The problem of alcoholism

Party time starts with a sip of whisky or beer and it’s a familiar situation for young people these days. Alcohol consumption has always been associated with having fun and enjoying life. Be it any ceremony or just meeting friends, all we need is a peg of alcohol to enjoy or to release pressure. [break]



 The alcohol we consume to have fun in life may be harmful and it’s a known fact that excessive and irresponsible drinking takes away lives.

However, alcohol is not harmful from every prospect. Doctors confirm that a limited amount of alcohol may be helpful in some cases. It is a common conclusion that drinking for the first time is the worst experience for many people. But as you adapt yourself to alcohol, no matter how bitter it tastes, you will fall to its trap and it can even lead to alcoholism.



Alcoholism is a state where you are physically addicted to alcohol and continue to drink, despite having physical, mental and social problems and also troubles with family or at work. Alcohol can manipulate your relationship and life.



A more interesting fact is that though alcoholism is generated through a drinking habit, alcoholism is not actually a habit. It is a disease. I heard a man say, “You drink a glass of milk every day before going to bed but on a given day if you forget to drink milk, you aren’t going to suffocate because you can change your habit for a day. It’s not the same with alcohol. If you’re an alcoholic and you don’t get a drink for a day, you’re going to get mad for it. You would do anything to have a peg of alcohol.”



We see actors in the movies speak fluently and with immense emotion once they are drunk but in reality after a person is drunk, he can be nothing but silly.



Alcohol develops receptors in the first consumption and continuously multiplies as you drink. A person who drinks only occasionally has the ability to lose these receptors quickly but the process of cleansing these receptors is very slow in the body of a person who is a regular drinker. As a result, these receptors create law of demand function in the brain. They order alcohol and literally go on strike when their needs aren’t fulfilled. The more the occasions or stress or difficulty, the more will be the demand.

Drinking regularly is harmful in every prospect but this doesn’t mean that those who drink occasionally are free from this disease. In fact, occasional drinkers can be more violent at times. The tendency of drinking like there’s no tomorrow is the principle of alcoholics.

Many alcoholics have climbed back to normal life, proving that it is possible to live happily without alcohol. Let us be aware in time so that we would leave no point left to regret in future. Be healthy, quit alcohol.

The writer is a student of Bachelor’s in Business Administration at Universal College, Kathmandu.

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