Alcohol consumption can lead to addiction, especially when consuming large amounts of drinking consistently. Alcohol is a toxin to the body. The more you drink, the more damage it may cause. While you may get a buzz from a few drinks and relax a bit from it, alcohol abuse can also lead to numerous long-term negative effects. At Midwest Recovery Center, we want to ensure you have access to the care you need.
What Happens When You Engage in Alcohol Addiction Long Term?
The effects of alcohol are magnified the more you consume or the longer you consume. Binge drinking increases the risk of alcohol abuse and negative health effects as well. What can happen? Consider these five common effects of alcohol abuse:
- Cognitive Function Decline: Alcohol abuse can lead to diminished gray and white matter in the brain. This may cause a loss of attention span, difficulty learning, and problems with memory.
- Liver Damage: The liver is tasked with removing toxins like this from the bloodstream. High amounts of alcohol damage the tissues, causing liver failure over time.
- Heart Damage: There are several ways alcohol impacts the heart. It can create problems with heartbeats, creating irregular beats that can be fatal. Alcohol abuse can damage the muscle of the heart, creating cardiomyopathy, sometimes known as heart failure. It can also increase blood pressure.
- Increased Cancer Risk: There is a higher chance of developing some types of cancers. This includes liver, breast, colorectal, esophageal, or mouth cancers. These may go undetected until in more advanced stages.
- Increased Stroke Risk: A stroke can cause lasting brain damage, impacting your ability to move, speak, and make decisions. Strokes can also be fatal.
These long-term effects of alcohol abuse are serious. They don’t happen rarely but can happen to many people consuming alcohol. In some cases, damage like this occurs even when a person can still work and engage in life. In short, these risks to your health are present when you are drinking consistently, even when other symptoms are not present.
What Can You Do About Alcohol Addiction Risks Like This?
If you are consuming alcohol at a significant level, you may have an addiction. Addiction is life-threatening for these and other reasons. You may need help if you often drink, drink large amounts of alcohol, or cannot control how much you consume in a sitting. If you have withdrawal symptoms and cravings, these are also indications that you may have an addiction.
Alcohol addiction treatment can be very effective. Once you stop drinking, your body may heal to avoid some of these negative effects of alcohol. Not all damage is reversible. That’s why it is so important to embrace treatment as soon as possible.
At Midwest Recovery Center, we offer a range of programs to help you do this, including:
- Men’s alcohol treatment
- Women’s alcohol treatment
- Partial hospitalization program
- Intensive outpatient program
- Outpatient treatment program
The long-term effects of alcohol abuse will continue as long as you continue to use it. Yet, if you take time right now to get help, you may stop them from progressing. With comprehensive help available, you can find the relief you need from health risks. Our team is ready to help you find the way forward.
Embrace Treatment and Start on a New Path – Call Midwest Recovery Center Today
Alcohol addiction changes the future, but it doesn’t have to limit your health any longer. Your first step is to seek out treatment from a dedicated alcohol addiction treatment program. At Midwest Recovery Center, we’re committed to your best outcome. Learn more about our services when you call 833.627.0039 or connect with us online.
