What are the Long-Term Effects of Alcohol?
Many people don’t realize that alcohol is a drug. In fact, it is the most used drug in the world. Alcohol also has devastating effects on both the individual struggling and the loved ones around them. This includes the long-term effects of alcohol use disorder (AUD). The good news is that there are many effective means and methods for helping recover from alcoholism.
Understanding Alcohol Use Disorder
AUD and the effects of alcohol are more common issues than many people may realize. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), “28.9 million people ages 12 and older (10.2% in this age group) had AUD in the past year. This includes 16.8 million males ages 12 and older (12.1% in this age group),” and ”12.0 million females ages 12 and older (8.3% in this age group).”
Many people are also confused by what AUD actually is. Many people think of AUD as some type of moral failing or “choice.” This is a false way to view addiction. Addiction is a disease. In fact, addiction has more in common with chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes than it does with a “choice.”
AUD is also a “family disease.” This means that AUD affects more than just the individual who is struggling, it affects everyone involved. This is why AUD is often referred to as “a tornado that destroys everyone and everything in its path.” However, while the family may be the most harmed by a loved one’s AUD, they are often in the best position to get them the help they need. This action may help an individual struggling to avoid the long-term effects of alcohol use.
The Long-Term Effects of Alcohol
The long-term effects of alcohol use and AUD can be physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social. The following are just a few of those long-term effects:
- Wanting to drink and use even when there will be consequences
- Drinking and/or using in the morning
- Having a drink or using before an important event
- Not being able to stop drinking or using once started
- Having trouble with sleep cycles, including sleeping too much and not sleeping enough (hypersomnia and insomnia)
- Isolating away from family and close friends
- Experiencing trouble at work or school
- Losing interest in activities once enjoyed
- Loss of appetite and a lack of care regarding physical appearance and wellbeing
- Exhibiting excessive mood swings
- Causing harm to oneself or others
- Having suicidal ideations
- Alcohol poisoning
- Organ failure
- Alcohol-induced mortality and morbidity
The long-term effects of alcohol use are significant and can even be deadly. This is why reaching out for professional help as soon as possible is vital. Doing so could mean the difference between experiencing short-term side effects and long-term consequences. The good news is there is a solution.
How to Recover From the Effects of Alcohol Use Disorder
The key to recovering from the long-term effects of alcohol use and AUD is to use a multi-angled approach. This means using modalities from many areas of recovery. This includes psychotherapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), experiential therapies like nature immersion therapy and art therapy, and holistic healing methods like yoga therapy and mindfulness meditation.
In fact, meditation has been shown to be highly beneficial for helping individuals recover from the long-term effects of AUD. According to the International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda (AYU), “Research has confirmed a myriad of health benefits associated with the practice of meditation. These include stress reduction, decreased anxiety, decreased depression, reduction in pain (both physical and psychological), improved memory, and increased efficiency. Physiological benefits include reduced blood pressure, heart rate, lactate, cortisol, and epinephrine; decreased metabolism, breathing pattern, oxygen utilization, and carbon dioxide elimination; and increased melatonin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), skin resistance, and relative blood flow to the brain.”
12-Step recovery and working with other people are also vital for long-term success. In fact, working with others is so important in recovery that they named a chapter after it in the primary text of 12-Step recovery (also known as the Big Book of recovery).
The chapter, “Working With Others” states, “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking [and using] as intensive work with other [people in recovery]. It works when other activities fail. You can help when no one else can.” It gives those in recovery promise and purpose.
A Focus on Long-Term Success at The Phoenix Recovery Center
Here at The Phoenix Recovery Center, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” This is why all of our recovery plans are individualized and comprehensive with a focus on the future.
It is important to remember that recovery is about the journey, never the destination. That successful journey can start right here, right now with us at The Phoenix Recovery Center.
Many people see the short-term dangers of alcohol use (poor judgment and feeling physically ill), but they don’t see the long-term negative effects. However, those long-term effects can be devastating to both the individual struggling and the loved ones around them. The good news is there are many effective means, methods, and modalities for recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD). If you feel like you or a loved one are struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or both, we can help get you on the positive path toward long-term recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this alone. For more information, please check out our website, or reach out to The Phoenix Recovery Center at (801) 438-3185.
