Long Term Alcohol Abuse and How to Stop

Giving an alcoholic information on effects of long term alcohol abuse and how to stop continuing addiction may help them quit

Are you having difficulty convincing a loved one of the need to overcome an ongoing addiction to alcohol? Denial is common among people who abuse alcohol, despite the fact that the long term effects of alcohol can wreak considerable damage to the health and well-being of the addict's family, friends, and self. Accepting responsibility is the first step to overcoming alcohol addiction. If someone you know is harming themselves and others with their continuing alcohol abuse, it may be time for an intervention. Presenting information that explains the effects of long term alcohol abuse and how to stop it from continuing may give them the push they need to finally enter treatment.

Effects of long term alcohol abuse

Chronic alcohol abuse causes significant damage to virtually every system in person's body. The physical destruction is compounded over time, causing so much injury to organs that it may be irreversible and persist even after a person stops drinking. The most significant effects of long term alcohol abuse can be seen in the damage drinking causes to the various organs and body systems:

  • Liver disease – Chronic heavy drinking causes alcoholic hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), hepatic steatosis, and cirrhosis (irreversible scarring of liver tissue)
  • Increased chance of cancer – Ongoing, heavy alcohol abuse significantly increases the chances of that a person will develop mouth, liver, colon, throat, colon, and breast cancer
  • Neurological complications – changes in behavior, disordered thinking, memory loss, and dementia
  • Sexual dysfunction –erectile dysfunction or interruption of menstruation
  • Damage to immune system
  • Heart problems - heart failure or stroke
  • Digestive difficulties – gastritis and pancreatitis
  • Diabetes complications
  • Eye problems
  • Bone damage
  • Birth defects

How to stop alcohol abuse: Alcohol rehab programs

Many people are unable to figure out how to stop abusing alcohol without treatment; in fact, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that 15.1 million adults ages 18 and older qualified as having an alcohol use disorder in 2015. Alcohol rehab programs that include medical detox along with rehab can provide the necessary medical and therapeutic support to help people who are addicted to alcohol achieve long lasting recovery. While there are several different types of alcohol rehab programs available, all of them include some form of medical detox and alcohol abuse rehab therapy to help ensure long term recovery from alcohol addiction.

Medical detox

Trying to quit drinking alcohol on your own after sustained abuse is extremely dangerous. Withdrawal symptoms from alcohol abuse can be intensely uncomfortable or even life-threatening, depending on the severity of the alcohol abuse. When you enter medically assisted alcohol detox, trained professionals can administer medications that reduce cravings, alleviate the worst withdrawal symptoms, and make it easier to refrain from drinking.

Alcohol abuse rehab

Alcohol abuse rehab programs teach relapse prevention strategies that give recovering drinkers tools and strategies they can use to avoid drinking in the future. Through the use of cognitive behavior therapy, group and individual counseling, peer counseling, and other therapeutic programs, alcohol abuse rehab programs help patients overcome alcohol addiction. Treatment can be through an inpatient residential program or on an outpatient basis depending on the individual needs of the recovering alcoholic.

If you or someone you know needs help stopping long term alcohol abuse, call Drug Treatment Centers Wilmington NC today at 910-338-2891. Addiction specialists will help you or a loved one find the alcohol abuse rehab center and treatment facilities that offer the best choice for you.

 

 

Sources:

https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/support-treatment

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alcohol-use-disorder/basics/treatment/con-20020866

https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics

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