Why is Alcohol Harmful
This organic compound found in alcoholic beverages acts as a toxin to the human body
ethanol
alcohol causes speech to sound thick and unclear
slurred speech
Chronic, heavy alcohol consumption can cause high blood pressure, increasing the long-term risk of this life-threatening cardiovascular
heart attack or stroke
A physical condition where a person requires increasing amounts of alcohol to achieve the same effect
tolerance
The process of safely removing alcohol from the body under medical supervision, often the first step in recovery
detoxification
alcohol slows down the central nervous system
a depressant
Alcohol impairs balance and physical coordination by affecting this region of the brain located at the back of the skull
cerebellum
Late-stage scarring of liver tissue caused by chronic alcohol abuse is known by this medical term
cirrhosis
A disease characterized by a strong, uncontrollable craving to drink alcohol despite negative consequences
alcoholism
A widely known 12-step mutual aid fellowship founded in 1935 to help people recover from alcoholism
Alcoholics Anonymous
because it alters brain function, affecting mood, awareness
perception
The ability of the body to respond to a situation or stimulus, which significantly slows down after drinking alcohol
the reaction time
Long-term excessive drinking significantly weakens this body system, making a person more susceptible to infections like pneumonia
the immune system
Painful or uncomfortable physical symptoms that occur when a dependent person suddenly stops drinking alcohol
withdrawal
A structured meeting organized by family and friends, often guided by a professional, to encourage a loved one to seek treatment
intervention
Drinking alcohol while pregnant can cause this spectrum of irreversible birth defects
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
temporary memory loss caused by heavy drinking where a person remains conscious but cannot form new memories
a blackout
Severe long-term alcohol abuse can lead to Korsakoff syndrome, a chronic memory disorder caused by a deficiency in this vitamin
Vitamin B1 or thaimine
Consuming 5 or more drinks for men, or 4 or more drinks for women, within about 2 hours is defined as this pattern of drinking
binge drinking
Returning to alcohol use after a period of improvement or sobriety is known as this
relapse
This essential metabolic organ absorbs the most damage when processing alcohol,
the liver
The legal measurement of the percentage of alcohol present in a person's bloodstream, abbreviated as BAC.
Blood Alcohol Concentration
Chronic alcohol use increases the risk of developing several types of this disease, particularly in the mouth, throat, esophagus, and liver
cancer
The difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism is that alcoholism involves physical dependency, whereas alcohol abuse primarily involves this
harmfull riskfull patterns
This support organization, founded in 1951, specifically helps family members and friends of individuals struggling with alcoholism
Al-Anon