A 2023 United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) report states that around 48.5 million Americans aged 12 and older battled a substance use disorder in the past year. That's 16.7% of American population. 7.9% of these people (around 20.4 million) are also going through mental health disorder and the numbers are rising. This article discusses how alcohol affects a person’s social and personal life, how it leads towards depression and how to break free from alcoholism and lead towards a better life.

Understanding Addiction:

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic condition defined by compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcohol despite its harmful effects on health, personal and social life, and overall well-being. Alcoholism is more than just excessive drinking; alcohol addiction often involves a physical and psychological dependence on alcohol.

AUD develops over time. What starts as a casual drinking leads to problematic behavior with excessive consumption of alcohol. Drinking too much can cause brain cells to shrink which manipulates the brain activity. It affects decision making and Impulsive control. These changes makes quitting alcohol extremely difficult.

Why alcohol is hard to quit?

Quitting alcohol is challenging. Just like any other drug, alcohol gives an individual a false sense of pleasure. However, this sense of euphoria is short lived and as soon as it ends the negative feeling starts to loom. The temporary pleasure and its wear off leads to the vicious repetitive cycle of alcohol dependency as the brain craves the same euphoric feeling. This can lead to negative consequences such as:

• Poor judgement: People under the false sense of euphoria can make decisions that can lead to devastating consequences for themselves and for people around them.


• Negative emotions: After the effects of alcohol wears down, the person starts to get the feelings of sadness or irritability.


• Increased tolerance: After some period, the person starts to consume a large amount of alcohol to feel the effects.

Effects of Alcohol addiction:

alcohol addiction can have a huge negative effect on a person’s physical and mental health. It also affects relationships and quality of life. Following are the effects of alcohol addiction:

Effect on physical health:

• Liver failure: Drinking too much alcohol can lead to lever failure. Excessive alcohol consumption is the biggest cause of liver cirrhosis.


• immune system: Alcohol can weakens the immune system and reduces the body’s ability to fight infections.


• Neurological damage: Alcoholism can weakens brain function and leads to memory loss. It kills the brain cells and ultimately leads to brain damage.


• Heart problem: Increases high blood pressure risk, cardiomyopathy and stroke.


• Digestion: Causes Inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis), ulcers and issues in pancreas.

Effects on mental health:

• Dependency: Addiction of alcohol causes dependency. It creates a cycle alcohol dependency that makes it hard to stop.


• Depression and Anxiety: Alcohol may worsen underlying mental health conditions. It makes a person withdrawn from the society.


• Cognitive Impairment: Long-term use of alcohol affects memory, decision-making, and learning.

Social and Behavioral Effects:

• Financial Problems: Alcohol Leads to absenteeism, job loss, and financial instability.


• Risky Behavior: Involves unsafe practices, such as unprotected sex or driving under the influence and increasing the risk of DUIs, arrests, and other legal troubles.


• Strained Relationships: Alcoholism Causes conflicts with family, friends, and coworkers. Alcohol abuse is the biggest cause of divorce and relationship failure.

Long-Term Effects:

• Alcohol addiction leads to chronic illnesses, such as hypertension, diabetes and kidney and lever failure.

How to recover from alcohol addiction?

It is challenging when you’re trying to recover from alcohol addiction but the journey is rewarding. Recovery is possible but requires commitment, professional help, support from loved ones and acknowledgement. Here are few steps to start your recovery journey.

• Acknowledge your Problem: The first thing is to acknowledge that you have a problem and you want to fix it. Admit your wrong doings, recognize that alcohol is negatively affecting your life.


• Seek Professional Help: Consult an addiction specialist to create a personalized treatment plan. Medications like Naltrexone, Disulfiram, and Acamprosate can help manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms.


• Behavioral therapy and counseling: Individual or group therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be very helpful to address the underlying causes of addiction. counseling can be helpful in repairing relationships and build a supportive home environment.


• Join Support Groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA): Support groups like AA and help in the journey of recovery.


• Change in Lifestyle: Adopt a healthier lifestyle. Include exercise, yoga, balanced diet and scheduled sleep in your life. These habits can bring positive changes in your life.


• Stay committed: At the beginning, it can be a daunting task to stay on course but it is important to not give up.

Medications for Alcohol Addiction:

While treating alcohol addiction, medication can play a significant role helping individuals to manage cravings, reduce withdrawal symptoms, and preventing them from relapse. These medications are a part of comprehensive treatment plan that also includes counseling, therapy, and change in lifestyle. Here are some commonly prescribed medications for alcohol addiction:

Acamprosate

• It is Used to help maintain abstinence in people recovering from alcohol dependence. It restores the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain disrupted by chronic alcohol use. Acamprosate reduces cravings and the urge for alcohol. The medicine is combined with counseling and support.

Topiramate

• Primarily used as an anticonvulsant to prevent epilepsy and prevent migraines. It is also reduces alcohol and drug cravings. Topiramate regulates the function of neurotransmitters, particularly GABA and glutamate, which play roles in addiction and cravings. It is helpful in reducing alcohol and drug cravings.

Naltrexone

• It Used to treat alcohol dependence. It is also helpful for opioid addiction. As an opioid receptor antagonist it blocks the effects of opioids and reduces alcohol cravings by altering the brain’s reward pathways. Naltrexone is taken as a daily pill or a monthly injection.

Naltrexone HCl

• Helpful for treating alcohol and opioid dependence. Just like Naltrexone, it blocks opioid receptors and reduces alcohol cravings. The HCl (hydrochloride) form refers to its specific chemical preparation.

Disulfiram

• Its purpose is to support abstinence in people recovering from alcohol dependence. Disulfiram interferes with the metabolism of alcohol, which leads to unpleasant reactions such as nausea, vomiting and headache after alcohol consumption. It is Effective as part of a comprehensive treatment program with behavioral therapy.

Conclusion:

The path to alcohol addiction recovery can be challenging but as mentioned earlier, can be very rewarding. The road ahead is daunting but taking first step is the most important thing. By acknowledging that you need help can open the door for healing, support, growth and a healthier future.

If you or your loved one is struggling with addiction then don’t wait. Remember: Recovery isn't a destination but a process that leads to a healthy and happy life.