Last Updated on August 2, 2018 by Morris Green

Did you know roughly 5,000 people under the age of 21 die due to an alcohol-related incident in the United States every year? I’m sorry if you just read this over your morning cup of coffee. In fact, I’m sorry you’ve had to read it all. But you did. So, what are you going to do about it? How about learning the not-so-textbook facts of alcohol abuse?

It’s safe to say we all know what alcohol does. It impairs judgment, and when drank in excess, it can lead to some embarrassing and downright dangerous behavior. Almost everyone fancies themselves a social drinker, and very rarely will someone decline one drink. But how does abuse start? Is it preprogrammed into our DNA?

How Alcohol Abuse Starts

A thousand studies point to childhood experiences, home environments, genetics, and other so-called textbook causes for any given person becoming an alcoholic. But sometimes—a lot of the time—alcohol abuse starts by making not-so-smart decisions. For example:

• Jessie is that average, everyday person who goes to work every morning to earn a paycheck. They support a family by working hard, making an honest living, and paying the bills until one day; life throws them a curve ball. They lose their job. They fall on hard times. They can only find part-time employment, and stress begins to mount. A couple of beers every evening provide relief, but as pressures continue to mount, that couple become a six-pack, then a case, and then a bottle of hard liquor.

Jessie could be a married man or woman, a single mother or father, or a grown child caring for their aging parent(s). Jessie could be your next-door neighbor, the co-worker you pass in the hall, the cashier at the store, the employee at the McDonald’s drive-thru window—anyone.

Alcohol abuse starts with the decision to drink, and it becomes a problem when we use it to escape. For example:

• Jamie is an outstanding citizen. So outstanding, in fact, that they served four tours, one of which was overseas. They saw active combat; they saw things they’ll never forget. Returning to home life rapidly became the biggest challenge of their life, and no one seems to understand. They can’t explain what goes on behind their eyes, but a few shots of liquor or a bottle of beer make it stop, if only for a short time. But as time passes, the need to escape grows, and it comes with consequences. The more they drink, the more dependent on the release they become. Without addressing the underlying issues, they spiral into abusive behavior, hurting those around them.

Jamie’s situation is all too familiar to military personnel and first responders (police officers, EMTs, emergency room staff, etc.). While their intentions are far from wrong, their method of treatment can quickly make a turn for the worst.

The bottom line: Alcohol abuse starts small. There’s no exact cause. There are factors that make a given individual more susceptible to it, from traumas and stress to peer pressure and example, but it is ultimately a decision. And sometimes what felt right at the start spirals into a monstrous trap before we have time to react.

Where Alcohol Abuse Leads

Where does alcohol abuse lead? It sets a course for all kinds of unpleasant and unnecessary things, including:

• Career disaster and loss of employment
• Unplanned pregnancies
• Car accidents
• The spread of sexually transmitted diseases
• Violence and physical abuse
• Alcohol dependency and poisoning

Any and all of these can lead to depression. Alcohol abuse can also lead to one final, terrible thing: premature death for the drinker and innocent bystanders, who are often close family or friends.

Moreover, here’s a not-so-textbook answer to where alcohol addiction and abuse lead: To all the facts, studies, textbooks, and news stories on the effects and results of misusing alcohol.

According to the NCADD, heavy and binge drinking lead to numerous health problems, including chronic diseases. Too much alcohol has been known to cause:

• Dementia
• Stroke
• Cardiovascular problems
• Anxiety
• Liver disease
• An increased risk of cancer

There’s nothing nice about alcoholism. It might grant the illusion of escape, relief, or enjoyment, but continual misuse and abuse will lead to inescapable stress without relief.

Anyone can fall prey to alcoholism. To err is human. It’s how we choose to handle it that proves our character.

Seeking Alcohol Abuse Assistance

Alcohol addiction and abuse are real; they are real conditions that affect thousands of real people just like you and just like me. The problem is the stigma surrounding it. It’s much like the stigma of mental health issues where those in need are too frightened to seek help for fear of being judged or misunderstood.

Fear of facing a challenge is normal; it’s human. But it’s a fear worth overcoming for two reasons:

1. The Future: If you (or someone you know) has been drinking excessively, driving, and has yet to cause an accident or receive a DWI charge, luck is a factor. The truth is you (or that someone) is going through life with a bomb strapped to their chest. Sooner or later, it’s going to go off in the form of a harmful or deadly accident, a pullover resulting in a DWI or DUI charge, a combination of an accident and charge, or worse…death. Isn’t overcoming fear and seeking qualified assistance a better option for the future?
2. The Truth: Abuse, addiction, a problem; all of these words in context sound harsh. It’s tempting to shy away for fear of judgment. But what if we told you there’s a judgment-free zone where you (or someone you know) can get help? Don’t think the terms “abuse,” “addiction,” and “problem” apply to you? Find out for sure with an assessment. What’s the worst that can happen?

In closing, I’d like to say that I’m not sorry you’ve just read an entire educational piece about the facts of alcohol abuse. And I’d like to leave you with one final thing to ponder: now that you’re armed with knowledge, what are you going to do about it?

References:
Transitions Miami Drug Rehab
Tropical Oasis Treatment Center