Alcohol and its Effects

It seems that alcohol has been around since the beginning of time. In fact, there is evidence that alcohol existed at least as early as 10,000 BC. Alcohol is characterized as a depressant. This means that when any type of alcohol is consumed its effects of the central nervous system lower the level of stimulation. Alcohol also lowers the mental function of an individual.

Like any drug, alcohol produces a state of euphoria when ingested. For some people, this state is so desirable that they turn to alcohol so frequently that they develop an addiction. Alcohol addiction is one of the hardest addictions to overcome as well as the most prevalent in society. This is largely due to the general availability and legality of its consumption. Clearly this is different from street drugs like heroin or cocaine, where the individual has to go out of their way to come into contact with the drug.

When a person develops an addiction to alcohol they often consume more and more alcohol in order to feel the desired effects. The longer a person drinks, the greater tolerance they build towards the alcohol. Their body needs more and more of the chemical to create a reaction.

Oftentimes people get started abusing alcohol when it alleviates some sort of stress in their lives. Once that happens, the alcohol then seems like it can be a solution to everything, but in reality it only makes it worse. For other people, the desire to drink comes from the way they were raised. Studies show that children who grow up in households where alcohol is consumed heavily on a daily basis are more likely to abuse alcohol as well, whereas more responsible and moderate amounts can produce less damaging behaviors in most cases.

While there is no way to tell if someone is going to develop an alcohol addiction, researchers have noticed that in addition to the way people are raised, other factors such as personality can play a role as well as other circumstances in life and coping skills.

If you know someone in need of help for an alcohol problem, contact us today for more information about effective treatments.