Chronic Alcoholism is a group of people who drink large amounts of alcohol continuously over a long period and cannot stop drinking. This causes harm to the physical condition, functioning, family, and surrounding society. To prevent the patient’s health from worsening, quitting drinking is considered the only solution. Importantly! It should be done under medical supervision to ensure proper treatment.
Did you know? Alcohol addiction has more (harmful) effects than you think
Alcohol affects almost every part of the body. It is impossible to specify a percentage of how much drinking leads to which diseases, but it can be said that people who drink about 50-60 grams of alcohol continuously for 10 years can develop cirrhosis. If the drinker already has other underlying diseases, the symptoms will progress much faster.
Those who drink large amounts of alcohol will affect various organs in the body, with the liver being the most affected. This is because the liver is the organ responsible for detoxifying alcohol directly. Therefore, excessive alcohol consumption causes increased fat accumulation in the liver, chronic hepatitis, and cirrhosis.
Complications following cirrhosis
Stopping alcohol consumption helps reduce liver inflammation and allows the liver to rest, preventing cirrhosis. Patients with cirrhosis may experience complications such as:
- Swollen eyes, swollen legs, jaundice, easy bleeding, vomiting blood
- Malnutrition, mineral deficiency
- Heart failure, dementia
Additionally, alcohol also harms other organs such as causing pancreatitis, which can lead to diabetes, heart attack, and malnutrition.
Health check-ups and mental rehabilitation: The way to quit alcohol
- Health check-ups to diagnose which parts of the body are affected and provide proper treatment to restore the patient’s body to normal.
- Mental rehabilitation for patients, as most alcoholics often have psychological issues and depression. Alcohol drinking becomes a psychological crutch to fill what they lack or to solve their problems. This group cannot quit alcohol without mental rehabilitation. Without addressing mental health, patients will relapse. Therefore, psychiatrists should assist in mental rehabilitation. Another group comes from social surroundings where drinking is regular. Thus, physical health should be restored, and complications should be carefully monitored.
“Encouragement” is a key helper in quitting alcohol
People who have drunk alcohol for a long time and suddenly stop will experience cravings or alcohol withdrawal syndrome, which may cause symptoms such as hand tremors, incoherent speech, confusion, and seizures. Therefore, sudden cessation after long-term drinking is not recommended. Quitting alcohol should be done under the care of a specialized medical and nursing team to ensure proper treatment and medication to prevent withdrawal symptoms.
Quitting alcohol is not just an individual’s issue. Family plays an important role in care and mental rehabilitation without seeing the patient as a problem. The most important support for quitting alcohol is the encouragement from family and the surrounding community.
Dr. Chote Luangchosiri
Specialist in Gastroenterology
Gastrointestinal and Liver Center, Phyathai 2 Hospital
