Medium- and long-term risks
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Inour bodies, alcohol finds its way into various organs and leaves its mark. These can include the liver (risk of cirrhosis, cancer..), muscles (slackening and weakening), the digestive system (risk of bleeding, ulcers and cancer of the mouth, throat and stomach), the heart and circulation (heart disease, blood pressure problems, strokes), the nervous system (nerve and brain damage leading to neurological disorders and mental illness), the sexual organs (risk of impotence and sterility, risk of foetal malformation in pregnant women) and the skin (inflammatory diseases, psoriasis). On a psychological level, too, the risks are very real: alcohol consumption can lead to reduced self-esteem and difficulties in asserting oneself, which in turn can lead to behavioral problems: impaired judgment, anger, nervousness, a tendency to isolate oneself or close oneself off, difficulties in confronting life's problems.. |
| Finally, the "recurrent drinker" runs the risk of gradually sinking into dependence. Whatever the reason for consuming alcoholic beverages (for their taste or to relax, have fun, forget problems, ease tension...), we do so essentially because we find an immediate benefit. Since these effects are short-lived, it's terribly tempting to take another dose to rediscover these pleasant sensations... and to take more each time we want to satisfy the original need (pleasure, conviviality, relaxation, forgetting, soothing)... or another! And that's how we slowly slide into psychological dependence. Quite often, the reasons why we drink change over time, insidiously, without our being fully aware of it. Some young people, for example, start by having a few drinks at a party with friends, just to get into the mood. After a few drinks, the idea of drinking becomes central, and if they organize parties, it's above all to have another opportunity to drink (too much). After a while, it becomes unimaginable for them to organize anything without alcohol, and impossible to have fun without drinking. Psychological dependence sets in, andfrom psychological dependence to alcoholism, the road is unfortunately clear.. |  |
updated on 4/27/24
