Alcohol may be presumed a safe form of intoxication based on its legal status. However, alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States. An estimated 88,000 men and women due from alcohol-related causes each year. Alcohol lowers inhibitions and cognitive functions, making intoxicated people more likely to engage in reckless behaviors like drunk driving. Nearly one-third of all driving fatalities stem from alcohol-impaired drivers. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism “In 2015, of the 78,529 liver disease deaths among individuals ages 12 and older, 47.0 percent involved alcohol. Among males, 49,695 liver disease deaths occurred and 49.5 percent involved alcohol. Among females, 28,834 liver disease deaths occurred and 43.5 percent involved alcohol.” In 2009, one in three liver transplants in the United States were cause by alcohol-induced liver disease. Excessive drinking, defined as 15 or more drinks per week for men and 8 or more drinks per week for women, can cause major health complications. According to the Center for Disease Control, excessive alcoholism can cause a variety of harmful health conditions, including: “Injuries, such as motor vehicle crashes, falls, drownings, and burns; violence, including homicide, suicide, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence; alcohol poisoning, a medical emergency that results from high blood alcohol levels; risky sexual behaviors, including unprotected sec or sex with multiple partners; miscarriage and stillbirth or feral alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) among pregnant women.” According to the NIAAA, 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol related unintentional injuries each year, 696,000 students are assaulted by another intoxicated student, and 97,000 students report alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape. In the long term, excessive alcohol use can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, cancers (breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and colon), cognitive impairment, depression, anxiety, and social problems. Early death as a result of excessive drinking or alcoholism is not uncommon– one in ten deaths among adults aged 20-64 are alcohol related. Fortunately, through recovery, it is possible to avoid the possibility of early death as a result of alcohol-related injury or illness. The physical symptoms of alcoholism and excessive alcohol use may resolve overtime when a person chooses to embrace a life of complete abstinence.
Your life does not have to be one of suffering as a result of alcoholism. You can change your story by making the decision to seek help now and begin a journey of recovery. Oceanfront Recovery, a treatment facility in beautiful Laguna Beach, offers cutting-edge and effective treatment techniques designed to address the mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of the disease of alcoholism. For information about individualized treatment options, please call today: (877) 279-1777
