Group Education Manual - Peace Corps Wiki

Resource Sheet: Alcohol AbuseCauses: Many factors can contribute to the causes of alcohol abuse. These can include stress, depression, adisruptive home life, peer pressure, and job problems. Those with a family history of alcoholism may haveinherited a genetically–lowered sensitivity to alcohol, which means they can drink more without feeling theeffects. It is difficult to separate the effects of environment and heredity as a cause of alcoholism.Short-term effects: There are numerous negative health consequences that result from alcohol abuse. In theshort term, alcohol suppresses the part of the brain that controls judgment, resulting in a loss of inhibitions.This loss of inhibition can affect sexual decision making (e.g., having sex or not; using a condom/protectionor not). Alcohol also affects physical coordination and causes blurred vision, slurred speech, and loss ofbalance. Drinking a very large quantity at one time (binge drinking) can lead to unconsciousness, coma, andeven death. Alcohol is implicated in a large proportion of fatal road accidents, assaults, and incidents ofdomestic violence.Long-term health effects: Long-term drinking can increase the risk of getting certain diseases and make otherdiseases worse. Excessive drinking over time is associated with: loss of brain cells, liver failure, irritatedstomach lining and bleeding from stomach ulcers, high blood pressure (which can lead to stroke), certaintypes of cancer, nerve damage, heart failure, and epilepsy. Excessive drinking has also been linked to: vitamindeficiency, obesity, sexual problems, infertility, muscle disease, skin problems, and inflammation of thepancreas.Additional long-term effects (beyond health) include loss of economic opportunities (e.g., unemploymentbased on inability to perform, as well as wasting money to buy alcohol that could be spent on other items),family disruptions, and becoming a public nuisance, which can lead to trouble with the police.Intervention: Although defined as an illness, society has not quite accepted the fact that many individualswho abuse alcohol are addicted, and have little control when abusing alcohol. Most people need assistanceand support to recognize their problem and take action to lesson the impact alcohol can have on their lives.40