Many substances, both legal and illegal, have the potential to cause addiction. Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance worldwide and can potentially cause addiction. The topic of alcohol addiction is important because it highlights the problems associated with the drug and how they can be prevented. The topic can also help people understand how alcohol affects the body and brings about both positive and negative effects. Understanding how the habit develops, how it affects the body, and methods of treatment can be applied in counseling alcohol addicts to enable them to make better decisions regarding the habit. This paper will discuss alcohol addiction, including the description and category of alcohol as a drug, its street names, routes of administration, its mechanism of action, and effect on the body, potential dangers, and long-term effects. Finally, it will explore some of the treatment options for alcohol dependence.
Category and Description of Alcohol
Alcohol can be described as a liquid chemical substance found in some beverages, such as beer, wine, and spirits. Chemically alcohol can be described as an organic compound made of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. Alcohol belongs to a class of drugs known as central nervous system depressants (CNS Depressants). The drugs in this category slow the operations of the body and the brain (AICP, 2022). This implies that when an individual is under the influence of alcohol, one tends to act slower than when sober. Its effects on the nervous system may also be manifested as a loss of balance where an individual under the influence of alcohol staggers. As part of the nervous system, alcohol affects an individual’s ability to make sound judgments. This factor may lead to violence or accidents when one operates machinery or a vehicle under alcohol.
Alcoholic beverages can be classified as either distilled or fermented alcoholic drinks. Fermented alcoholic drinks are manufactured by fermenting sugars in the presence of yeast. The yeasts metabolize the sugars to produce ethanol, the active compound in alcoholic drinks. Fermented alcoholic drinks can be divided into two groups, including wines and beers (Alcoholrehabguide, 2022). Beers are manufactured through the fermentation of starch-containing products. Before these starch-containing grains are fermented with alcohol, they are first to split enzymatically by mashing, malting, and diastase. Wines are manufactured through the fermentation of sugars in fruit juices. Beers can be said to be brewed and fermented, and wines only fermented. Distilled alcohols are also referred to as spirits and are manufactured by fermenting sugars or starch before distilling them to obtain a beverage with high alcoholic content (Alcoholrehabguide.org, 2022). Irrespective of the mode of manufacturing alcoholic beverages, all have similar effects on the body but depend on the alcoholic content consumed.
Common Street Names
Alcohol has many street names, which often depend on the brand and category. This implies that the street names for the alcohol may change with localities because of varying brands supplied in different regions. In the United States, the common nicknames for alcohol used in the street include liquid courage, vino, hooch, sauce, hard stuff, moonshine, redneck wine, 12oz curl, tummy buster, oats soda, liquid bread, draft, or suds (American Addiction Center, 2022). Some of these names are modern, while others have been present for many years, with some limited to small circles and others used in relatively vast regions.
Route of Administration of Alcohol
Unlike other substances usually administered through many routes, alcohol is only administered orally. However, it can bring similar effects when administered intravenously, inhaled, or rectally. When administered orally, alcohol needs to be taken in a relatively larger quantity than other drugs for its effects to be felt (Mayo Clinic, 2022). However, the quantity that brings the effect depends on many factors, including weight, alcoholic content in a drink, level of addiction, and the overall health of individuals. People who have taken alcohol for long periods are more likely to take more to feel its effects because they have developed alcohol tolerance. People with high body mass index would require a relatively high dose of alcohol for its effect to be felt compared to those with relatively low body mass index. Alcoholic beverages with higher alcohol content are also likely to take effect on an individual compared to that with low alcoholic content. Therefore, people can be affected differently by alcohol even when the quantity consumed is the same.
Mechanism of Action
After alcohol is ingested, it is immediately absorbed into the blood circulation to the brain through the blood. In the brain, alcohol enhances the action of GABA or Y-aminobutyric acid neurotransmitters (The Scripps Research Institute, 2022). The neural transmitter inhibits the action of the central nervous system. Other neural transmitter systems affected by alcohol in the nervous system include serotonin, acetylcholine, glycine, and glutamate. The pleasure that individual experiences after consuming alcohol are because it increases the level of dopamine in the brain. When alcohol is broken down in the body, a compound called acetaldehyde is produced as the by-product. It is responsible for hangover symptoms such as headaches because it is poisonous to the body. The major reason people consume alcohol is the pleasure associated with abnormally high levels of dopamine. When one stops taking alcohol after using it for a long period, the neurotransmitter used to be high in the central nervous system decreases, causing withdrawal symptoms (The Scripps Research Institute, 2022). People addicted to alcohol usually use the drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms, which can sometimes be serious, requiring medical intervention.
Effects on the Body
Alcohol has many health effects on the body. When one takes too much alcohol, the risk of motor vehicle crashes increases. In addition, alcohol consumption increases the risk of burns, drowning, and falls. Taking too much alcohol may lead to poisoning when its level in the blood goes beyond a certain level. Another health problem associated with increased consumption of alcohol is engagement in risky behaviours such as unprotected sex, resulting in sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV and unwanted pregnancy (CDC.gov, 2022). Taking alcohol also increases the risk of serious health conditions, including cardiac arrest, because of a temporary increase in blood pressure.
Potential Dangers and Long-term Effects
Consumption of alcohol for a long period can cause permanent damage to the body. According to CDC.gov (2022), one of the long-term effects of alcohol consumption is the development of liver cirrhosis, a condition in which the liver hardens and becomes fibrous, making it unable to perform its functions effectively. Alcohol weakens the heart muscle, which may lead to heart disease when consumed over an extended period. It can also cause other cardiovascular diseases, such as permanent high blood pressure, increasing the risk of stroke. Alcohol is also known to compromise the immune system increasing, making the addict prone to getting sick. Many types of cancers, including cancer of the rectum, colon, liver, voice box, esophagus, throat, mouth, and breast, have also been associated with long-term consumption of alcohol (CDC.gov, 2022). These diseases compromise an individual’s lifespan and quality of life.
Alcohol has also been implicated in various mental problems. Long-term consumption of alcohol has been associated with poor learning and memory, resulting in conditions such as dementia. Young people who consume alcohol for too long while in school may perform poorly in academics due to poor brain function associated with intoxication. Alcohol also increases the risk of anxiety and depression. After consuming alcohol for a long period, a person develops a dependence disorder, where a person can stay without alcohol in the blood (CDC.gov, 2022). Alcohol dependence disorder comes with many other problems, including waste of finances and family breakup.
Treatment Methods
Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Alcoholism
The treatment of alcohol drinking depends on the needs of the patient. It may be accomplished as an outpatient program, group or individual counseling, or a brief intervention. The main goal of alcoholism treatment is to enhance the patient quality of life. One method of treatment involves withdrawal and detoxication. Withdrawal involves the addicted individual stopping taking alcohol which takes approximately seven days (Mayo Clinic, 2022). If the withdrawal symptoms are severe, the patient may be prescribed a sedative to ease the symptoms. After the alcohol is completely eradicated from the body, the patient can begin living a normal life, but one must not return to it to avoid further addiction.
Individuals who have developed alcohol-drinking behaviour for too long may need behavioral therapy done by a specialist. The intervention may include a treatment plan and making the patient learn new skills. The patient is taught behavior change and goal-setting techniques at the treatment center. The patient can also be provided with manuals guiding them on how they can help themselves when alone. One is also required to be visiting the treatment center occasionally for follow-up care (Mayo Clinic, 2022). The patient continues with the treatment until he or she can finally stop taking alcohol completely.
Another type of treatment for alcoholics is psychological counseling. Counseling can be done in groups or as individuals, and its main aim is to enable the patient to realize the problem of alcoholism. The therapists provide recovery support to the patient. Psychological counseling may sometimes involve the family members of the patients. Family members, including parents, marriage partners, and older children, can help the patient during recovery (NIH.gov, 2022). Psychological counseling mainly focuses on providing emotional support to the patient.
Pharmacological Treatment of Alcoholism
Alcohol disorder can be treated using oral medications to help the patient from quitting the habit. One such medication is disulfiram which makes the patient hate alcohol (NIH.gov, 2022). The drug acts by causing undesirable effects on patients when they ingest alcohol. Some of the effects of drugs when an individual consumes alcohol include headaches, vomiting, nausea, and flushing (Mayo Clinic, 2022). It is important to note that disulfiram does not eliminate the urge to drink and its effectiveness relies on discouraging the patient from consuming alcohol to avoid the negative side effects. This implies that if the patient stops taking the drug and drinking, there will be no effect. This makes it less effective as the patient can always skip the drug for a few days and drink.
Other drugs that can also discourage an individual from consuming alcohol include acamprosate and naltrexone, which makes alcohol not bring the good feelings associated with it. When an individual is taking the drug, one is likely to consume less amount because it will not bring the desired effect. One benefit associated with this drug is that it can help eliminate the urge to drink because one would not expect any reward from doing so. Acamprosate can also eliminate the urge to drink as it combats cravings associated with consuming alcohol for a long time (Mayo Clinic, 2022). Acamprosate and naltrexone are more effective in treating alcohol disorders in that they eliminate the urge to drink.
Other drugs can be administered as injections. Among such drugs is Vivitrol which is administered intramuscularly or intravenously. One advantage of this drug is that its effect lasts longer, and the patient only needs a single injection monthly. It is also advantageous in that it eliminates the temptations of not taking oral medications to take alcohol. Vivitrol works like naltrexone and can therefore eliminate the urge to drink (Mayo Clinic, 2022). The use of medications is preferable in extreme situations when an individual is unable to stop drinking alcohol and can work best with used together with non-pharmacological interventions such as those already discussed.
Continuous support for people who have recovered from alcohol is also important to ensure that they do not relapse. Individuals who have managed to quit alcohol even for a long period may relapse if they encounter emotional turmoil in life. For example, some people relapse when they lose a loved one or job. This makes it necessary to treat the psychological problems that are risk factors for alcoholism. Some of the disorders that need to be addressed include anxiety and depression. They can be treated pharmacologically using medications or non-pharmacologically through psychotherapy. Spiritual support can also help in recovery and avoiding relapse. Sometimes, people relapse to alcoholism because of walking with people who drink (Mayo Clinic, 2022). Joining spiritual organizations not only provide emotional support but can also help in switching the company of friends to minimize the risk of relapsing. Many religious organizations have seminars that teach people better lifestyles, including not avoiding drug abuse. Spending time with people can also reduce some of the risk factors for alcoholism, such as depression and anxiety, through socialization.
In conclusion, alcohol is one of the most abused drugs in the world, with a presence in many non-muslim countries. The drug is absorbed immediately after ingestion and taken to the brain through blood, where it depresses the central nervous system. People take alcohol because of the pleasure from the increased level of dopamine. The negative effects of alcohol on the body and social lives of individuals outweigh the short-term pleasure it produces. It has been implicated in many health problems, including chronic diseases such as liver cirrhosis, heart disease, cancers, and other ailments of the digestive system. It is also associated with many avoidable accidents, such as motor vehicle crashes, drownings, and workplace injuries. The treatment for alcoholism includes both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, both aiming at helping an individual overcome alcohol dependence. Reducing alcohol intake or quitting it completely improves an individual’s quality of life by reducing the risk of many social, health, and financial problems associated with it.
References
AICP (2022).7 drug categories. Retrieved on November 7, 2022, from, https://www.theiacp.org/7-drug-categories
Alcoholrehabguide.org (2022). Types of Alcohol. Retrieved on November 7, 2022, from, https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/alcohol/types/
American Addiction Centre (2022). Slang Terms for Alcohol & Drunkenness. Retrieved on November 7, 2022, from, https://alcohol.org/alcoholism/street-slang-terms-drunk-drink/
CDC.gov (2022). Alcohol Use and Your Body. Retrieved on November 7, 2022, from, https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm
Mayo Clinic (2022)Alcohol Use Disorder. Retrieved on November 7, 2022, from, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alcohol-use-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20369250
NIH.gov (2022).Treatment of Alcohol Problems: Finding and Getting Help. Retrieved on November 7, 2022, from, https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/treatment-alcohol-problems-finding-and-getting-help
Stefan, N., Häring, H. U., & Cusi, K. (2019). Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: causes, diagnosis, cardiometabolic consequences, and treatment strategies. The lancet Diabetes & endocrinology, 7(4), 313-324.
The Scripps Research Institute (2022).The Effects of Alcohol on the Brain. Retrieved on November 7, 2022, from, https://www.scripps.edu/newsandviews/e_20020225/koob2.html
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