Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on Adults Health/Wellness
Brooke Wennerholt
Southern New Hampshire University
IDS 420
Professor Kyle Shore
July 17,2022
Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on Adults Health/Wellness
Impact on Institutions
Within the Humanities lens, long-term alcohol consumption effects various institutions
from an individual's personal life, work life, and education. My personal experience with my
mom being an alcoholic affected all these institutions for not only her, but myself and my
younger sister as well. My mom married a man who was also an alcoholic and due to the alcohol.
we all endured verbal and physical abuse. My home felt like a prison that I was not allowed to
talk about to anyone. It effected my schoolwork, and it led to my chronic depression and anxiety
The topic of alcohol consumption affects the main institutions of family, work, and community.
It does not only just affect family; it also affects other relationships as well. "Alcohol abuse has
the potential to destroy families. Research shows that families affected by alcoholism are more
likely to have low levels of emotional bonding, expressiveness, and independence. Couples that
include at least one alcoholic have more negative interactions than couples that aren't affected by
alcoholism" (Elkins, 2020, para. 4). Alcohol consumption can also affect work productivity and
work appearances. "One liter increase of total alcohol consumption was associated with 13%
increase in sick absence for men and hangovers may adversely affect productivity, safety and
quality or working life" (Price, 2014, p. 36).
Benefits From Change
If alcohol consumption were to decrease within society it would promote beneficial
factors of change. Alcohol consumption leads to many diseases such as "damage to liver cells,
inflation of the pancreas, various cancers, high blood pressure, and psychological disorders"
(Garcia, 2015, p. 6). Decreasing the amount of alcohol consumed would potentially decrease
these diseases and lead to better wellness amongst society. Another benefit from change would
potentially be the decrease of DUIs and decrease with motor vehicle deaths. The number of
people who receive DUIs and cause deadly car accidents trumps over any other deadly disease in
the county. "Drunk driving claims thousands of lives on the road and accounts for more arrests
than murder, rape, aggravated assault, and burglary combined according to the latest Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data" (DUI Statistics and Trends: 2022 Annual Report, 2022, para
1). The decrease of alcohol consumption could potentially decrease these factors and potentially
save thousands of lives.
Benefit and Challenge
Critically analyzing wellness can create positive impacts on society's wellness and our
own wellness. Critically analyzing wellness can provide insight on diseases that are hereditary
and how to prevent them. However, addressing the difficult aspects of wellness is not always
easy to do or to change right away. Individuals with mental health disorders such as anxiety and
depression must learn how to curve these illnesses to live out their daily lifestyles. Individuals
who are obese or overweight must learn how to eat healthier and include exercise within their
daily lifestyles i