Alcohol has very devastating effects on the physical and mental health of a person when abused. The liver is said to metabolize a standard drink of alcohol per hour (Schlagal & Wu, 2019). This may vary due to various factors such as age, gender, liver function and weight. Too much consumption of alcohol can lead to chronic physical and mental effects. They include liver damage, cardiovascular diseases and multiple types of cancers (Schlagal & Wu, 2019). With consistent alcohol abuse over time, the liver becomes inflamed leading to conditions such as alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis and fibrosis. It also leads to causing high blood pressure, stroke, blood clot and possibly heart attacks.
Genetics are 50% of the underlying reason for alcohol use disorder (Salvatore et al., 2017). If the metabolisms of alcohol in an individual is such that the body responds by experiencing pleasurable effects that are dominant than experiencing mood swings and feeling nauseous then it is likely for the individual to develop alcohol use disorder. Genetics has been linked to the contribution of alcoholism in most of the people struggling with the condition. The genes that are associated with the development of the reward center in the brain have been identified and are responsible for contribution of alcohol use disorder. They are said to cause the pleasurable experience effect of alcohol thus leading to addiction.
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The AA being a support group for alcoholics help addicts in realizing that alcoholism is a disease rather than a psychological problem (Dore, 2019). They also elaborate on why other people do not become alcoholic despite their indulgence behavior due to genetic factors and other predispositions that make them immune to alcohol addiction. This help alcoholics in accepting their situation and seeking treatment and support to start rehabilitation process (Humphreys et al., 2017). AA also provides support in form of group therapy whereby it reunites the alcoholics in their journey to regain sobriety. Through Group therapy, the alcoholics in their quest to regain sobriety share their stories to encourage one another and also keep each other company to avoid falling into bad company again that might make them slip back to their old ways.
References
Dore, J. R. (2019). RE: Alcoholism is a disease: I should know I have it within me.
Humphreys, K., Ferri, M., & Kelly, J. F. (2017). Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12‐step programs for alcohol use disorder. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews , 2017 (11).
Salvatore, J. E., Cho, S. B., & Dick, D. M. (2017). Genes, environments, and sex differences in alcohol research. Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs , 78 (4), 494-501.
Schlagal, C. R., & Wu, P. (2019). Tipsy neural stem cells: chronic effects of alcohol on the brain. Neural regeneration research , 14 (1), 67.
