Alcohol's Effects on the Body National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism NIAAA

The more a person drinks, the likelier they are to become dependent on alcohol to manage stress and emotions. The prevalence of alcohol addiction is significant, illustrating its powerful grip on individuals across various demographics. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, approximately 28.8 million people aged 18 and older had alcohol use disorder (AUD) in the United States in 2021.

More in The Road to Recovery with Alcohol Dependence

It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers. While all forms of alcohol consumption come with health risks, binge drinking appears to be particularly dangerous due to how repeated cycling between a high state and a withdrawal state affect the brain. For example, for some people, alcohol use can lead to “hangxiety,” the feeling of anxiety that can accompany a hangover. Medical treatments for alcoholism encompass a range of interventions aimed at addressing both the physical dependence and psychological aspects of the disease. Recent advancements and policy changes have expanded the accessibility and variety of treatments available for individuals struggling with alcohol use disorder (AUD). For instance, buprenorphine, a medication that mitigates withdrawal symptoms and reduces cravings, is now reaching an average of 37,000 new patients monthly.

Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on the Brain

A diagnosis of an alcohol use disorder is now used over outdated terms such as labeling an individual as an alcoholic or having alcoholism. We have learned that addictive behavior can grow out of traumatic experiences. It is those who use drugs and alcohol to deal with insoluble issues who are likely to keep using, because nothing in their life provides them the reason, or means, to stop. It wasn’t until 1993 that why is alcohol so addicting clinical research funded by the National Institutes of Health was required to include women as research subjects. In fact, the NIH did not even require sex as a biological variable to be considered by federally funded researchers until 2016. When women are excluded from biomedical research, it leaves doctors and researchers with an incomplete understanding of health and disease, including alcohol addiction.

How Does Alcohol Become Addictive

Over time the CFR will adjust to compensate for long term alcohol abuse and people suffering from alcohol use disorder will become more stressed when they can’t drink, increasing cravings and reinforcing dependency on alcohol. And once your body is physically addicted to alcohol you will experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking. But when you indulge in long-term heavy drinking, frequent binge drinking and excessive alcohol consumption, it does affect the delicate chemical balance within the brain. Sustained substance abuse will lead to permanent changes in the chemical make-up of the brain, resulting in alcohol dependence and addiction. At this point, many people are dependent on alcohol not just to feel good but to not feel bad and to avoid withdrawal. The final stage of alcoholism is when the person must drink regularly in order to avoid severe withdrawal symptoms.

Approaches to Alcoholism Treatment and Recovery

Recently, Sinha has turned the addiction treatment field upside down by publishing data showing that gender matters in alcohol effects on the brain and craving and also appears to determine AUD medication treatment responses. At this point, you may have alcohol https://ecosoberhouse.com/ cravings or drink to avoid the low feelings withdrawal causes rather than for the pleasurable feelings alcohol consumption may offer. Getting help for alcoholism at The Recovery Village Columbus can greatly improve the chances of overcoming alcohol addiction.

The Science of Alcohol Addiction

A night of drinking can cause uncomfortable symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Chronic and excessive alcohol use disrupts the balance of bacteria in the gut microbiome (dysbiosis). Over time, this imbalance triggers chronic gastrointestinal inflammation, leading to a higher risk of gastrointestinal diseases. Chronic alcohol use and binge drinking damage the heart muscle, making it harder for the heart to pump blood effectively. Alcohol can also contribute to arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) and hypertension (high blood pressure), increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.

Psychological Factors Contributing to Alcohol Addiction

An intervention from loved ones can help some people recognize and accept that they need professional help. If you're concerned about someone who drinks too much, ask a professional experienced in alcohol treatment for advice on how to approach that person. If your pattern of drinking results in repeated significant distress and problems functioning in your daily life, you likely have alcohol use disorder.

• As we’ve discussed, the higher tolerance makes the “high” that is achieved from this endorphin release and from the different psychological triggers exceedingly difficult to achieve and, unfortunately, alcoholism follows.
• By Lindsay CurtisCurtis is a writer with over 20 years of experience focused on mental health, sexual health, cancer care, and spinal health.
• Although the exact cause of alcohol use disorder is unknown, there are certain factors that may increase your risk for developing this disease.
• As well as ‘psychological addiction’, alcohol can also produce physical dependency.
• Believing that problems with alcohol only happen to certain people who are ‘alcoholics’ or ‘addicts’ can be a convenient way to brush aside what may be quite serious alcohol issues in our own lives.

Others experiencing alcohol problems find terms like ‘alcoholic’ and ‘alcoholism’ (or ‘addict’ and ‘addiction’) unhelpful. They may not wish to define themselves as ‘an alcoholic’ or ‘an addict’ and may see themselves more as someone who is struggling with life and overusing alcohol to cope. They may wish to reduce their alcohol consumption to more moderate levels, rather stopping altogether. Perhaps the simplest description is that it is doing something to the point where it harms us, and not feeling able to stop. Alcohol addiction treatment doesn’t just address the physical symptoms; it’s a holistic approach that includes counseling and therapy to understand and manage the underlying triggers that led to the addiction.

• BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor.
• Behavioral treatments—also known as alcohol counseling, or talk therapy, and provided by licensed therapists—are aimed at changing drinking behavior.
• When under peer pressure, teenagers may consume alcohol excessively, which can harm their health and overall well-being.
• The study found that while alcohol cues triggered stronger cravings in men, stress cues had a similar impact on women, suggesting the need for sex-specific treatment strategies.