By STACEY UKAOBASI O

Getting hooked in the terrible habit of alcohol dependence by any member of any family either the father or the mother, is the surest destabilising force and as I will prefer to put it ‘anything bad that alcoholism doesn’t do, does not exists’. This is how most family trees are collapsing because one part of the family structure is entirely dependent on alcohol beverages as essential social motivator and by this dependency, key decisions to hold the family together suffer destabilisation.

There was this family I used to know back then in Abuja whereby the Father of the House was a compulsive drinker of alcohol to the extent that fundamental decision making processes in the running of his family were so adversely affected. This man who is young and was actively working in one of the most respected government offices, made it a daily habit after office hours to always go on drinking binge with some persons who often come around his other business facility that he set up in Maitama. Anyone who is conversant with the Nigerian federal capital should know that the city centre is dotted by green areas whereby proprietors of drinking centres are licenced by the FCT administration to set up non permanent drinking bars for their clients.

He struggles with alcoholism, refused help and often meeting troubled women in bars, bringing destructive consequences to his family through toxic relationships and poor choices. He drinks to stupor, often requiring his wife to pick him up in the middle of the night. When she doesn’t come around to take him home, anyone will take him home, leading to fleeting relationships with various women. This pattern has caused serious trouble at home for years, yet he continues to drink chronically. Sometimes these women try to start a fight with the innocent wife, and some men who are also drunk try to be funny with her. Clearly, you can see the pain in the innocent woman’s face, and the husband, who’s always too drunk to protect her. Meanwhile, the wife sacrifices her own rest and family time, venturing out in the middle of the night to rescue him, leaving one to wonder how long she’ll continue to bear this burden before reaching her breaking point.”

Besides, the star attraction for most of these clients who flood these gardens in Abuja in the evening to cool off after work with green bottles of alcoholic beverages is the significant presence of women of easy virtues who often visit these seat -outs in search of willing patrons. Most times, these women of easy virtues seduce some of the male drinkers to the extent that they drink till the late hours of the day and this practice then becomes regularised.

But what this man doesn’t seem to know is that alcohol use disorder (sometimes called alcoholism) is a common medical condition. In this disorder, people can’t stop drinking, even when drinking affects their health, puts their safety at risk and damages their personal relationships. Treatment includes medication and behavioural therapy. Studies show most people can reduce how much they drink or stop drinking entirely. This is the science established by the World Health Organisation.

What is alcohol use disorder?

Alcohol use disorder (sometimes called alcoholism) according to scholars, is a common medical condition. People with this condition can’t stop drinking, even if their alcohol use upends their lives and the lives of those around them. Alcohol use disorder can be mild, moderate or severe. Treatments may include medication and behavioural therapy. While people with this condition may start drinking again, studies show that with treatment, most people are able to reduce how much they drink or stop drinking entirely.

What are the symptoms of alcohol use disorder?

When you think about medical condition symptoms, you may focus on physical issues like pain, fever or a cough that won’t go away. Alcohol use disorder symptoms focus on changes in your mood and behavior, including:

(1) Craving beverages containing alcohol.

Continuing to use these beverages even though your drinking affects your relationships with your family, friends and colleagues.

(2) Drinking more than you intended, or for longer than you intended.

Spending lots of time obtaining and drinking these beverages or recovering from hangovers caused by drinking.

(3) Repeatedly trying to reduce how much you drink.

(4) Repeatedly failing to meet work or family obligations because you’re drinking.

Giving up important social, work or recreational activities because of alcohol.

Using alcohol in physically hazardous situations.

(5) Continuing to drink when you have a medical condition or mental disorder that gets worse when you drink.

(6) Having a high tolerance for beverages containing alcohol, and lastly

(7) Having alcohol withdrawal symptoms or drinking to avoid withdrawal symptoms. According to WHO. One other interesting fact is that most people who drink habitually are unaware that alcohol is the most toxic drug of addiction.

On the thinking that alcohol is the Deadliest Drug, think about the following facts:

In the USA for example, opioids are taking the news headlines by storm, and rightfully so, as Americans are living amongst a deadly opioid epidemic in their country.

The truth is that people are dying from prescription pills every day, and the authority cannot do enough to reduce the number of these deaths. However, what is largely unknown and people don’t hear enough about is alcohol and how deadly it is.

This is the secret, experts say that alcohol is the most socially acceptable drug on the market and the most easily accessible. Even with this knowledge, the general public still has a tendency to believe alcohol is good and tolerable and not dangerous, and is considered an acceptable form of relaxation. Science tells us something different. Alcohol is the deadliest drug of all. (Source: Addiction Center). We will later talk about why alcohol is the deadliest drug we ever know but we will first undertake a study of some key facts about alcoholism.

Key facts: Alcohol or alcoholic beverages contain ethanol, a psychoactive and toxic substance that can cause dependence.

Worldwide, around 2.6 million deaths were caused by alcohol consumption in 2019. Of these, 1.6 million deaths were from noncommunicable diseases, 700 000 deaths from injuries and 300 000 deaths from communicable diseases.

Besides, the alcohol-attributable mortality was heaviest among men, accounting for 2 million deaths compared to 600 000 deaths among women, in 2019.

An estimated 400 million people, or 7% of the world’s population aged 15 years and older, lived with alcohol use disorders. Of this, 209 million people (3.7% of the adult world population) lived with alcohol dependence.

Funnily, alcohol consumption, even at low levels can bring health risks, but most alcohol related harms come from heavy episodic or heavy continuous alcohol consumption.

The good news is that effective alcohol control interventions exist and should be utilized more, at the same time it is important for people to know risks associated with alcohol consumption and take individual actions to protect from its harmful effects. Source: World Health Organization (WHO).

Sociologically, men struggling with alcoholism often meet troubled women in bars, bringing destructive consequences to their families through toxic relationships and poor choices.

Alcoholism is a disease that affects not only the individual struggling with addiction but also their loved ones. The impact of alcoholism on family and friends can be profound, causing emotional, physical, and financial strain.It has emotional toll on loved ones. They may experience anxiety and stress: Living with someone who has an alcohol use disorder can be unpredictable and stressful.

Fear and worry: Concerns about the individual’s safety, health, and well-being.

SADNESS AND DEPRESSION: Watching a loved one struggle with addiction can be heartbreaking and lead to feelings of sadness and depression.

GUILT AND SHAME: Family members may feel responsible for the individual’s addiction or ashamed of their loved ones behaviour.

The physical effects of living with someone with alcoholism can include:

1. Sleep disturbances: The stress and anxiety of living with someone with an alcohol use disorder can lead to sleep disturbances because you are awake every night worrying where he or she is and if they are okay.

2. Physical health problems: Chronic stress can contribute to physical health problems, such as hypertension, diabetes, and compromised immune systems.

Neglect of self-care: Loved ones may neglect their own physical and emotional needs while trying to cope with the individual’s addiction.

IMPACT ON RELATIONSHIPS

1. Alcoholism ruins marriages and damages relationships between loved ones.

2. CONFLICTS AND ARGUMENTS: The unpredictability of the individual’s behaviour can lead to serious confusion, conflicts and arguments.

3. FEELINGS OF ISOLATION: Loved ones may feel isolated and alone in their struggles to cope with the individual’s addiction.

•Stacy Ukaobasi O, is a US-based human rights activist and the founder of the Child Rights Forum of Nigeria.