The Family Disease: How Alcohol Use Disorder Affects the Individual and Their Loved Ones
- Channy Chan
- 14 hours ago
- 5 min read
Evidence of the first alcoholic beverage dates back to 7000 BC, where experts found traces of fermented rice, honey, and fruit in pottery in a Neolithic village in China. A handful of millennia later, alcohol has become deeply embedded in society and known as a social lubricant; it may be considered strange to host a party or go to a wedding without seeing alcohol served as a proverbial icebreaker. There are even entire events that completely revolve around alcohol, like winery and brewery tours where you can sample wine and beer.
Much like those first ancient villagers, most people seem to enjoy the ways that alcohol can alter the mind and make us feel like a more confident version of ourselves. For some people, the longer they drink, they can become more dependent on alcohol to experience that feeling, eventually drinking larger and larger amounts to the point that it can consume their entire life. Classified as a drug, the effects of alcohol on the individual, the people in their lives, and society as a whole make it a widespread public health concern.
What are the effects of alcohol on my body?
Drinking alcohol affects the entire body, regardless if it is occasional or heavy use. Major body systems such as the digestive, neurological, cardiovascular, and immune systems can see various short to long-term effects which can continually damage the whole body. When looking at the immune system as an example, alcohol use can weaken the body's defenses and increase inflammation, becoming more susceptible to infection and also impede the body's ability to heal from wounds. Alcohol use can also increase the risk of various cancers throughout the body.
On a yearly basis, alcohol is responsible for millions of deaths around the world. While there are recommended amounts of consumption from most authorities and "moderation" is promoted, the reality is that there are no conceivable health benefits from drinking any amounts of alcohol, and the health risks tend to increase as consumption increases.
What is alcohol use disorder?
Somewhere around 7%, or 400 million people, of the world's population live with alcohol use disorder (AUD). To put it simply, AUD, also known as alcoholism, is the uncontrollable urge to drink despite its negative effects on themselves and the people around them. As a person with AUD continues to drink, they may start to prioritize their drinking over any other responsibilities in their life, and it can eventually become serious enough that drinking becomes the only thing that they are concerned with, forgoing even self-care as it continues to physically and mentally damage them.
Some people with AUD may be high-functioning, meaning they will still be able to perform their daily responsibilities and behave normally, but will hide their drinking and downplay the frequency and severity of their use. These people may not fit the stereotypical definition of an alcoholic in that they look as if they still take care of themselves and still lead a relatively normal life, but their urge to drink and high tolerance may allow them to continue drinking in secret throughout the day until they meet some type of consequence from it.
There is no definitive cause for AUD, but research shows that people with a family history of drinking and those with certain mental health issues are at a higher risk of also developing AUD. It is important to note that the only proven cure for AUD is to completely abstain from alcohol use, but to abstain immediately after a history of heavy use can be deadly. There is no known treatment that allows for even occasional use; those who go through a treatment program are considered to be in recovery for the rest of their lives, and even one drink can derail any progress that has been made.
What treatment options are available for AUD?
Behavioral change is the priority for most treatment programs. As stated, there are virtually no treatment options that allow for any future alcohol use upon completion, as the "cure" for addiction is to address and modify the behavior of what causes the individual to drink in the first place. The most common program, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), has the alcoholic deeply evaluate and reflect on the reasons for their addiction by working through 12 specific steps repeatedly to facilitate behavior change. AA and what's known as "step-work" is not the only option, so it is important to explore what works best on an individual basis. Regardless of the treatment option, without the full devotion of the individual to eventually stop drinking, success is almost never guaranteed.
As far as the physical effects go, it's important to undergo treatment under the supervision of a medical professional, especially those who have a history of heavy use. The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can be deadly without intervention; withdrawal from heavy alcohol use can cause tremors, vomiting, hallucinations, and seizures. Some treatment plans may include medications that affect brain chemistry and the body's metabolism of alcohol which can deter use and assists in continued abstinence.
Why is AUD known as a family disease?
The term "family disease" is commonly used to describe the long-reaching effects of all addictions; the addict will face the direct consequences of drug use, but their friends and family will experience the difficulties of having that person in their lives. As the alcoholic's behavior deteriorates and their priorities turn completely to drinking, they may become a burden in many ways. They may stop going to work, and eventually may not be able to work at all. They may become undependable to the people in their lives, unable to perform simple responsibilities due to their drinking. They may become increasingly aggravated and lash out when they drink, causing severe emotional distress.
When looking at AUD, people close to the alcoholic will understandably go through stages of anger, sadness, frustration, and try to cope with how that person's alcohol use is now affecting their own lives. Friends and family may start to feel that their own lives are also becoming unmanageable due to the alcoholic's behavior and may want to seek help for themselves. Similar to AA, Al-Anon is a closely related program where family and friends of alcoholics can meet together to also work the same 12 steps as AA. This program focuses not on the alcoholic, but on the people affected by someone's drinking. Ultimately, people attending Al-Anon are seeking to take care of themselves instead of the alcoholic in their life and, in order to find some balance, they understand that they are not responsible for another person's actions and behavior.
Conclusion
The addictive quality of alcohol cannot, ever, be understated. As much as alcohol can physically damage one person, the emotional toll on friends and family can be long-lasting and carried on to the next generation. If you think that you or a loved one may have a problem with drinking, the first step is to admit that there is a problem and to seek treatment, but understand that this is a decision on the part of the alcoholic and shouldn't be forced onto them. If you feel that you have been affected by someone's drinking, understand that you are not alone. There are also ways for you to start to heal as well.
References
Penn Museum - The Earliest Alcoholic Beverage in the World, https://www.penn.museum/research/project.php?pid=12
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism -
Alcohol's Effects on Health, https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/alcohols-
Recommend Evidence-Based Treatment: Know the Options, https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-
Mayo Clinic - Alcohol use: Weighing risks and benefits, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/alcohol/art-20044551
Leora - What Are the Effects of Drinking Alcohol Everyday? https://www.leorabh.com/blog/effects-drinking-alcohol-everyday?595f2b48_page=8
World Health Organization - Alcohol, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/alcohol
Cleveland Clinic - Alcohol Use Disorder, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/3909-alcoholism
American Addiction Centers -
What is a Functioning Alcoholic? Signs of High-Functioning Alcoholism, https://americanaddictioncenters.org/blog/high-functioning-alcoholic
Is There a Cure for Alcoholism? https://americanaddictioncenters.org/alcohol/rehab-
Al-Anon - The impacts of growing up with the family disease of alcoholism, https://al-anon.org/blog/the-impacts-of-growing-up-with-the-family-disease-of-alcoholism/
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