Alcohol can ruin lives

POLOKWANE – In part two of the series about addiction, we discuss alcoholism.

According to www.telesure.co.za, South Africa has one of the highest per capita alcohol consumption rates in the world, with over 30% of the population struggling with an alcohol problem or on the verge of having one.

Alcohol use starts at a very early age. According to The South African Medical Journal reasons for use and misuse of alcohol include peer pressure and a desire to fit in, poor home environments and boredom, ignorance of the dangers of alcohol, and the relative cheapness of alcohol products and their ease of access.

And in SA, alcohol is easily purchased from bottle stores, supermarkets, bars and shebeens and other unlicensed liquor outlets, which outnumber licensed ones, particularly in disadvantaged communities.

You may have a drinking problem if you:

• Feel guilty or ashamed about your drinking.

• Lie to others or hide your drinking habits.

• Have friends or family members who are worried about your drinking.

• Need to drink in order to relax or feel better.

• “Black out” or forget what you did while you were drinking.

• Regularly drink more than you intended to.

Signs that you abuse alcohol include:

• Repeatedly neglecting your responsibilities at home, work, or school because of your drinking.

• Using alcohol in situations where it’s physically dangerous, such as drinking and driving, operating machinery while intoxicated, or mixing alcohol with prescription medication against doctor’s orders.

• Experiencing repeated legal problems on account of your drinking.

• Continuing to drink even though your alcohol use is causing problems in your relationships.

• Drinking as a way to relax or de-stress.

Many drinking problems start when people use alcohol to self-soothe and relieve stress.

Getting drunk after every stressful day, for example, or reaching for a bottle every time you have an argument with your spouse or boss.

Michele Dix-Peek is a recovered alcoholic.

She explains the effects of alcohol use:

• Hangovers, aggressive and violent behaviour, accidents and injury.

• Reduced sexual performance, premature aging.

• Digestive problems, ulcers, inflammation of the pancreas and high blood pressure.

• Anxiety and depression.

• Relationship difficulties, financial and work problems.

• Difficulty remembering things and solving problems.

• Deformities and brain damage in babies of pregnant women.

• Stroke, permanent brain injury.

• Muscle and nerve damage.

• Liver disease, pancreases disease.

• Cancers and suicide.

“Alcohol affects every organ in the body,” says Michele.

In the next edition we talk about marijuana.