Alcohol Abuse Facts

Alcohol can be a very deceiving substance. It is enjoyable and advertisements portray it as nearly essential for having a good time. The party looks exciting in the commercial, the people look attractive and under control, and the drinks look exotic and delicious. When everyone gets their drink and settles into a seat, the commercial is over.

There’s another perception that accompanies alcohol also. The food is being prepared and everyone needs a drink in order to help get the food prepared. What about the recipe that requires that half cup of wine? No one can possibly be affected by a half cup of wine, or can they? Here are a few alcohol abuse facts that can at least provoke thought relative to abuse.

Alcohol Abuse Facts in Teens, Women, and Men – The statistic that alcohol is easily abused is a statistic in itself. The following are a few facts relative to alcohol abuse. One in ten alcoholics usually turns out to be a teenager. This is due to the alcohol being available in the homes of teens and easy to get. The other contributing factor to this is that teens have a lot of alone time where parents are not aware of all their activities. The teens may rebel against their parents coming into their room and invading their privacy, but most of the time this is because alcohol has been hidden in the room. Drinking can additionally lead to more devastating addictions as well.

The next statistic is that almost one in twenty women abuse alcohol. Women may have particular challenges which contribute to alcohol abuse. The single woman, for example, that has to come right home from work and immediately care for the children. This can be very overwhelming. The job is overwhelming and then to have to come home and care for those who can’t care for themselves adds to the feeling of being overwhelmed.

A drink is a welcome way to relax! Or is it? It is easy to get into the habit of grabbing a drink to cope with life and life’s overwhelming instances with such situations. Another known alcohol abuse fact is that approximately one in twenty-five men abuse alcohol. Men typically have challenges that are stress-related in a different way than women, though this differentiation has been somewhat blurred in modern times.

That being said, the stress of achieving success at the job, performing at a top level, and getting that hard-earned bonus, has to be celebrated by having a drink. The problem with that is, for every celebration there is also a reason for depression. Life has a funny way of showing a man that he or she still has a long way to go on the road to success, as after a day of celebration, it is just another day.

Alcohol Abuse Facts about Dealing with Life’s Problems – Life also tends to throw curve-balls like divorce, disease, kids, and the burden of caring for the family often falls on the man. A drink can be relaxing and help calm him or her down so he or she can prioritize life’s challenges. These “statistics” are estimated, but alcohol abuse is not. The fact is that alcohol is used as a retreat by many for many of life’s problems.

It seems so much easier to “drink” the pain away instead of dealing with it. The problem with this is the pain is still there and may seem worse when alcohol wears off. Alcohol abuse usually starts as a minor thing, as we may drink to calm the nerves before a big interview or audition. We also drink to celebrate the joy of a new addition to our family. Whether it is a newborn or a relative by marriage, it is time to celebrate.

We also drink to enjoy life’s rewards presented to us like a raise or a new car. It is easy to turn one drink to cope or celebrate into two. The next “statistic” is a frightening one. Almost one in five individuals are suffering from some type of depression. This is another reason for a drink for many. The media pushes this behavior and the idea that the cause of alcohol addiction because of depression is okay.

It is not okay to have to drink to overcome depression. The person who is depressed is the most likely candidate to become an alcoholic. Depression can build on a variety of emotional stressors, such as lack of physical achievements or just tough times. Things like not getting that exciting career that was the focus of one’s existence for so long can be depressing.

Where Alcohol Abuse Leads – We hear news stories all the time about the celebrity who didn’t quite make a success of their life.

The media pushes the hype of the celebrity and that of alcohol being a cure for depression through so many movies. This is simply not so.

The rest of the story in reality is that when the individual is not drinking, they are recovering from the horrible consequences of drinking too much or they are often left with a much worse case of those feelings that alcohol seemed to temporarily cover up.

Many will find in this case that drinking again, perhaps even the next morning, is the only instant cure for the ramifications that are felt the day after a night of heavy drinking. Physically there is immense pain and suffering like headaches, throwing up, stomach aches, and the list can go on. There is also the immense emotional downturn of alcohol addiction.

No one really likes an alcoholic. They will always be seen as alcoholics, no matter how witty or charming they are, once others have detected the problem. The alcoholic is always hiding their drinking from the public, family, and friends because being an alcoholic is not okay. Once this line is crossed, having family and friends are laughable problems in comparison with what lies ahead with a continuation of drinking.

Alcohol abuse that is carried on typically leads to full-blown alcoholism. Alcoholism is considered a disease, and people treated for alcoholism are treated similarly as when someone has a disease. This disease is also progressive, which means that it gets progressively worse. This is essentially a fact of alcoholism that anyone who has been through it will surely verify. The troubles are nearly endless, and typically end with jail, institutions, and death.

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