Alcohol And Its Effects

The term elixir is used to describe a potion-like substance which is supposed to bring good health and youth to a person. In reality, an elixir is simply a medicinal substance masked with sweetening agents and alcohol in order to make the consumption process easier. Alcohol thus forms a part of an elixir but is not necessarily an elixir in itself. Alcohol is a drink that usually forms a part of social interaction and may be a part of culture and cuisine as well. In small quantities, alcohol is not very damaging to a person’s health and some types of alcohols are even regarded as beneficial to one’s health such as red and white wines.

Since small amounts of wine are considered to be healthy, people tend to mistakenly believe that all forms of alcohol are healthy.

Alcohol consumption in excess or over an extended period of time can cause alcohol health problems. The effects are widespread and nearly all of them are life threatening or severely affect a person’s lifestyle and their longevity. Alcohol abuse has been linked with liver damage, liver cirrhosis, brain damage, and other conditions including digestive problems and problems with the kidneys. Another aspect of alcohol and its effects is the addiction component. Alcohol is an addictive substance and there are many people across the world who suffer from alcohol dependency issues. This is because there is a physical as well as mental dependency that occurs when alcohol consumption is rampant. This is one of the alcohol addiction effects and it is a serious social problem across the world.

An alcohol addict gradually begins to lose focus when it comes to the responsibilities that he or she has. When a person is addicted to a substance, their reasoning powers become skewed. When a person is inebriated, their motor skills, reasoning, and thought processes are affected. This renders them useless when it comes to performing their jobs.Even when an addict is not under the influence, the effects of a hangover or the feelings of ill health can affect their performance.One of the facts of alcohol is that alcoholics tend to need alcohol in order to live without withdrawal symptoms.

Treating an alcohol addiction is a long term and difficult process. It involves avoiding alcohol completely, using psychological counseling and consuming medication that reduce the effect of the withdrawal. There are societies and clinics across the world that help patients who wish to recover from alcohol dependency. Success in such an endeavor is based on a person’s willpower to overcome the addiction.

Submitted on March 30, 2011