Alcohol is a chemical that can cause damage once it has entered the body and begins to move through the system. The body can work to remove it, especially initially and in smaller doses. Yet, over time, alcohol addiction forms, leading to a number of health complications and behaviors. If you are using alcohol regularly and suspect that you cannot stop using it, alcohol addiction treatment can help. At Lakeview Health, we provide exceptional support to help you get back to health.
Understanding the Impact of Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol’s effects on the body are numerous. You can stop any of these from happening or worsening by working with our program through our alcohol addiction treatment. This does not have to be a life-long struggle. Here are four ways alcohol can be damaging your body.
1. Alcohol Addiction and Your Brain
Alcohol changes the way communication in the brain happens. It damages the communication pathways causing disruptions in the way you feel and your behavior. Over time, this can impact cognitive function, which is something that cannot be regained in many cases. It can limit your ability to move and speak as well.
2. Alcohol Addiction and Your Heart
The heart is particularly prone to damage from alcohol consumption. It can cause several complications there, including:
- A high risk of stroke
- Cardiomyopathy — a weakening of the heart’s muscles, limiting its ability to function
- Arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats
- High blood pressure
Many of these conditions can improve once you stop using alcohol.
3. Alcohol Addiction and Your Liver
The liver is one of the first organs to experience significant failure when alcohol consumption is high. That’s because the liver, responsible for removing toxins, becomes overwhelmed by the amount of alcohol or consistency of its use. This can lead to steatosis or fatty liver, as well as alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis.
4. Alcohol Addiction and Cancer
One of the most frightening components of alcohol addiction is what it can do to any organ of your body in terms of cancer. Research indicates a person who has an addiction is more likely to suffer from cancers in the esophageal area, head and neck, breast, liver, and colon.
That’s Not All Alcohol Addiction Can Do
There is much more that alcohol addiction can do to you. That includes limiting the function of your body’s immune system, which leaves you vulnerable to disease and infection. It can damage your kidneys and pancreas as well.
In addition to these impacts on the body, you cannot overlook how it also impacts your relationships, finances, and overall mental health. For some people, alcohol addiction may increase the risk of early death or suicide.
Alcohol Addiction Treatment Can Help
It can be frightening to think about all that can happen, but if you find professional help, you limit the chance of these things occurring to you. If you have already begun to experience the adverse effects of an alcohol use disorder, don’t hesitate to get the professional help you need; now is the time to get help. The sooner you begin, the more likely it is that you will be able to reverse some or all of these complications.
At Lakeview Health, our compassionate, expert team can provide you with programs that can help you heal, including:
- Medical detox center
- Intensive outpatient program
- Residential treatment program
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Partial hospitalization program
Reach Out to Lakeview Health Today
Despite conventional wisdom, alcohol addiction is not a matter of willpower or poor moral fiber. Alcohol addiction is a serious disease that affects the chemistry of the brain, and it requires professional help to bring it under control. Lakeview Health can help. Our alcohol addiction treatment program is available to you right away. Contact us at 866.704.7692 for immediate support.
- Learn more about alcohol use disorder
- Learn more about alcohol addiction treatment
- Learn more about the alcohol detox process
