Alcoholism is a problem that many individuals have to deal with on a daily basis. They drink alcohol frequently and can become violent during their stupor. However, did you know that alcohol has a history of causing mental illness in those who are addicted to it?
How Alcohol Can Cause Mental Illness
Alcohol and mental illness together can be a major problem for any individual. This is because of how both can affect a person physically, mentally and emotionally. In today’s article we will be focusing more on the mental side of things. We’re going to go into a deep dive of how a person’s mental well being is affected by alcohol.
The Brain is Physically Changed By Alcohol
One of the most essential parts of the body is the brain. It is responsible for making sure that every other organ in your body is working properly, and it is what makes you “you”. This is why anything that can affect a brain can have a big effect on a person’s mental well being.
Alcoholism has a tremendous effect on the brain and can cause several long term problems if it isn’t quickly taken care of. One of the most notable is how it rewires your brain. It can even kill brain cells if taken in too frequently by an individual. Dementia and many other mental illnesses become easier to contract if a person is an alcoholic.
Alcohol Interferes With The Body’s Endocrine System
The endocrine system in your body makes sure that all the vitamins, minerals, and hormones in your body are kept in check. However, alcohol has a profound effect on the endocrine system the same way it affects the brain. When alcohol is regularly taken in, your endocrine system will end up confused with what chemicals it should release during and after your stupor. Prolonged use will permanently damage your endocrine system.
Alcohol Causes a Person To Develop Dependency on It
One of the worst effects of alcohol on a person’s body is the fact that alcohol rewires the body to depend on it. The two previous points cause it. It rewires the brain and the endocrine system to adapt to it. Dependency is a big problem for individuals who abuse alcohol . Once you start it can be difficult to let go of. In fact, it can even be dangerous to suddenly just stop taking it in because of withdrawal symptoms that slowly grow in intensity. The longer a person goes on without alcohol in their system the worse the symptoms become.
Alcohol Can Cause Social Problems
An indirect effect of excessive alcohol use is that many alcoholics can become aggressive and reclusive. Isolation is a major issue that can happen when an individual takes in alcohol. Both alcoholism and social isolation can be a deadly combo that can cause long term mental illnesses like depression and anxiety.
Conclusion
Alcoholism almost always goes hand in hand with mental illness. However, the best way to avoid both is early awareness of how they interact. We hope that this article has helped you find out why alcoholism can be a problem in the long term.
