The effects of excessive alcohol consumption on the body can be widespread, permanent, and lethal. There are several ways that alcoholism affects the body of the addicted person, both biologically, psychologically, and emotionally. The brain is the first organ to be affected by excessive alcohol consumption. Once alcohol gets into the brain, certain areas of the brain are dulled while others are amplified, bringing about drastic changes in mood and personality. This is how people become their drunk selves. Another way that alcohol affects the brain is by disrupting the communication pathways that connect the brain, so it is necessary to go for professional alcohol treatment at a rehab facility.
This can result in the brain actually becoming somewhat deformed, which, if left untreated for extended periods of time or if excessive amounts of alcohol are consumed, can lead to conditions such as wet brain and delirium, in addition to other mental diseases. The communicators in the brain that allow memories to be imprinted are disrupted to the point that they stop working for a period of time, which is another cause of blackouts.
Damage to the heart is similar to the brain in that, over time, the heart itself can become warped and misshapen due to excessive alcohol consumption. This can lead to something called cardiomyopathy, which is the stretching or drooping of the heart muscle. Other things that can happen to the heart are arrhythmias, which is where the heart beats irregularly, clotting in the arteries and veins leading to strokes, and the most common and early symptom of heart problems caused by drinking: high blood pressure.
The liver takes the hardest hit over time from long-term drinking. Something called steatosis of the liver can occur, which is where the liver starts to turn into fat. This alone can be life-threatening, for it can lead to liver failure and eventual coma. Alcoholic hepatitis is when the liver begins to swell and become damaged, also leading to the possibility of liver failure.
Cirrhosis of the liver is one of the most well-known and dangerous afflictions that are brought on by excessive drinking. Liver cirrhosis is where a great deal of damage has occurred to the liver from excessive consumption of alcohol, and the liver begins to scar as it heals itself. The scarring is permanent and acts as a “roadblock” between the liver’s functions, disrupting those functions. The scarring becomes so bad that it begins to spread to the immune and nervous systems.
Excessive drinking also slows down and disrupts the immune system, causing the drinker to become ill more easily. Diseases like tuberculosis and pneumonia can be contracted more easily, even up to 24 hours after a heavy drinking period.
The word “holistic” refers to a person’s entirety- their whole mind, body, soul, and general well-being. Holistic treatment is aimed at treating the entire addict or alcoholic, not just the withdrawals from their addictions. Holistic treatment aims to use more natural remedies to the problems that an addict faces.
Things as yoga, massage, acupuncture, homeopathic remedies such as nutrient pills and essential oils, electronic biofeedback treatment, movement therapy, meditation, chiropractic treatment, and so on. Holistic treatment facilities are opening up more and more these days and should be readily available to anyone who needs them.
