The effects of alcoholism vary from person to person, but the most common effects seen are changes in emotional state or stability, behavior, and personality. Alcoholics may become angry and argumentative, or quiet and withdrawn or depressed. They may also feel more anxious, sad, tense, and confused. They then seek relief by drinking more. Because time and amount of drinking are uncontrollable, the alcoholic is likely to engage in such behaviors as breaking family commitments, both major and minor; spending more money than planned; drinking while intoxicated and getting arrested; making inappropriate remarks to friends, family, and co-workers; arguing, fighting and other anti-social actions. The alcoholic would probably neither do such things, nor approve of them in others unless he was drinking.

Society tends to aid in the development of alcoholism by making alcohol seem glamorous, showing that by drinking, you will become more popular, more glamorous and more worthy of respects from others. The physical effects of alcoholism are somewhat gruesome. Excessive in take and prolonged use of alcohol can cause serious disturbances in body chemistry. Many alcoholics exhibit swollen and tender livers. The prolonged use of large amounts of alcohol without adequate diet may cause serious liver damage, such as cirrhosis of the liver. Alcoholism also causes loss of muscular control.

The condition, delirium tremens, known primarily to heavy drinkers, causes hallucinations along with loss of control of muscular functioning. When this condition develops and the alcoholic slows their drinking, withdrawal syndrome can and often does occur. This may include agitation, tremors, seizures, and hallucinations. Alcoholism also cause's damage to the brain. Alcoholics may suffer from lack of concentration. The alcoholic may also experience blackouts, occasional onsets of memory lapses, and possibly complete memory loss. They may also suffer from more serious forms of brain damage.

The social effects of alcoholism can be as devastating as the physical effects. Families must deal with emotions such as anger towards the alcoholic and guilt over what role they believe they may play in the addiction. Family breakdown, financial problems, legal problems and psychological troubles all result from alcoholism. Society as a whole also pays a price for the alcoholic’s addiction. Employers may see productivity affected. Police and law courts may deal with crimes committed by alcoholics while they are drunk.

• Heavy and chronic drinking can harm virtually every organ and system in the body
• Heavy drinking is the most common cause of illness and death from liver disease (affecting more than 2 million Americans) and contributes to approximately 65% of all cases of pancreatitis
• Chronic drinking is associated with cardiovascular diseases such as cardiomyopathy, hypertension, arrhythmias and stroke, depresses the immune system and results in predisposition to infectious diseases including respiratory infections, pneumonia and tuberculosis
• Alcohol interacts negatively with more than 150 medications. People taking large doses of acetaminophen and drinking alcohol are at risk for serious liver damage
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which may occur when pregnant women consume alcohol, is the leading known environmental cause of mental retardation in the Western World and results in 4,000 to 12,000 babies born each year with physical and intellectual disabilities

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