Alcohol & Men – The Physical Effects

Men who drink too often or too much place themselves at high risk for an array of health-related issues. Depending on the frequency and amount of indulgence, symptoms can range anywhere from minor weight increases to impotence. Drinking generally also works to negatively affect organ function, impair judgment, and cause behavioral changes in the user.

An estimated 75,000 deaths per year have been attributed to excessive alcohol intake. Aside from general health risks, drinking can result in additional events, including auto accidents, strained relationships, and even death.

Liver Impairment

Drinking alcohol in excess can have a detrimental effect on liver function. As an organ, the liver works to remove harmful toxins and wastes from the body. In most people, the liver is able to hold up against minor threats, including a drink here and there. However, excessive alcohol indulgence can ultimately overload the liver, limiting its functionality and eventually leading to potential cirrhosis.

Sexual Consequences

Though TV and web advertisements promote the misconception that excessive drinking is a “macho” activity, it actually works to increase male estrogen levels. Men who drink on a regular basis are more prone to mood swings and enlarged breasts, while placing themselves at risk for infertility and impotence. Additionally, since alcohol works to lower user inhibitions, unprotected sex and promiscuity are often byproducts of heightened alcohol use. As such, the risks associated with unplanned pregnancy and STDs are escalated.

Skin Issues

Alcohol works to enlarge blood vessels in the skin every time a drink is consumed. Blood vessels will then continue expanding until a loss of tone or quality is achieved, resulting in a permanent red hue on the face. Wrinkles on the skin may appear after extended periods of excessive drinking due to a lack of water content within the body. In addition, overindulgence in alcohol can result in decreased vitamin A levels; an antioxidant that supports both skin and body health.

Mood

Though not a direct physical byproduct, alcohol also serves to negatively affect the mood of its users. While many individuals use alcohol as a “social lubricant”, in excess, it actually serves to disassociate users from the people they care about most. Those who depend on alcohol for social engagement quickly find themselves isolated, depressed, and alone. Motivation, excitement, and happiness eventually subside, causing many users to forget the social graces sought out in the first place.

Need Help?

If you or someone you know is battling an addiction to alcohol, Above It All treatment center is the place to call. Contact our team today, and let us help you get back on track towards the happy, healthy, and fulfilling lifestyle you’ve been missing.

Alcoholism and Powerlessness

There has always been a lot of confusion about this matter of asserting the will. When the twelve steps say “we admitted we were powerless over alcohol” we assert what has always been a fact about that malady. Namely that a frontal attack by the will on the desire to drink almost never works. This hard fact is the premise upon which we must start. The recognition that actual lunacy cannot be subdued by straight will power. God knows drunks have tried hard enough to do just this and have generally failed. Nobody would expect much result were every kleptomaniac to take the pledge not to steal. Repeating stealing, the kleptomaniac is as compulsively nutty as he can be. Though this compulsive condition is not so generally recognized in the alcoholic, because drinking is socially acceptable, it is never the less true that he is just about as crazy. Therefore our first is realistic when it declares that we are powerless to deal with the alcohol hex on our own resources or will.-pg. 273 from The Language Of The Heart

It is clear that we cannot get sober on our own or by willpower alone. If we could the majority of alcoholics in this world would probably opt for getting sober that way resulting in a huge number of success stories regarding sobriety. However the fact is that willpower or our wills have nothing to do with it. It wasn’t because we were weak willed that we could not stop drinking or could not rise above this seemingly hopeless state of mind and body that we suffered from. In fact, our will if anything kept us drinking and using longer. Therefore no matter how strong or weak our will and mind was we surely could not recover using the same tools we used to get loaded. We could not fix the problem with the problem. Instead what we needed to do was ask for alcohol addiction help and work a program. Some of us might have even needed extra help through places such as a drug addiction detox, AA, or 30 day rehab program. Again needing these places in order to recover is not a matter of being weak willed. There are positive ways to incorporate our wills into our lives as well as negative ways. When we look at different ways to stay sober we are using our willpower to the best of our ability. We pray and meditate so that our will is aligned with our higher powers will for us. It is then and only then that we can be freed from the bondage of self.