Addiction Recovery

Alcohol Addiction and Its Effects on Adolescents

Adolescence is a period of physical and mental transition childhood to adulthood. This stage is also known as the period of discovery and coming of age. Even until now, some cultures still give much importance to this event in the life of a person. Japanese have Seijin shiki, male Hindus have Upanayanam, and Christians have their Sacrament of Confirmation. These events are examples of the several rites of passage a person undergoes.

Adolescents have their own trendy rites of passage – that of trying out vices like drinking alcoholics and sniffing on substances. Although this does not happen to majority of youth throughout the world, there is an alarming statistics of youth getting hooked into these activities. In 2002, 1.4 million youth ages 12-17 were said to have alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and only 16 percent of this received alcoholism treatment.

Alcoholic beverages alter your mind, body and emotions. While a few drinks of alcohol can actually calm and relax a person, it also reduces your ability to concentrate while at the same time lowering your reflexes. A few more drinks and the person experiences reduced coordination, slurred speech, or intense mood swings. Excessive alcohol intake results to confusion, blurred vision and poor muscle control. It is also likely to result to nausea, vomiting, and falling asleep. In worst cases, some alcoholic individuals fall into coma or eventually die.

Alcohol treatment centers warn that alcoholism is a leading cause of death among the youth. It increases the incidence of vehicular accidents, suicide, rape and other family and school problems.

Concerned individuals such as the family, school and community can do something to combat alcoholism among the youth and minimize the adverse effects of this vice. Parents and families can set up strict rules on alcohol use; schools can enforce alcohol bans and information drives on the threats of alcohol abuse. Addiction rehabilitation centers provide valuable information on the harmful effects of alcohol abuse. These and many others are just among the several things that can be done to reduce alcoholism among youth and its effects on them.

Alcoholism treatment is the process through which alcohol abusers and alcoholics are able to recover and restore their lives to what they were before drinking.