Health Issues Related to Alcohol Cost Much For New York State

Though legal everybody knows that abusing alcohol is harmful, but still people are doing it. If we ask why? The answer might be unknown. The thing is, every one has their own reason for starting and continuing a habit. But the funniest thing is among numerous awful effects, these abusers will never try to find a single thing to leave their habit and to save their lives. The result, health problems and sudden deaths resting their families in great sorrow.

These habits of drinking alcohol and abusing drugs, though personal, not only empty the pockets of abusers but also make a big hole for the nations wealth, which in their absence might have used for developing some useful things for the public.

For instance, The Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield has roughly estimated the cost of alcohol related health problems to the US economy. They figured out some astonishing figures which costs $2 billion a year for the New York state and around the nation it is costing $144 billion a year. The report also focused on the death rate and found that alcohol is killing nearly 79,000 people every year, ranking third among preventable causes of death.

This cost is meant for one single nation and if it is taken worldwide it may cost millions of dollars, which is more than enough to eradicate poverty from the entire world.

Effects of Alcohol on Mental Health

Many people often are addicted to alcohol for getting relieved from stress and also for enjoying the pleasure. It is known that drinking causes several physical health effects such as increased risk of heart attacks, liver damage, etc. In addition, excessive alcohol intake can even affect mental health. Many issues such as anxiety, depression, confusion, dementia, etc. may arise with alcohol usage.

Alcohol can cause temporary relief from some negative thoughts and feelings as it alters the chemistry of the brain. However, long-term and heavy drinking can increase the problem more after the alcohol wears off. Also, it is associated with depression in the same way. Serotonin, a chemical in the brain regulates the mood. Through regular drinking, the levels of this chemical gets depleted and this alters the mood changes in drunkards. Heavy drinkers with anxiety and depression cannot even be treated with antidepressants. The symptoms of these issues only get diminished with time upon stopping drinking.

Excessive drinking also rises issues like suicide, self-harm and psychosis. It is found that alcohol makes people lose their inhibition. It increases impulsivity which makes to take actions like suicide and self-harm. Drinking for several weeks may also cause psychosis where people suffer from hallucinations and delusions. These symptoms of psychosis may also be seen when heavy drinkers stop drinking suddenly. Dementia is the other major mental health issue which is observed in heavy alcohol users. Drinking may lead to loss of short-term memory and with time it even affects your long-term memory. Keeping these mental effects in mind, be careful and get away from being habituated to excessive drinking.