Expert: Rebos - 5/16/2006

Question
Hiiii im 16 years old and I have been drinking nearly eveyrday for the past month 2 months and been drinking sense about summer going into freshman year. I use to drink 1-2 times a week but lately... I drink around 10-12 shots almost 5-6 times a week sometime 4. I am about 160 pounds and about 5'8 1/2 Do you think my drinking is to heavy will contining this pace at my weight and body give me liver and brain problems. Probally it will. Can you tell me how long it might take it to effect me? If longterm use is the answer how long is long? Can I plz have a estimate and plz do not tell me that I should go to an AA meeting because I would liek to hear your oppinoin and my parents oppinoin before anything. Tell me what all is going to happen to my body.

Ty- Jake

Answer
Good morning Jake:

Thank you for your question. I will do my best to provide you with the info that you are looking for. However, if you are addicted to alcohol already then you probably won't end up listening to anyone about what (not could) will happen to you if you continue drinking any alcohol at all. Even “near beer” like O'Douls with only .05% alcohol in it cannot be consumed by someone who is addicted to alcohol, or even someone who has an addictive personality. You can be sure that you will end up with all the problems that I have listed below.

You may think that none of these things will ever happen to you, but believe me they will. Not only the physical and mental problems that I have listed, but… more than 85% of the people in any State Prison have committed their crime because of alcohol. From petty larceny, to murder! There is and old saying that you can't scare a drunk to stop drinking, you GOTTAWANNA for anything to make an impression, or be meaningful. Try not to be one of those wise-guys that say “When I get that bad I'll do something about stopping”. By then it's too late and the booze will be making all of the decisions for you.

Here are five of the immediate physical alcohol abuse effects:

1. Inhibitions Become Reduced - at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05, changes in a person's behavior begins to be noticeable. Alcohol abuse effects and reduced inhibitions can put a person at higher risk for actions they would otherwise not participate in, such as sexual activity, continued drinking or illegal drug use.

2. Loss of Muscle Control - at the level of 0.10, slurred speech will likely be evident. Impaired judgment and poor coordination are physical effects of alcohol abuse that can lead to falls and accidents.

3. Memory Loss and/or Blackouts - since alcohol depresses the brain's control mechanisms, as blood alcohol levels increase, periods of time and certain situations and events may not be remembered afterward.

4. Stupor - at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.40, a person can hardly function, acting seriously dazed and confused.

5. Coma - at a blood alcohol level of 0.50, a person is at risk for coma, which can be life-threatening. And at this level or higher, respiratory paralysis and death become very much a possibility.

Other alcohol abuse effects that are short-term include nausea, hangovers, headaches and fatigue. The longer a person abuses alcohol over time, the higher the chances of other alcohol abuse effects being experienced and alcohol dependency developing. The most severe form of alcoholism is 'alcohol dependency'. Physical alcohol dependence is characterized by withdrawal symptoms when alcohol consumption is interrupted, by tolerance to the effects of alcohol abuse and by the presence of alcohol-related illnesses.

Malnutrition can develop from a reduced appetite plus inadequate absorption of nutrients in the intestinal tract and from consuming 'empty' calories in alcohol. Calories from alcohol are called 'empty' calories since alcohol contains no beneficial nutrients, vitamins or minerals.

And with continued alcohol consumption and abuse over years, many of the body organs will be affected. Alcohol is especially harmful to the liver since the liver does most of the work of breaking down alcohol. Alcohol destroys liver cells, and it destroys the ability of liver cells to regenerate. This condition leads to progressive inflammatory injury to the liver and eventually can result in cirrhosis of the liver.

Additional long term alcohol abuse effects include damage to the brain, high blood pressure, heart muscle damage, nerve damage, pancreatitis, bleeding in the esophagus, erectile dysfunction in men, fetal alcohol syndrome in the offspring of alcoholic women, insomnia, depression and increased cancer risks.

I hope that I have answered your question, and that you take the information that I have provided you seriously. If you want to you can write me again and I will give you some more information from the recovery side of being a problem drinker (if you are not already one). Thank you Rebos