Alcoholism Affects
Although most people know that massive amounts of alcohol are not good for the body, the potent, short term effects of alcohol are not as well considered. Alcohol does not need to be digested in order to be absorbed by the body, making it’s effects apparent rapidly after consumption. Alcohol passes through the stomach wall and through the small intestine, where it goes directly into the bloodstream which leads it to the brain. Slurred speech and an inability to walk straight are evidence of the substance’s capacity to hamper or incapacitate the parts of the brain which control these mechanisms. With a few gulps, alcohol can stimulate or make the drinker euphoric and more sociable. However, it can also immediately depress and numb, which makes for a more calm and peaceful drinker. Also, alcohol can act as a sleep inducing drug which impairs judgment and vision. It can affect motor ability, muscle function, reaction time, depth perception, and night vision. The liver metabolizes alcohol at a constant rate and cannot speed up processes as an individual drinks more and more alcohol. Therefore, coffee or one more drink will not ameliorate the affects of alcohol. Although sexual inhibitions may be cast off while alcohol is present in the body, sexual performance is repressed. Changes in disposition and manner can be seen or experienced within one drink. While alcohol can help discard other social reserves and make a person more approachable and outgoing, it can also produce a malicious or pitiful drunk.