Mental health articles

What does drinking too much do to a person and the family?

First, it seriously damages health. These are some of the symptoms that can result from problem drinking:

• blackouts – when a person has no memory of what happened after a drinking bout;

• withdrawal reactions, such as becoming tense and shaky and, in severe cases, becoming confused and having fits;

• accidents, especially while driving;

• bleeding in the stomach;

• jaundice and liver disease;

• sexual impotence;

• depression and suicide;

• sleep problems;

• delusions and hallucinations;

• brain damage;

• repeated sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS because of the greater risk of unsafe sexual behaviour;

• damage to an unborn baby (in cases where mothers drink too much).

In addition to the above physical effects of drinking, there are the social effects of problem drinking:

• increased poverty due to reduced ability to work and spending money on alcohol;

• violence in the home and community;

• loss of job;

• neglecting the family, leading to family break-up;

• legal problems.

Tags: drinking