There is indeed a fine line between being privy to the idea of enjoying a few drinks now and then and becoming a victim of alcoholism! Before you may even realize it, alcoholism may encompass completely! If you feel drinking has become a compulsive habit for you, looking up some local AA meetings and attending a session or two could prove to be of great help! A simple online search will generate quite a few symptoms!
The Impacts are not Psychological Alone
Alcohol addiction is not a simple problem to deal with. If you attend AA meetings, you will know that the addiction does have long-lasting and complicated repercussions that may prove to be life-changing in many ways! To begin with, alcohol addiction does not have psychological implications alone! It can have significant impressions on essential body functions too.
Simply put, our physical health can be hugely compromised owing to compulsive drinking! If you still choose to remain in denial, the following facts can prove to be eye-openers of sorts!
How Alcohol Affects our Bodily Functions
Circulatory System: Chronic binge drinking can bring about significant damage to your lungs and heart. Some of the common complications related to the circulatory system include:
- Elevated blood pressure and irregular heartbeat.
- Heart diseases like coronary arterial blockages, ischemic heart, and so on.
- Enhanced probability of heart attacks and strokes!
The prevalence of cardiac failure is also common in alcoholics. This is specifically the reason why using a sobriety calculator now and then is important for keeping your binge drinking impulses in check.
Reproductive and Sexual Health: Many believe that indulging in alcohol is a smart way to shed inhibitions and ramp up the fun quotient in intimacy! The fact however is that heavy drinking can hamper your sexual health as well as your reproductive capabilities in the long run. Some of the common disadvantages include:
- Drinking inhibits the production of sex hormones.
- It lowers your libido.
- It makes achieving an orgasm difficult!
- It can cause erectile dysfunction too!
- Excessive drinking can affect menstrual cycles adversely and in turn, impact reproductive capabilities.
As Alcoholics Anonymous meetings would reiterate, alcoholism can cause serious disruptions in relationships. And some of these could be related to sexual intimacy and reproductive health!
Digestive System: The impact of alcoholism on digestive health cannot be felt immediately. The symptoms surface only after the damage has been done! Some of the common symptoms of advanced digestive health problems include:
- Alcohol can cause gastric disturbances within the gut resulting in bloating.
- There could be an unpleasant feeling of fullness in the tummy.
- Diarrhea and painful stools owing to excessive constipation are both common.
- Ulcers, as well as hemorrhoids, can occur owing to constipation and dehydration.
Alcoholism can be damaging in very many other ways. It can also result in psychosomatic illnesses, social withdrawals, and many more unpleasant developments. Once alcohol becomes a problem, joining an AA meeting in North Carolina is your best chance.