healthreachcares.org-How to Stay Away from Alcohol

1. How to Stay Away from Alcohol healthreachcares.org/how-to-stay-away-from-alcohol mahima varun December 27, 2021 Many of us drink a glass of alcohol every now again. There and is nothing wrong with an occasional drink and there might even be some health benefits in drinking a bit of alcohol. Too much drinking can be harmful, however, as you’re doing serious damage to your body. If you drink too much on one occasion it will not make you an alcoholic overnight, yet it can put you in a dangerous situation. About 80,000 people die every year because of the consequences of alcohol abuse. Here we identify short and long-term effects of binge drinking. The short term effects: The short-term effects of drinking too much alcohol are usually obvious.Alcohol drinking affects the body the minute it is metabolized by the liver; alcohol goes through the bloodstream and to the brain almost immediately. This causes clumsiness, slurred speech, impaired judgments, and risky behavior. When you are drunk you can’t think straight, so it is more likely to neglect the safety of yourself and others. Binge drinkers are more likely to have seizures and short-term problems, which can turn into long-term issues. The best example of this is memory loss. When you’re drunk it is more likely to forget things, but when you’re drunk very often you risk permanent memory loss. High blood pressure and depression are also issues common to regular binge drinkers. People who drink very often also have a lowered immune system, and therefore have a higher risk of numerous other diseases. 1/3

2. The long term effects: When you continue drinking for long periods of time, you increase your risk of damaging your liver and pancreas; alcohol is a toxic substance. Your liver is at risk of scarring, which causes your liver to work less effectively in metabolizing food into energy. You only have one liver. You cannot live without one so make sure to treat it well. Drinking too much will also affect how the pancreas functions. Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas which causes blood vessels to block and disrupt the digestive process, which can lead to chronic diarrhea and diabetes. With high blood pressure, you are at a higher risk of catching a stroke. How to stop drinking It is not easy to stop drinking when you are addicted to it. Luckily there are some tips to help you on your journey to a life without alcohol. Keep an agenda: Every time you go for a drink, jot it down in your agenda. When you become more aware of the amount of alcohol you consume you become more aware of what you’re doing. Being conscious of your alcohol intake will help you slow it down. Set clear boundaries for yourself: Make sure to set limits for yourself. Make an agreement with yourself on how many days a week you feel comfortable drinking. Not only write down the days but also agree on the number of drinks you will drink on those days. Having days where you don’t drink will help you think more clearly. Decide on a pace. Pace yourself when you drink. Avoid binge drinking at all costs. A good way to reduce your alcohol Drinking is to make every other drink a nonalcoholic one. Feel free to drink one beer but after that drink something like a soda or water. Stay away from your alcohol triggers. If you have some friends that you only hang out with when you drink, try to avoid them temporarily or ask them to do something else instead of your usual evening of drinking. Try to make the situation different so you can still be friends but without the alcohol. If you can’t be friends without drinking, maybe you were not such good friends, to begin with. If none of these options work for you, it’s time to visit a doctor. You have far too much to lose if you continue to drink excessively. 2/3

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