| From weddings to boardroom conferences there is | | | | his family being at stake, the alcoholic will also have to |
| barely a social gathering that doesn't warrant the | | | | face marital tensions, which he tries to evade by |
| casual drink or two, as a means of rejuvenation or | | | | drinking more alcohol which traps him in a malicious |
| social bonding. Consumption of alcohol is widely | | | | circle. Unknown to many, alcohol is a depressant, which |
| accepted, if not encouraged, by many societies all | | | | means that the more you drink, the deeper your |
| over the world. But this seemingly harmless drink, | | | | depression grows until you are finally drinking to |
| which is often a pleasant addition to a great evening of | | | | escape the gloom alcohol has brought on to you. |
| relaxation, does have a dark and vicious side to it. | | | | Society is not very sympathetic in their outlook |
| Enslaved by the temporary 'high' that alcohol grants | | | | towards alcoholics as most people scorn victims of |
| them, many individuals begin to rely on alcohol as a | | | | alcohol abuse as too weak to control their excesses. |
| means to handle stress and unwind after a long, hard | | | | This takes its toll on the victim's self esteem a |
| day. And with every drink that he reaches out for, | | | | condition that is compounded by the psychological |
| either as a habit he is accustomed to, or as an escape | | | | disorders that alcohol is responsible for. The chronic |
| from his tensions, he draws closer and closer to falling | | | | depression that the alcoholic suffers from matures into |
| prey to the vicious disease of alcoholism. | | | | more terrifying diseases like paranoia and even |
| Alcoholism is one of the most difficult of all diseases to | | | | schizophrenia in the long run. Alcoholics are also more |
| detect and diagnose, as the victim himself is unaware | | | | inclined to other forms of substance abuse which |
| of how grave his addiction is. This is further | | | | complicate the problems alcohol is already causing |
| complicated by the fact that people around him tend to | | | | them. |
| overlook his addiction as a mere indulgence that can | | | | Children, whose parents are victims of alcohol abuse, |
| easily be dealt with, if he simply makes up his mind to | | | | are also more susceptible to depression, which exhibits |
| put an end to it. And thus, the victim keeps deceiving | | | | itself in the form of uncontrollable crying, bed wetting |
| himself until his addiction gets the better of him and | | | | and nightmares, when they are younger and acting-out |
| causes terrifying consequences. Alcohol is directly | | | | behaviors as they grow older. This means that they |
| responsible for a host of physical complications, which, | | | | may either be very rebellious, failing classes and |
| over the course of time, also affect the individual's | | | | engaging in destructive behavior, or they may be |
| social interactions and gradually but steadily, the society | | | | overly compliant and obsessive about their grades, |
| and even the economic growth and development of | | | | extremely self-conscious and suffer from phobias. |
| the country. | | | | These children often isolate themselves as they have |
| Alcohol first lashes out against the physical well-being | | | | no one to confide in about their fears and often |
| of the individual, weakening his heart, tormenting his | | | | believing that they are destined to be failures, no |
| liver and kidneys, which leads him to skip work for | | | | matter how hard they try. |
| prolonged periods of time. Gradually, as this disease | | | | Alcohol abuse has become increasingly prevalent with |
| overcomes its victim, it can even result in him losing his | | | | the changing times and the ever increasing burden of |
| job, which in turn negatively affects the performance | | | | stress it encumbers people with. In such circumstances, |
| of the organization as a whole. And every organization | | | | taking to the bottle as temporary relief may seem to |
| that incurs such losses, contribute to loss of revenue | | | | be a viable solution, but on closer inspection, is it really |
| for the economy of the country, slowing down its | | | | such a wise decision? Can you afford to sacrifice not |
| progress and growth. | | | | only your health and well-being, but also that of your |
| With the decline in income that the individual faces, | | | | family and those you care about, all for the sake of a |
| there is also the rising expenditure he has to incur as a | | | | few minutes of relief that alcohol grants you? Stop |
| result of his addiction, which compels him to buy | | | | drinking today and open your doors to a world of |
| increasing amounts of alcohol. The financial security of | | | | opportunities that await you, every step of the way. |