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17 March 2020
The Benefits of Being Alcohol Free
Many young people start drinking at young ages; others start later in life. Drinking too much alcohol can lead to alcoholism. Alcoholism is an addiction to the consumption of alcohol or the mental illness and irresistable demeanor towards alcohol dependency.We start drinking because of things such as peer pressure, depression, anxiety, the thought that it’ll make things better, forget things, etc. Little do we know that alcoholism can lead to these very things.
Alcohol dehydrates the skin and reduces its elasticity. Alcohol tends to make a person look older than younger. Alcohol breaks down the protein that connects skin cells and strengthens tissue, also known as collagen. The loss of collagen makes the skin saggy and loose. Alcohol causes body tissue inflammation. This makes the face go red until the alcohol is out of the system. Too many cases of inflammation damages the skin. ALong with making you look old, it ages your body cells. Alcohol wears down the cells in your organs, shortening the lifespan. If the body is too unhealthy to reproduce new cells, the aging process will become apparent. Weight gain is also a factor of drinking alcohol. Many people refer to the large stomachs of alcoholics as “beer bellies”. Weighing too much can affect your heart. Drinking too much can lead to heart disease. Drinking leads to an increase of fat in the bloodstream. Fatty blood slows down the speed of blood as it moves throughout your body, making the heart work harder. If the heart is overworked it can lead to heart failure or other bad conditions. In 2014, there were 19,00 deaths due to alcoholic liver disease. Alcohol poisoning can lead to liver problems such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, fatty liver syndrome, etc. These can cause both internal and external damage. Alcohol increases your chance of cancer and also the chance of abusing other substances.
Alcohol also triggers delta activity, or a deep sleep that helps with memory and learning restoration. Alcohol also triggers alpha activity, which occurs while you are awake. Alpha activity effects are the exact opposite of those of delta activity- you can’t sleep and you can’t remember things. However, alcohol can bring back traumatic experiences and memories from the past. Alcohol interferes with sleep, learning, memory, and the levels of your depression and anxiety.
When you are intoxicated you can suffer many types of issues such as:
Abnormal balance and coordination
Slurred speech
Throwing up
Drowsiness and black-outs
Along with the issues mentioned before, intoxication can cause mood swings such as:
Short tempers
Violent activity
Closeness to strangers
Inappropriate activity toward others
Impulsiveness
If you do drink you are risking a disorder called Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS). This occurs when the alcohol uses up your body’s natural supply of Vitamin B1. The loss of B1 can lead to confusion and memory loss, along with mood swings and violent behavior.
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) is the mathematical ratio of the percentage of the alcohol in the bloodstream. There are many things that determine BAC: body weight, biological sex, food, and medication; the number of drinks consumed and the time in which they are consumed is a fcator as well.
One Standard Drink
12 oz beer
7 oz malt liquor
5 oz wine glass
1.5 shot hard liquor
⅓ jigger Everclear
As the BAC increases, so does the impairment level:
Mild impairment- 0.0%-0.05%
Increased impairment- 0.06%-0.15%
Severe impairment- 0.16%-0.30%
Life Threatening- 0.31%- 0.45%
Along with wearing down your body, alcohol wears down your bank account. On average, 4.5 million Americans spend $200 on alcohol per week. If you spend $ 200 a week this means you spend $10,400 dollars a year. Financial issues can cause an individual to start drinking. Issues with the police or government such as Driving Under the Influence fines (DUIs) cost a lot of money as well.
Alcohol has many negative effects and is very dangerous. If you start drinking, there is a great possibility that you will get addicted. Alcohol takes a great toll on your body. You lose friends. You lose control. Everything as you know it will come to an end. If you need help, don’t turn to alcohol or other dangerous substances. Get help and choose to live. Accepting alcohol into your life, means accepting all the negative consequences it brings with it.
Source Cited
Unknown. “10 Reasons Not to Drink Alcohol”.Mountainside,14, December 2018,https://mountainside.com/blog/alcohol/10-reasons-not-to-drink-alcohol
Staff, Ashwood. “15 Benefits of Quitting Alcohol (Or Not Drinking It At All)”. Ashwood Recovery, 28, January, 2020, https://www.ashwoodrecovery.com/blog/15-benefits-quit-drinking-alcohol/
Monico, Noelle.”Effects of Blood Alcohol Levels on the Body”. American Addiction Resources Center, 11, March, 2020, https://www.alcohol.org/effects/blood-alcohol-concentration/