Alcoholism is genetic to some extent. That means if there is a family history of it, you have a higher chance of becoming an alcoholic yourself. However, just because that’s true, it doesn’t necessarily mean that this is your fate.

Personal choice plays a huge part in whether or not you ever pick up that first drink, or whether you drink excessively. The more often you drink, though, and the more you drink each time, the more problematic it can become for you.

Let’s go over a few ways that alcoholism can impact your life.

You Can Injure Someone if You Drive

In 2018, one out of 227 licensed US drivers faced arrest for drunk driving. That’s a staggeringly large number. If you drink, then you should not:

• Get behind the wheel
• Operate machinery

If you’re an alcoholic, you might have convinced yourself that you’re a good driver, even when you’ve had a few. That’s a dangerous mindset. Your opinion of your driving skills might differ from reality.

Even if you’re a conscientious driver when you’ve been drinking, that doesn’t mean you won’t get in an accident due to circumstances beyond your control. If that happens, and the police ask you if you’ve been drinking, then you’ll have to answer yes, and that means a breathalyzer test.  

When you fail it, you’ll get a DUI, a fine, and possibly a license suspension.

Your Relationships Can Suffer

You may also find that certain relationships in your life are not going so well because of your drinking. Perhaps you act differently around people when you’ve ingested alcohol. Those might include:

• Your friends
• Your spouse or partner
• Your coworkers

Maybe you think you’re the life of the party, or you get more charming when you drink. The reality is that you become boorish and crude.

If more than one person in your life tells you they don’t like to be around you when you’ve been drinking, that’s a red flag. You might want to cut back or totally eliminate alcohol from your life.

Your Work-Life Can Suffer

Drinking a lot can also impact your career. Maybe you go to work functions, and you drink excessively while you’re there, or you show up after you’ve already had a few. Your boss or superiors might notice your behavior, and they’re probably not going to like it.

How you behave at work functions indicates where you are in your personal life. If your home life seems to be a mess, your company could pass you over for promotions and raises.

Often, businesses want someone to rise through the ranks if they seem to keep themselves at an even keel. If your superiors feel that you’re unreliable because of regular alcohol use, you might languish in the lower levels and never rise in the ranks, regardless of how long you stay with the same company.

It Will Impact Your Body in Various Ways

Any doctor will also tell you that if you’re a problem drinker, it’s taking years off your life. The more you drink, the less equipped your liver is to handle it. That could mean sclerosis eventually.

There are also other medical conditions that you might have to deal with the longer you stay on the bottle. Medical science links regular alcohol use to anemia, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, strokes, and blood clots, to name a few.

When you’re younger, you might think that you can fight through your alcohol dependence, and you’re usually right. As you get older, though, the body is less able to counteract the destruction you’re doing to it.

It Will Hurt Your Self-Worth

Alcoholics often feel depressed, as well. That might be because they’re driving away the people in their life who care about them.

They get into a vicious cycle. They grapple with depression because they drink, and then they drink more because of it. The further you go along this downward spiral, the harder it is it pull yourself out of it.

Though alcohol is legal, it’s one of the most addictive drugs, just like caffeine or nicotine. Some individuals seem able to control themselves and drink infrequently, or not at all, but others get into a lifelong battle with this substance. It’s available everywhere, and it’s a constant temptation.

Unless the United States suddenly decides to implement prohibition again, you need to control yourself. You’re responsible for what’s happening in your life, and that includes how much you imbibe.