Alcoholism can destroy the individual, sometimes very quickly. From drunk driving accidents to liver disease, alcoholism can ravage the body and usually takes an average of about 25 years off the life expectancy of an individual. In addition to this, however, alcoholism lowers the quality of life as well, as many alcoholics end up with chronic related conditions, or sitting in prison for several years, and so on.
Alcoholism negatively affects almost every area of a person's life. People lose jobs, get divorced, and drop out of school because of their drinking.
Because of the complex affect that alcoholism has on people's lives, the solution is necessarily complicated as well. A holistic approach that treats the alcoholic as a whole has proven to be most effective.
2. Effect on the family
Alcoholism is a family disease, and it negatively impacts the entire family in a big way. A parent who is alcoholic stands a very high chance of passing their disease onto their children, which further perpetuates the family disease concept. Many times it is a spouse that is enabling an alcoholic to continue to drink by helping that person to avoid major consequences. By "rescuing" them, they are actually making matters worse because it enables the alcoholic to return to their drinking instead of facing heavy consequences that might force them to change their behavior (such as legal penalties or jail time).
Because alcoholism is a family disease, it is important for the family members to seek help as well. Going to Al-anon meetings can provide much needed support and direction as to how to behave around the alcoholic. Al-anon can teach you how to stop enabling someone and possibly help to break the cycle of addiction.
3. Effect on society
Based on the devastating effects that alcoholism has on the individual and on families, it comes as no surprise that the disease has a negative impact on society as well. Alcoholism accounts for a ton of lost productivity and wasted energy every year. Not to mention the devastating effects and consequences of countless drunk driving accidents, many of which harm or even kill innocent victims.
Obviously, alcoholism has a trickle-down effect, starting with the individual and eventually impacting the whole of society. Recovery starts with the individual, but will also improve family dynamics and eventually benefits society as a whole.
