We all know that one glass of wine is even recommended for better circulation and relaxing and that one shot of drink won’t do anything to us, as long as we do that rarely, and have control over the quantity you take. But, that doesn’t mean the first drink won’t have any effect on your brain and body. They are just too weak to be seen and recognized, and it gives you a wrong conclusion that you can handle more alcohol, and ask for another drink. But even after the first drink, you will have a difficult time talking nicely, drive, walk, or you can feel a little sick as you eat.
In order to avoid alcoholism, you have to take control over the quantity, but also being aware you may have issues with this substance, because even though it’s completely allowed and legal, it may cause a lot of side effects, that can lead your life in danger. We also need to note that everybody is different and may have different levels of alcohol tolerance, but in all cases, it affects your ability to judge, make decisions, and drive. Check out more facts on How Alcohol Affects your body here, especially when it comes to driving.
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Alcohol can also lead to changes in your mood and behavior. You may think it relaxed you, and improve your mood, but in reality, you are probably really disturbing the people around you, who will try to avoid you. On the other hand, your friends will try to always be by your side, in case you need help, but that makes you dependant on them, and stopping them to enjoy in the evening too. You are probably already aware that it causes direct liver damage, because the body can’t really digest the alcohol, and only lets it in the bloodstream.
The fact that it goes through your body undigested is the reason why you feel bloated, you have diarrhea, or you are nauseous, or even have an urge to throw up, especially if you lay down and try to sleep. Hallucinations and unreasonable thinking are also effects of drinking. You have an immediate boost of self-confidence, making your behavior really unacceptable, especially when you are around people you work with. We don’t even need to mention that it may increase the chances for different types of cancer, lifetime liver damage, and of course, lung infection, something you don’t really need.
Also, it can:
1. Increase the sugar levels
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It affects the pancreas, which is the most responsible gland in your body, that regulates the insulin’s response to glucose. As you drink more alcohol, you are damaging it, and it may even produce a lot of insulin or just a little of it. Both cases are bad for you because the levels of insulin in our body are very limited, and if you spend them all, you put yourself at risk of diabetes and need insulin shots for the whole life. Also, if it doesn’t produce it, the sugar levels will also go high. Both cases can be a direct result of alcohol intake, and you really have to control the amount you drink or avoid it completely.
2. Affects the central nervous system
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That means when you feel like you can’t tell a whole sentence, or your words are messy and slurred, you have to reduce the consumption of alcohol. It affects the connection between your body and brain, and the signals are transferred slowly. Also, you aren’t able to remember the evening, and you may have holes in your memory, or a complete blackout (empty sections in your brain). If you have a chronic problem with alcoholism, keep in mind that you may miss a whole part of your kids’ life, your life, and completely destroy your family.
3. It creates a mess in your digestive system
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As we said, your body won’t digest alcohol, but it will bring it to every cell of your body. It’s interesting to know that even 20% are absorbed by your stomach before the amount goes into the intestines. That’s why you often feel sick when you drink it. On the other hand, it increases your hunger, and if you eat while drinking, you are preventing direct absorption of the substances. But large amounts of alcohol do the opposite, and it leads to different situations due to malnutrition.
4. Organ failures
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Your kidneys need to filter out the toxins before they let them go through the urine. Alcohol can damage the lungs too, especially fizzy drinks, and their particles you inhale. And what about the liver? It has the most responsible role in our body functions, and if you fill it up with a lot of alcohol, it will fail. Don’t overdo it, because even the liver’s “power” is very limited, and it can process only one unit of alcohol every hour.
Even though the alcohol tolerance depends on the individuals, if you think you have issues with excessive drinking, that then causes behavior and health problems, you need to ask for help. It’s always better to tell someone who will always remind you to stop, instead of to get in this fight alone.
We all know that sometimes we need a drink or two, but when we think about the possible problems it may cause, it’s always better to say “no” to the next shot, so you can stay sane, completely aware, and conscious. Young people can handle more alcohol, and also, according to medicine, women are those who can’t handle it in bigger quantities.
But, keep in mind that if you have trouble with drinking, there is always a way out and a chance for recovery. You only need to be honest with yourself, and then ask for help. There is no drink or type of alcohol that is worth the struggle, and all the problems you may cause to the people you love, risking to lose them all – just because you didn’t have control over how much do you drink and how you behave after that.
