According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 69.5% of people in the United States reported drinking within the last year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nOver time, alcohol can impact bodily functions in the heart, liver, and even the brain. Alcohol has been identified as the cause of more than 60 different diseases including throat, liver, heart, and brain. Heavier alcohol use, for all conditions, means a higher risk of disease or injury. As a result, alcohol is viewed differently than other dangerous illicit drugs like heroin or methamphetamine, though death tolls suggest it\u2019s just as dangerous if not more so. In fact, alcohol has been linked to overdose, fatal accidents, disease, and much more.<\/p>\n
Long-Term Health Risks<\/h2>\n
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And according to the NIAAA, alcoholic dementia is the second-leading cause of adult dementia in the United States, accounting for 10 percent of such cases and second only to Alzheimer’s disease. Relationships are ruined regularly and lives sometimes are taken into eternity before their time. As I now look back over all of the wreckage that I and many friends and family members have suffered, I realize more than ever how serious this disease is. For most, the onset of addiction doesn\u2019t happen overnight but rather is gradual. Although it\u2019s easier to spot the major problems that are linked to alcohol abuse, the smaller tell-tale signs can go unnoticed.<\/p>\n
\n- Support from family and friends is essential, but people who make up the individual’s support system also need to be sure that they are caring for themselves.<\/li>\n
- By Buddy TBuddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism.<\/li>\n
- When drinking becomes the focal point of every activity, alcohol addiction is a concern.<\/li>\n
- Rates of alcohol-related deaths have skyrocketed over the last couple of decades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
You Communicate More with the Bottle Than with Your Partner<\/h2>\n
Even if you believe your partner is more important than any substance, your actions will likely prove otherwise if you have alcohol use disorder. Heavy drinking affects the mind and body, and the one struggling is often the last to recognize the damage\u2019s extent. Alcohol use disorder severely impacts an individual\u2019s personality and, as a result, can make them unrecognizable from the person they were before they started drinking.<\/p>\n