Alcohol is a central nervous system suppressant that humans have used recreationally and medicinally for centuries as a temporary relief from psychological and physical pain. Alcohol interferes with the communication between nerve cells and suppresses nerve pathway activity, causing feelings of relaxation and forgetfulness. While some people can consume alcohol without life-altering side effects, a combination of genetic factors, learned behavior, trauma, personality, and culture causes others to be predisposed toward developing an alcohol dependency. In this circumstance, professional substance abuse treatment in Massachusetts, like that offered by Greater Boston Addiction Centers, can help with alcohol addiction treatment.
Since alcohol is legal in the U.S., many people develop social and antisocial drinking habits. Alcohol does not make people happy; it allows people to avoid thinking about what bothers them. Heavy drinking over an extended period of time causes changes in the central nervous system, impairing the neurocircuitry of motivation, reward, impulse control, memory, and judgment. The following programs can help people suffering from alcohol use disorder in Boston:
Regular, heavy exposure to alcohol causes impairments in judgment, memory, sleep, reasoning, sex, and basic survival instincts. Genetic makeup and culture play significant roles in the development of people’s drinking habits. People with alcoholism in their families are more likely to drink heavily. And people who grow up around heavy drinkers are more likely to drink heavily themselves. The prolonged use of alcohol changes the survival and reward circuitry of the brain, causing chemical dependency. As brain chemistry continues to be disrupted by alcohol consumption, our reactions and responses vary; the things we cherish no longer bring us joy. The things we love fall by the wayside. One of the most heartbreaking realities of alcoholism is that the children of active alcoholics are more likely to suffer the same fate.
Drinking alcohol disrupts and destroys brain tissue on its own. But when combined with other medications, the chances of an overdose, disease, and addiction are even greater. Frequent alcohol intoxication causes severe medical, psychological, social, and occupational problems.
Uncontrolled use of alcohol is responsible for almost 88,000 deaths in the U.S. every year.
Greater Boston Addiction Centers offers alcohol addiction treatment programs for both men and women. Our understanding, patient, and clinically trained staff are integral to our addiction treatment programs. We have an extensive alumni network in west Boston that keeps people connected.
Alcoholism exacerbates existing mental health issues, destroys relationships, and causes the following health problems:
Some individuals are able to drink alcohol—sometimes large amounts of it—without experiencing life consequences followed by chemical dependency. Some people are not. Millions of people seek treatment for alcohol use disorder every year. While attending outpatient alcohol addiction treatment seems inconvenient, letting alcoholism destroy your life is far less convenient. Excessive drinking and chemical dependence are some of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the United States. An outpatient, partial hospitalization program can help patients in New England regain control of their lives.
