness, and even coma. Of course, lethal outcomes can't be ruled out;

  • Stimulants.

These drugs may make you lose the feeling of your alcohol dose, which may lead to alcohol overdose, blackout, difficulties with coordination, loss of consciousness, and, of course, death.

Also, remember that your medication can even go to fail if:

  • You use medication when the prescribed term is finished;
  • You take prescribed medication that your doctor didn't write a prescription for;
  • You sell or share your drugs with other people;
  • You use the drugs not as stated in the prescription.

Ethanol works by entering every cell of your body, including organs. Be careful about the use of the drug or, even better, refuse drinking alcohol at all.

This works matter the age. Moreover, if you start heavy drinking as a teen, alcohol dependency is almost inevitable. Don't give up to myths that getting black-out drunk is fine if you do it only once a week or a month.

Hangovers

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If you binge drink, a hangover is inevitable. Pharmacological companies encourage people to buy pills and drinks that seem to lower the effect. However, it's impossible to beat the state completely.

The main symptoms of the condition are:

  • Fatigue;
  • Weakness;
  • Dizziness;
  • The sense of spinning;
  • Poor sleep;
  • Tiredness;
  • Nausea;
  • Stomach pain;
  • Muscle pain (because muscles absorb alcohol faster than fat;
  • Increased sensitivity;
  • Severe dehydration.

This is the best situation of all hangover states.

Sobering Up: The Way Out of Alcohol and Drug Addiction

Alcohol is one of the most misused substances you can find. 1 in 8 Americans can be labeled as a person with drug addiction. That's both young people and grown adults.

Sobering up is a huge step, the most important one, towards a happier life. You can do it with the help of family and friends or alone. Both paths have pros and cons.

If you're not alone, the people around you may somehow encourage you to forget about sobering up and drink alcohol again. They may do it without a purpose because people drink alcohol every now and then.

However, with proper attention and support, you may find it easier to get rid of the drug and avoid alcohol overdose.

On the contrary, having many people around may feel embarrassing when you're in such a state. This is stressful, which may lead to condition deterioration.

Related Article:

Is "Sober Curious" Becoming More Popular?

Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

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The most difficult thing you will have to go through is alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). This happens because of the depressive effect of the drug on your brain. It starts working slower. If you drink alcohol for a long time in large doses, the brain gets used to such a state. And if you stop abruptly, it will fall into shock and cause the following symptoms (more severe as more time passes, from 6 to 72+ hours):

  • Anxiety;
  • Shakiness;
  • Nausea and vomiting;
  • Poor sleep;
  • Heavy sweating;
  • Confusion;
  • Rapid heart rate increase;
  • High blood pressure;
  • Fever;
  • Severe seizures;
  • Hallucinations;
  • Death.

Of course, if you're under the care of medical experts, the latter won't happen. But it's important to realize the problem in time and seek help.

Getting Help for Alcohol Misuse: National Institutions 

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Here is how national institutions can help you with Alcohol Addiction

  • Proper healthcare;
  • Detox;
  • Psychological help;
  • AWS help;
  • Alcohol overdose prevention;
  • Aftercare consultation.

If you're on this page because you or your loved one are falling into the drug and drink alcohol heavily every day, call the National Drug Abuse Institute, disease control centers in your area, or any other connected institution as soon as possible! If it's not an emergency, refer to the latest news release on one of the websites for information.

Here are the official sources you can turn to for help:

All these institutions have a useful news release every now and then and will provide information on steps to take to get the right facility on the phone. They offer support, consultation, and assistance. Even with COVID around, you can still turn to any of them.

Related Articles:

Reasons To Enroll In An Alcohol Rehab Facility

3 Signs That It?s Time to Seek Help for Alcohol Addiction

10 Tips For Finding a Good Drug And Alcohol Treatment Center

Questions to Ask Before You Commit to an Alcohol Rehab Center

To Sum Up

As you can see, the path is difficult but conquerable. There are millions of people worldwide who have beaten drug addiction and alcohol misuse. They are living their full lives, refusing to drink alcohol either for fun or for coping with stress.

There are so many things to do and experience in life. And doing so by the influence of alcohol isn't the best way, even though many young people are indulging in it.

The misuse of the substance brings inevitable issues in relationships with family, friends, loved ones. It also leads to terrible health consequences, starting with heart rate disorders and finishing with organ failure and death.

Stop leading yourself to an alcohol overdose and get help. There's nothing shameful about it. On the contrary, you're showing your strongest sides, beating alcohol withdrawal syndrome, and waking up to be the wonderful, happy person you're supposed to be! Make sure you turn to national institutes and facilities for help as soon as you realize the problem.

Almost 90,000 people die from AUD (alcohol use disorder) every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Make sure you get out of alcohol addiction as soon as possible.

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