Can Alcoholism Lead to Death?

What is an Alcoholic?

One of the most common questions when it comes to alcohol misuse is: “Can alcoholism lead to death?”

Alcoholism, or alcohol use disorder, is drinking alcohol often enough or in large enough quantities to cause yourself harm.

It is considered a chronic disease because alcohol changes the way your brain works.

Alcoholics cannot control the urge to drink or the amount they drink.

An alcoholic can feel anxious or irritable when they are not drinking.

So, can alcoholism lead to death? Over time, the negative health effects of alcoholism can potentially lead to death.

Understanding Why Alcoholism Can Kill

There are many ways alcoholism can kill, especially if you have been abusing alcohol for years.

Excessive alcohol use can cause serious, often permanent damage to certain parts of your body.

Your body is not meant to process large quantities of alcohol repeatedly.

Alcoholism can kill you by damaging your liver, heart, throat, and brain.

And while it may not be commonly known, you can overdose on alcohol.

When the alcohol level in your blood gets above a certain point, you can experience alcohol poisoning, which can lead to organ failure, coma, and death.

The Negative Health Effects of Being an Alcoholic

Each year, nearly 100,000 American adults die from an alcohol-related illness. The negative health effects that alcoholics experience have been well-known for decades. Many people still end up abusing alcohol without understanding what these adverse health risks are. Alcohol causes changes in your organ systems and can cause serious damage, the longer you are an alcoholic. Some of the most common health risks are:

• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Heart attack
• Liver disease
• Stroke
• Stomach problems such as ulcers or digestive issues
• certain types of cancer, including throat, liver, colon, esophagus, mouth, or breast cancer
• short and long-term memory and learning problems

Serious health problems are not the only way that alcoholism can kill. People who are alcoholics are more likely to experience car accidents, falls, drowning, homicide, suicide, domestic violence, and sexual assault. All of these situations are life-threatening and can cause life-long physical or mental health issues.

Mental Illness and Alcoholics

It is not just the physical effects of alcoholism that can cause problems in your life. Alcoholics also often experience many negative mental health symptoms from their drinking. Alcohol is a depressant, which means it relaxes you. But these effects come with risks. If you already struggle with depression or anxiety, alcohol will make these problems worse over time. Even if you have not had these kinds of issues before, alcoholism can make these problems appear. And they will only get worse the longer you are an alcoholic. Alcohol abuse can also affect your sleep, either making it harder for you to sleep or making your sleep less restful and make it harder for you to think clearly. All of these negative mental health effects can cause many issues in your life. They can make you less able to perform your job, complete schoolwork, and make you have anger issues. It can also cause problems in your personal life, straining your relationships with your friends and family.

How do I Know if I am an Alcoholic?

Sometimes it can be difficult for someone to see that they are an alcoholic. But now that you know that alcoholism can kill, you should consider looking at your behaviors to decide if you have a drinking problem. Even if you are not experiencing negative physical or mental health effects from your drinking, there are other signs that you can look for, including:

• Drinking more than you meant to, or for longer periods of time
• Trying to cut down on you much you drink but found it impossible
• Spending a lot of your time drinking or recovering from hangovers
• Feeling a strong urge to drink when you are sober
• Seeing ways that your drinking is negatively impacting your work, school, or family life
• Drinking even after losing friends or family members
• No longer doing things you used to enjoy so that you can drink instead
• Driving under the influence or experiencing violence while drinking
• Drinking even though it makes you feel depressed or anxious
• Needing to drink more than you used to in order to feel drunk
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms, such as shakiness, anxiety, sweating, irritability, or restlessness when you are not drinking

Alcoholism is a disease that can affect people from all backgrounds at any time. Perhaps you have struggled with alcohol abuse for years, or it is something new that you have only just begun. No matter what your situation, seeking help at an alcohol rehab is the best option to help overcome your addiction with less of a chance of relapse.

Treatment

Alcohol rehab no longer involves going to an institutional setting to detox and then be released. Instead, there are now many different treatment options available to suit every person’s unique situation.

At Emerald Isle Health & Recovery, we offer both medical and behavioral treatment options for our clients.

We offer three non-addictive medicinal treatment options to our clients, which include:

• Disulfiram – This medication causes unpleasant symptoms, such as nausea, if you drink alcohol while taking it. These symptoms keep alcohol from being rewarding and make it easier for you to avoid drinking.
• Naltrexone – This medication blocks the receptors in your brain that make you feel good when you drink alcohol and reduce cravings for alcohol. This medication is helpful for clients with severe alcoholism.
• Acamprosate – This medication is beneficial when you first stop drinking. It works in your brain to reduce cravings, making it easier to avoid drinking.

The most important part of alcohol rehab will be behavioral therapy.

Therapy is one of the best ways to learn why you have a drinking problem and ways in which you can change your thinking to avoid relapsing.

Our alcohol rehab’s most common therapies are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), motivational enhancement therapy, and family or marriage counseling.

We work with each client to help decide which program will be the most effective in their situation.

Payment Information

Do you want treatment but are worried about how you can pay for it?

We have a team of financial professionals who provide free insurance verification.

We will work with you to determine how to move forward with the treatment in a way that works for you and your financial situation.

Free Insurance Verification for Alcohol Rehab

How to Get Help

Are you or a loved one suffering from addiction?

At Emerald Isle Health & Recovery, we understand how difficult it can be to give up an addiction because, with long-term use, the mind is continuously remembering the euphoric feelings.

Our dedicated team will help you customize a treatment plan to rediscover natural euphoria.

Our goal is for you to leave Emerald Isle Health & Recovery with mental fortitude and coping skills to maintain lifelong sobriety.

Call Emerald Isle Health & Recovery to schedule an appointment.

We challenge you to make a fresh start with us today.