Alcohol enjoys a long tradition of being an inseparable part of celebrations and social gatherings in almost every society. Be it the customary flute of champagne at weddings, or the officious glass of scotch which has become mandatory at almost every social do it is not uncommon to find the occasional drink being accepted, and even encouraged, at numerous occasions in the course of an individual's adult life. But it is when this occasional drink becomes a way to escape or deal with stress, or when an individual gets accustomed to his round of drinks every evening, that without realizing it, he succumbs to the deep dark void of alcoholism.
This disease is very difficult to unmask as the individual himself does not see anything abnormal with his drinking habit and people around him discard the problem as just a mere indulgence, which the person can bring an end to anytime he wants. And this cycle of deception continues, until the ill-effects of alcohol become so severe that only drastic measures have to be called upon. Alcohol is a slow poison one that works itself up into your body, destroying it over the course of time and gradually enveloping your family and social interactions in its cloud of gloom which further spreads to encompass the society and even the economy and development of the country as a whole with the spate of delinquent behaviors and loss of productivity it causes.
When an individual begins to consume excessive amounts of alcohol, his abuse first manifests itself on his physical health. From heart disease to complications in the functioning of the liver, the victim begins to fall prey to a host of ailments which result in him calling in sick more often, which impairs the productivity of the organization as a whole. On a broader spectrum, this also causes discernible losses in revenue to the economy, thus hindering its growth and development.
The loss on income on account of impaired performance at the workplace is further compounded by the expenditure the individual incurs on fueling his addiction which in turn affects the well-being of his family. The stress that the individual is looking to escape is aggravated by marital discord and feelings of financial insecurity, which in most cases, lead him to drink even more to block out these factors. And alcohol being a depressant itself, the individual is drawn deeper into the vicious cycle that his addiction creates, where he drinks more and more to deal with the depression that alcohol is causing him.
Conventionally, society has little patience with victims of alcohol abuse as, instead of recognizing it as the disease it is, the alcoholic viewed as a weak-spirited individual who is unable to resist, what seems to them, a mere indulgence. This plunges the victim into despair and brings about low self-esteem. Alcohol also interferes with the functioning of the brain and the nervous system, aggravating the victim's depression until it develops into more severe conditions like schizophrenia and paranoia. Alcohol addiction also makes an individual more susceptible to other types of substance abuse, which further complicate the problems alcoholism itself is accountable for.
Children, who come from families where either or both parents suffer from alcohol addiction, also tend to be at a heightened risk of depression, which can begin from their early childhood in the form of uncontrollable crying, bed wetting and nightmares. As they grow older, they are also likely to be very extreme in their behavior, which can either mean that they will be very rebellious and delinquent, or conversely, obsess about their grades, be increasingly submissive and self-conscious and are also more likely to develop phobias. These children also suffer a very lonely childhood, having no one to speak to about their fears and even convince themselves that they are failures, despite their best efforts to prove otherwise.
With the harried pace at which we live life today, in the modern world and the increasing pressures we have to deal with, both at the workplace and in our social interactions, it is not uncommon to find more and more people resorting to alcohol to alleviate their woes. But before surrendering to the bottle and all the promise it holds, first stop to think about whether the gamut of evils that this seemingly innocuous beverage causes is worth the momentary feeling of satisfaction it brings you and whether you are willing to take that risk and toe the line when the security and happiness of your family is at stake. The choice, though not difficult to make, may be a hard one to live up to but once you do take that first step, you'll soon see the world of difference it brings about.
This disease is very difficult to unmask as the individual himself does not see anything abnormal with his drinking habit and people around him discard the problem as just a mere indulgence, which the person can bring an end to anytime he wants. And this cycle of deception continues, until the ill-effects of alcohol become so severe that only drastic measures have to be called upon. Alcohol is a slow poison one that works itself up into your body, destroying it over the course of time and gradually enveloping your family and social interactions in its cloud of gloom which further spreads to encompass the society and even the economy and development of the country as a whole with the spate of delinquent behaviors and loss of productivity it causes.
When an individual begins to consume excessive amounts of alcohol, his abuse first manifests itself on his physical health. From heart disease to complications in the functioning of the liver, the victim begins to fall prey to a host of ailments which result in him calling in sick more often, which impairs the productivity of the organization as a whole. On a broader spectrum, this also causes discernible losses in revenue to the economy, thus hindering its growth and development.
The loss on income on account of impaired performance at the workplace is further compounded by the expenditure the individual incurs on fueling his addiction which in turn affects the well-being of his family. The stress that the individual is looking to escape is aggravated by marital discord and feelings of financial insecurity, which in most cases, lead him to drink even more to block out these factors. And alcohol being a depressant itself, the individual is drawn deeper into the vicious cycle that his addiction creates, where he drinks more and more to deal with the depression that alcohol is causing him.
Conventionally, society has little patience with victims of alcohol abuse as, instead of recognizing it as the disease it is, the alcoholic viewed as a weak-spirited individual who is unable to resist, what seems to them, a mere indulgence. This plunges the victim into despair and brings about low self-esteem. Alcohol also interferes with the functioning of the brain and the nervous system, aggravating the victim's depression until it develops into more severe conditions like schizophrenia and paranoia. Alcohol addiction also makes an individual more susceptible to other types of substance abuse, which further complicate the problems alcoholism itself is accountable for.
Children, who come from families where either or both parents suffer from alcohol addiction, also tend to be at a heightened risk of depression, which can begin from their early childhood in the form of uncontrollable crying, bed wetting and nightmares. As they grow older, they are also likely to be very extreme in their behavior, which can either mean that they will be very rebellious and delinquent, or conversely, obsess about their grades, be increasingly submissive and self-conscious and are also more likely to develop phobias. These children also suffer a very lonely childhood, having no one to speak to about their fears and even convince themselves that they are failures, despite their best efforts to prove otherwise.
With the harried pace at which we live life today, in the modern world and the increasing pressures we have to deal with, both at the workplace and in our social interactions, it is not uncommon to find more and more people resorting to alcohol to alleviate their woes. But before surrendering to the bottle and all the promise it holds, first stop to think about whether the gamut of evils that this seemingly innocuous beverage causes is worth the momentary feeling of satisfaction it brings you and whether you are willing to take that risk and toe the line when the security and happiness of your family is at stake. The choice, though not difficult to make, may be a hard one to live up to but once you do take that first step, you'll soon see the world of difference it brings about.
No comments:
Post a Comment