Addiction can have a damaging effect on entire families, which can impact many generations. When a member of a family is suffering from alcoholism, those closest to them can find that they have to contend with financial problems, strained relationships, and harm to their own health and wellbeing.
That means people who misuse alcohol may blow through the family budget, cause fights, ignore children, and otherwise impair the health and happiness of the people they love. In time, family members may even develop symptoms of codependency, inadvertently keeping the addiction alive, even though it harms them.
Other health complications, like heart problems and stroke, stem from chronic alcohol abuse in end-stage alcoholism. Risks of dementia and cancer increase. Even brain damage and hepatitis can occur in end-stage alcoholics.
Genes that relate to alcohol metabolism, particularly ADH1B and ALDH2, seem to be most closely tied to the risk for problem drinking. A family history of alcohol use disorders may increase the risk of a genetic predisposition to developing an alcohol use disorder, with risks heightened for parent-child transmission.
Research has found that drug and alcohol abuse may lead to relationship dissatisfaction, instability, and verbal and physical aggression between you and your partner. Every marriage is unique and can be affected by alcohol abuse in different ways. Some of these may include: Neglect of responsibilities.
The vast majority of outcomes from alcoholism are negative, and damaged relationships are a common byproduct of alcoholism. Anyone who is struggling with an alcohol abuse disorder should seek professional help to gain the proper coping skills and tools to overcome this addiction.
Dating an alcoholic can be challenging because it can negatively impact the relationship and the individual's emotional well-being. Alcoholism can lead to emotional distance, communication problems, and trust issues, and it can cause individuals to prioritize alcohol over the relationship.
Research has shown that the two genes ADH1B and ALDH2, which control alcohol metabolism, are key factors in developing alcoholism along with several others. Some who do not have genetic risk factors may develop alcoholism if raised in an environment that encourages or normalizes maladaptive drinking behaviors.
In 1980, the third edition of the Manual, DSM-3, identified alcoholism as a subset of a mental health disorder. The current edition, DSM-5, classifies alcoholism, now referred to as Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) or Substance Use Disorder (SUD), as a mental disorder presenting both physical and mental symptoms.
Alcohol or drug addiction, also known as substance use disorder, is a chronic disease of the brain that can happen to anyone.
Doctors guess that chronic alcohol abuse will lower a person's life expectancy by as many as twelve years. Though many people are aware that alcohol improves the likelihood of liver complications and heart disease, many people do not realize how many other risks alcohol poses.
Known Specific Risk Factors
Having a biological family member with alcoholism or drug addiction. Having a mental health condition such as bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety. Experiencing peer pressure to drink, especially as a young adult. Having low self-esteem or self-worth.
Alcohol can make some people more emotional than usual, causing them to cry more easily. However, for some, alcohol can cause anger and aggression, which can become a real problem.
Axis I disorders commonly associated with alcoholism include bipolar disorder, certain anxiety disorders (e.g., social phobia, panic disorder, and post–traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]), schizophrenia, and major depression (Helzer and Przybeck 1988; Kessler et al. 1997).
Borderline Personality Disorder As A Co-Occurring Disorder
These symptoms vary so greatly that it is common for there to be overlap with other disorders. This is why people who have chronically abused alcohol over a long period of time can develop similar symptoms to BPD.
Symptoms of alcohol overdose include mental confusion, difficulty remaining conscious, vomiting, seizures, trouble breathing, slow heart rate, clammy skin, dulled responses (such as no gag reflex, which prevents choking), and extremely low body temperature. Alcohol overdose can lead to permanent brain damage or death.
Hungary has the highest prevalence of alcohol use disorders overall, with 21.2% of the total population afflicted. However, the per-gender numbers are even more informative, with 36.9% of men and 7.2% of females.
Other Common Alcoholic Personality Traits
Others will be irritable, anxious, and aggressive both when they drink and when they go through alcohol withdrawal. Alcohol dependence can also make a person impatient and easily aggravated. Additionally, you might notice impulsiveness or other erratic traits.
Impacts of Living with an Alcoholic Spouse
Living with someone with an alcohol use disorder can trigger feelings of self-blame, attempts to control your partner's drinking, and/or enabling behavior such as making excuses for their drinking.
The constant stress of living with an alcoholic partner can cause mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to develop. You may also struggle with feelings of guilt, shame, and self-blame, believing that you are responsible for your partner's addiction.