If necessary, they can refer you to a rehabilitation center to get the drinking under control. Driving under the influence of alcohol is dangerous because it affects your ability to reason, think clearly, judge, or follow traffic laws. It puts your life and the safety of those around you at risk, too. On average, drunk driving kills around 28 people per day in the U.S. Sunshine Behavioral Health strives to help people who are facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions. It does this by providing compassionate care and evidence-based content that addresses health, treatment, and recovery.

• Even though alcohol has become a significant part of everyday life, early-stage alcoholics often deny that they have a problem and may be defensive about their drinking.
• Even drinking alcohol while taking over-the-counter antihistamines can be dangerous.
• It affects more men than women and is fatal 10 to 20 percent of the time.
• But esophageal varices are prone to rupture, and when they do, the alcoholic can bleed to death.
• This leads to rapid increases in BAC and significantly impairs brain and other bodily functions.
• If you drink too often, misuse alcohol like binge drink, or drink to the point of blacking out, it can cause many physical and mental health issues in the long term.

In the beginning stages of alcoholism, drinking escalates and the individual develops an increased tolerance for alcohol. Those biological changes pave the way for the second stage, which is marked by a physical dependence on the drug. Drinking at this point isn’t about feeling good — it’s about not feeling bad and avoiding the uncomfortable sensations that accompany acute withdrawal. Know that getting treatment is an important step in preventing alcoholic death. Give us a call today – we are here to support you in your journey toward a healthier life.

Drugs & Supplements

This can increase your risk for heart disease in the long run. Instead, the individual feels a psychological and physiological need to drink. They crave alcohol, and may even turn to other drugs at https://ecosoberhouse.com/ this stage. Drinking becomes a compulsion and happens despite the consequences. At this stage, even if someone is told that their drinking is killing them, they are unable to stop on their own.

What tips the balance from drinking that produces impairment to drinking that puts one’s life in jeopardy varies among individuals. Age, sensitivity to alcohol (tolerance), gender, speed of drinking, medications you are taking, and amount of food eaten can all be factors. At this stage, the alcoholic may appear to be functioning normally and is unlikely to have performance problems at work, school or in other settings.

Physical and Psychological Effects

The risk of dying from drunk driving or other alcohol-related accidents increases significantly at this stage. Once a person moves past occasionally binge drinking at a party or social gathering to drinking more frequently, such as every weekend, they have moved to the second stage. As the disease progresses to the middle stage, drinking continues to increase and dependency develops. Strong cravings for alcohol are typical at this stage, and drinking isn’t just for enjoyment anymore. Because the body has adapted to deal with an alcohol-rich environment, the alcoholic physically needs it to avoid the painful symptoms of withdrawal. By the time they’ve reached the third and final stage of alcoholism, drinking has consumed their lives.

In the first stage, people begin to experiment with drinking larger amounts of alcohol. While they may not drink every day, or even every week, when they do drink, they consume several alcoholic beverages at a time. Generally, binge drinking is considered to be five or more drinks in two hours for men and four or more drinks in two hours for women. Alcohol poisoning or death via car accidents or other risky behaviors are the greatest risks at this stage.

Things You Can Do to Prevent Alcohol-Related Deaths

Over time, too much scarring in the liver can lead to cirrhosis. It’s a life-threatening, late-stage liver disease that can stop the liver from properly filtering blood. This can cause other organs in your body to shut down and increase how does alcohol kill you your risk for death. Cirrhosis usually takes decades to develop, and sometimes people are not aware of it until it’s too late. Over half of alcohol-related deaths are because of health effects from drinking too much over time.