A lot of people love their drink – no, not the fizzy and sweet type but the hard ones, with alcohol! Almost every celebration is seen as an occasion to drink. Many youngsters, who believe that having a good time can only happen with alcohol, are actually into binge drinking!
But science and living examples around us have proven, time and again, that excessive drinking is a bane to happy existence. If you are someone who’s not sure if you must quit drinking or continue, please remember that the reasons to quit far exceed those that are in favour of it. Let’s have a look at these reasons:
- It is an established fact that alcohol ruins a person’s health. It is a known cause of cancer – of the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, liver, breast, pancreas, colon and rectum. The risk to develop these cancers is directly proportional to the amount of alcohol consumed. It is reported by the WHO as a group 1 carcinogen or cancer-causing agent.
- Another casualty is the liver which is severely affected by excessive consumption of alcohol. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to the scarring of the liver, whereby the structure and function of this vital organ is irreversibly affected. This leads to cirrhosis, which is a common cause of death among the alcoholics.
- Also, alcohol prevents the absorption of calcium and other vitamins, such as vitamin B12. Deficiency of this vitamin can result in heart attack and stroke, fatigue, shortness of breath, megaloblastic anemia, headache, dementia, tingling and numbness in the extremities, disorientation, loss of concentration and memory. In some cases, it may even lead to death.
- There are many who use alcohol for stress- relief, not knowing that the opposite is true. Actually, alcohol is a depressant capable of altering the levels of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin. Weaning away from alcohol might increase anxiety levels in some, so they continue drinking to ward off anxiety.
- Besides all of the above, alcohol affects your digestive system, your sleep patterns, slurs your speech and impairs your memory.
- Once you quit drinking alcohol, you’ll experience immediate change. The ‘foggy’ feeling goes away and your brain is blessed with a great healing. You’ll no longer wake up depressed, with a splitting headache or nausea. Your liver begins to repair itself and rejuvenate. The wrinkles and crow feet that made you look older will not be highlighted as your skin begins to breathe easy and looks clear. The aches and pains that once worried you are likely to go away.
- Your family and social life too will transform. You’ll experience a mood shift and will begin to love life again. You’ll no longer be shifty and evasive, as you don’t need to hide bottles or other evidences of drinking from your loved ones anymore. Once you quit drinking, the money that you save will not only enhance your self-esteem, but will enable you to put it to much better use for yourself or family. Last but not the least, your family, colleagues and those around you will begin to regard you with new-found respect.