Nervous System: alcohol is a depressant of the CNS, meaning it slows activity down. The degree to which brain activity slows down depends on how much, and how fast, a person drinks.

Circulatory: The circulatory system includes the heart; a system of vessels called arteries, veins, and capillaries; and blood. Studies in adults have shown that a glass of alcohol each day can help heart function. But large amounts of alcohol can affect how the heart works; if the heart isn’t pumping blood throughout the body effectively, other organs may suffer from lack of oxygen or nutrients.

Alcoholism within a family is very difficult for kids to both understand and deal with. Often, they are neglected and traumatized. And alcoholics who place their children at risk may lose custody of these children. Once a pattern of substance abuse has been established, it can be very difficult to turn this around to reclaim custody.

While under the influence of alcohol, it’s possible to resort to aggressive, irrational behaviors that can even lead to violence. If you’re found guilty, there can be imprisonment and/or hefty fines, along with a permanent record that can make it difficult to rent a home or get a job.

Losing your license doesn’t only relate to DUI/DWI and driving. Do you hunt, fly a plane or drive a commercial vehicle? With a criminal record, you may relinquish any chance of being able to keep, renew or obtain these types of licenses as well. In the case of attorneys, physicians or other licensed professionals, a single legal problem can wipe out an otherwise flourishing career.

After heavy drinking, most people’s attention is only allocated to their immediate environment. This explains the attention-related mistakes people make while intoxicated, such as impaired driving. Heavy alcohol consumption affects our concentration and awareness.

When a person is intoxicated, they respond only to what will provide them with immediate pleasure. They do not analyze the risk of that behavior because alcohol limits our inhibitions. We feel free and reckless when intoxicated like there are no consequences. However, as we all know, every action has a consequence, regardless of how drunk you were when it happened.

Alcohol itself does not necessarily cause aggression. It increases the amount of aggression a person feels when provoked. Therefore, when a person feels challenged; rather than ignore that behavior, they respond in an aggressive manner. They are limited in their ability to have restraint.

When intoxicated, a person loses their ability to monitor their behavior successfully. However, being aware of yourself and your behavior is important. While you might not care at the moment, you will care when the alcohol wears off.

Alcohol relieves stress and anxiety. Often, people state they are drinking to “take the edge off.” However, did you know that alcohol can make anxiety worse? That’s right. Although the ethanol in alcohol can temporarily reduce anxiety, it does not cure it. In fact, anxiety and alcohol use can worsen drinking behavior and make anxiety worse. 

Over time, excessive alcohol consumption begins to weaken the heart muscle resulting in blood flow irregularities. Alcoholics and binge drinkers are often plagued by a condition known as cardiomyopathy where the heart stretches and droops. People diagnosed with cardiomyopathy caused by alcohol tend to experience shortness of breath, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), fatigue, enlarged liver, and a persistent cough. Alcohol can also increase the risk of a heart attack, stroke, and hypertension.

By slowing the relay of information between neurotransmitters, the ethanol found in alcoholic drinks can cause damage to multiple areas of the brain. Prolonged damage to the brain’s neurotransmitters can result in behavioral and mood changes such as depression, anxiety, memory loss, and seizures. Alcoholism combined with poor nutrition can also trigger Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, “Wet Brain.” Alcoholics with “Wet Brain” experience a form of depression characterized by memory loss, confusion, hallucinations, loss of muscle coordination, and an inability to form new memories.

We tend to underscore the importance of the human liver, however, many alcoholics can tell you with certainty just how important liver function really is. Our livers are essential when it comes to proper food digestion, nutrient absorption, controlling infections, and ridding the body of toxins. There are over two million people in the U.S. who suffer from liver disease caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Liver cirrhosis ranked as the 12th leading cause of death among Americans in 2009. 

A lot like the brain, large amounts of alcohol can confuse the pancreas causing it to secret enzymes internally instead of sending them to the small intestines. The buildup of enzymes in the pancreas will eventually cause inflammation. This inflammation, also known as pancreatitis, can either occur as a sudden attack (acute pancreatitis) that includes symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting, increase heart rate, diarrhea, and fever or chronic pancreatitis which slowly deteriorates the pancreas, leading to diabetes and even death.

The effect alcohol has on the liver can also spread to the kidneys. Due to the diuretic effect alcohol has on increasing the amount of urine the body produces, the kidneys are not able to do their job of regulating the flow and makeup of body fluids including the distribution of sodium, potassium, and chloride ions. This can in turn disturb our balance of electrolytes. Excessive alcohol consumption can also lead to high blood pressure, the second leading cause of kidney failure. 

 

Symptoms include repeated alcohol consumption despite related legal and health issues. Those with alcoholism may begin each day with a drink, feel guilty about their drinking, and have the desire to cut down on the amount of drinking.