The effects of alcohol in the body are far reaching and complicated. Alcohol has the ability to invade every internal organ and therefore creates widespread damage when it is abused. When alcoholics continue to drink, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimates that they cut their life expectancy by 10 to 15 years.

Physical Effects of Alcohol

Alcohol can have many different negative impacts on a number of functions. Some of its effects include:

• Impaired vision
• Decreased sexual function and interest
• Water weight gain and bloating
• Malnutrition
• Poor circulation
• Pancreatitis
• Liver disease and cirrhosis of the liver
• Heart disease
• Skin disorders including dilated and broken blood vessels
• Immune deficiency
• Weak bones and muscles
• Irregular heartbeats, heart arrhythmia and heart attacks
• High blood pressure

Graduated Stages of Alcoholic Effects

The various stages of alcoholism each bring a number of new physical effects as well as increased stages of initial effects. An irregular heartbeat in an early alcoholic becomes a heart arrhythmia in a mid-stage alcoholic and graduates to a heart attack in a late-stage alcoholic. Poor circulation becomes high blood pressure which turns into diabetes. This means that no matter which stage an alcoholic chooses to get help, it's never too soon or too late.

Emotional Effects of Alcohol

The physical effects of alcohol though prohibitive in themselves are not the only problems that alcoholics must deal with. The emotional and psychological effects of alcohol are just as damaging to the alcoholics' social life as the physical effects are to his body. They include:

• An obsession with drinking to the exclusion of family members and friends
• Drinking at work and to excess at work functions
• Panic, paranoia and phobias including fear of crowds and fear of public places
• Plaguing guilt over mistakes and losses due to alcohol