In the United States, the prevalence of drinking takes place in almost 85% of people at some point in their life. Because it is a legal substance and easily accessible, the dangers of drinking are not always considered, especially in young people. But, because of its accessibility and mainstream acceptance, alcohol might be one of the most dangerous substances out there. This is why we offer specialized alcoholism treatment in Nashville, TN.

According to a study done in 2019, 25.8% of men and women over the age of 18 admit to struggling with binge drinking. There are nearly 15 million people in the US over the age of 12 who struggle with an alcohol use disorder. Unfortunately, most of these people will never seek help for their alcohol abuse and will succumb in some way or another to this dangerous and deadly drug.

When a person drinks alcohol, they may experience a variety of symptoms that encourage continued drinking. This is because alcohol increases the release of dopamine. Dopamine is the “feel good” neurotransmitter. When released, we feel a sense of calm, euphoria, and overall positivity.

Drinking alcohol increases dopamine in the brain, leading to many symptoms depending on the overall blood alcohol content.

• BAC: 0.033-0.12% is where an individual will experience improved mood, increased confidence, decreased anxiety, and impaired judgment.
• BAC: 0.09-0.25% causes sedation, loss of memory, delayed reactions, and blurred vision.
• BAC: 0.25-0.40% may lead to loss of consciousness, amnesia, vomiting, respiratory depression, and slowed heart rate.
• BAC: 0.35-0.80% will cause a lack of pupillary response to life, life-threatening respiratory depression, severe decrease in heart rate, and death.

People seek the feeling experienced between BAC 0.033% and 0.12%, but as an individual drinks more and more, the amount required to reach those positive effects changes. They will need to drink more, but their blood alcohol content remains constant. This means that a person who abuses alcohol will not feel positive effects until their blood alcohol content has reached a much higher percentage.

This is why drinking is so dangerous. The more that is consumed, the more that will be needed in order to reach the desired effects, and the closer you become to death as you strive for those feelings.

It can sometimes be hard to tell when someone is addicted to alcohol, especially since this substance is both legal and widely accepted. Due to the culture of drinking in the United States, there is rarely an occasion where alcohol is not present. Knowing the signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse could save your life and the lives of the people around you.

When a person struggles with alcohol abuse, they may experience a variety of the following:

• Distress when alcohol is not present or is not easily accessible
• Wanting to stop drinking but failing to do so
• Obsessing over alcohol
• Experiencing mood swings (negative) when alcohol is not present
• Not wanting to talk about their excessive drinking
• Denial that they are struggling with alcohol addiction
• Decrease in academic or work performance
• Various physical symptoms: headaches, glassy eyes, and emotional outbursts

Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol for lengthy periods of time can lead to many long-term health consequences if overdose or death is evaded. These health complications can cause a person to require intensive medical healthcare for the rest of their life. Not only are these medical treatments intensive and sometimes painful, but they are incredibly costly.

Some of the long-term health consequences a person may experience from excessive drinking include:

• Liver Disease
• Cancer (mouth, liver, colon, rectum, or breast)
• Ulcers
• Brain Damage
• Immune Suppression
• Heart Disease
• Vitamin or Nutrient Deficiencies
• Reduced Bone Density

When you drink alcohol, your brain releases increased amounts of dopamine. This neurotransmitter causes the drinker to feel increased sensations of euphoria and pleasure. As drinking progresses into abuse, the brain becomes used to that heightened state of dopamine and now requires it in order to function. This is what causes people to develop tolerance. Eventually, a person will need to continue to drink in order to get rid of any withdrawal symptoms that might be present when alcohol is no longer in their system. With most drugs, withdrawal may be uncomfortable. But when it comes to alcohol withdrawal, symptoms may be deadly.

Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal may be as minor as agitation, tremors, irritability, or anxiety. But, when a person has been drinking in such large quantities for long amounts of time, these symptoms may begin to dramatically intensify to include delirium tremens, hallucinations, or seizures.

When alcohol is suddenly no longer present, the brain experiences an intense plummet in dopamine. This causes withdrawal, and if left untreated, may lead to extremely negative symptoms or death.

Seeking help for alcohol abuse through a professional, trustworthy substance abuse treatment center is critical when it comes to surviving this disease. Here in Nashville, Tennessee, we work to provide you or your loved ones with the best treatment programs, customized to meet your specific needs. Working with our treatment team to address your alcohol substance use disorder, and any possible co-occurring mental health problems, is the best way to ensure that you get through this safely and with the prospect of long-term sobriety.

Depending on your specific level of need, we offer a variety of services within our Nashville rehab center. Clients will have access to a variety of alcohol rehab programs such as partial hospitalization, our intensive outpatient program, outpatient treatment, and access to sober living homes and medication-assisted treatment options.