Given that alcohol abuse affects myriad families, ruining people’s health and harming social life, it is still a sensitive and critical issue to consider. Alcohol use disorder is probably the most preventable cause of mortality, which leads to a variety of acute and chronic diseases. For example, it is indisputable that excessive alcohol consumption might cause gastric ulcers, liver cirrhosis, esophageal cancer, pancreatitis, hypertension, and neurologic and psychiatric disorders. With regard to substance use disorder, it sometimes requires institutionalization and prolonged treatment in order to help patients overcome addiction and prevent long-term health consequences. Hence, early recognition of the problem with screening and timely intervention is considered to be crucial. Nevertheless, numerous people who became addicted are not able to admit that they encounter difficulties concerning alcohol use. I developed an aversion to spirits since childhood because I witnessed horrible outcomes of alcoholism in my relatives. It should be mentioned that counseling is an essential measure to assist people who have alcohol abuse; it plays a key role in eradicating this fatal addiction and bringing addicts to a healthy existence.
Alcohol abuse is a tragedy for addicted people and their families, and counseling, which is aimed at changing an addict’s perception and behavior regarding alcohol through therapy and avoiding relapse, might be ineffectual. When I was 14, my uncle died at 40 from hepatocellular carcinoma that was detected at stage four. At that stage, cancer metastasized to other organs, and, as a consequence, chemotherapy prolonged his life only for one year. He was a heavy drinker for a long time, which resulted in job loss, divorce, enormous unpaid debts, and terminal illness. Although everyone in our family knew about his addiction, my uncle did not want to admit the problem and resisted counseling. He participated in cognitive behavioral therapy that should help people to overcome attitude disorders associated with alcohol consumption. This approach implies a discussion about a patient’s feelings, and it did not help my uncle, who was not ready to admit the addiction. The main issue in my uncle’s case was that it led to disturbance of his social status and adverse health consequences. Since he lived with us for two last years, I saw my well-educated uncle’s insane behavior when he was drunk. Consequently, I was afraid to try alcohol until recently and considered this to be unacceptable. Furthermore, the story of my uncle made me hyperaware of other people’s problems with substance use.
Nevertheless, if a person is ready to admit the addiction, there are cases when professionally conducted counseling helps an addict to cope with this issue. Another story of alcohol abuse in our family was related to my grandfather. Unlike his son, he managed to overcome this addiction with the counselor’s help. He developed alcohol problems soon after his wife, my grandmother, died from lung cancer. He was drinking heavily for about four months, but, realizing the harmful alcohol’s influence, he asked his daughter to take him to counseling sessions. My grandfather’s experience demonstrates that early intervention is beneficial for people with substance use disorders. Therefore, it is critical to detect the problem and refer people with serious drinking issues for professional help to prevent adverse health consequences.
To sum up, alcohol abuse is a severe health and social problem that might result in various acute and chronic illnesses and, what is more, social withdrawal, which complicates intervention and recovery. My uncle’s story illustrates how alcoholism and resistance to counseling can destroy a person’s life and health. On the contrary, my grandfather’s story might be evidence that the problem’s acceptance and early intervention can support an addict and demonstrates how counseling help to overcome addiction and return to a normal condition. These two cases associated with my family members made me sensitive to other people’s substance use problems. Thus, I frequently ask my friends who consume alcohol to be screened regularly for abuse and other health complications.