Cholesterol & Alcohol: A Risky Mix
High cholesterol is a major health issue in the US. According to the CDC, 94 million US adults have a total cholesterol level over 200 mg/dl and 28 million have a total cholesterol over 240 mg/dl. Normal cholesterol levels are anything under 200 mg/dl. These numbers are staggering and are putting people at risk for major health complications and disability.
Read full storyAlcoholism & Depression: A Vicious Cycle
The first time I became aware of the seriousness of coexisting alcoholism and depression was when I watched my father spiral into a person who could barely talk, barely function, and couldn’t make healthy decisions. I knew he had suffered from depression for a long time, but seeing the seriousness of his alcohol use that seemed to ramp up alongside the depression was truly a scary experience for a daughter.
Read full storyAlcohol & Stomach Issues: Indigestion & Beyond
I quit drinking alcohol seven years ago, but I can clearly recall the stomach upsets I used to get after drinking. I felt like I was always battling with indigestion. Over time, my stomach upsets got much worse, and I had to use medications to help me cope.
Read full storyHeavy Drinking Affects Relationships
Most people are aware that alcohol can cause stress and conflict in relationships. However, we may not always understand the extent. Often, being close to heavy drinkers can change the relationship dynamic, and it’s essential to know how that works so families can help themselves better. Heavy drinking is often associated with alcoholism, which is a pervasive family dynamic that affects many areas of family life.
Read full storyWhat Young People Need to Know About Binge-Drinking
You only live once, or YOLO is a popular thought pattern and expression for young people. It often gets applied to a lot of fun and adventurous things, like partying and binge drinking. I remember it well. From my early teens until my early forties, I binged alcohol regularly. My pattern would be to drink heavily one day and then stop to “rest” for a few days. In my addicted mind, I thought “not drinking every day” meant I was a safe and average drinker.
Read full storyThe Combined Effect of Alcohol and Mental Health Issues
I’m 7 years sober and have a unique background of being a former alcoholic and mental health/addictions nurse. I also struggled with depression in the past. Lastly, I also lost my father to alcohol who struggled with severe depression.
Read full storyNeuroplasticity is Important in Alcohol Addiction Recovery
I am six and half years sober from alcohol addiction. It was no easy feat to quit drinking, but through a combination of therapy and changing up my habits, I succeeded. I drank for over 25 years, which is a fairly long time. No doubt, my drinking habit was entrenched in my nervous system, which made recovery more difficult.
Read full storyReversing Liver Damage From Alcohol Abuse
Ever since my father died of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) in 2016, I’ve been researching this mysterious and misunderstood condition. The truth is, my father had this condition for many years; we just didn’t know. Likewise, those who drink heavily may also have ALD in its early stages, but they don’t know either.
Read full storyHealth Conditions Linked to Alcoholic Liver Disease
As a former nurse and recovering alcoholic, I’m amazed to learn how many health issues are connected to a struggling liver. Before I quit drinking, I had a few health conditions that were problematic and mysterious. I had a lot of nerve pain, problems with my balance, digestive issues, a puffy face, and anemia. I had no idea they were linked to a liver trying to do its job while filtering out all the alcohol I drank.
Read full storyThe First Symptoms of Alcoholic Liver Damage Are Not In The Liver
My father died of alcoholic liver disease six and a half years ago. It came as a surprise to all of us, even though it was clear he had a severe drinking problem for decades. It was especially surprising to me, as a former nurse and a recovering alcoholic. You would think I’d know more about liver problems and alcohol use than the average person. But the truth is, in the months before his death, I had no idea my father’s liver was struggling at all. Most people know about cirrhosis, but few people know how a liver goes from early damage to end-stage liver cirrhosis.
Read full storyGet Your Liver Checked If You’re A Heavy Drinker
My father died in 2016 from alcoholic liver disease, a condition that is entirely preventable, but highly complicated. I am also a former nurse and recovering alcoholic, and I’m committed to helping others understand alcoholism and liver issues better.
Read full storyHeavy Alcohol Use Damages the Nervous System
I write a lot about my alcohol recovery and alcohol health knowledge as a former mental health and addictions nurse. I am also 7 years into my recovery as an alcoholic. Having these experiences has taught me a lot about what alcohol does to our body.
Read full storyAlcohol Might Be Worse Than Other Drugs
I am seven years sober and as a former nurse and health educator, I have looked deeper into alcohol and its effects on health. It was important to me to understand alcohol better as I knew it had been eroding my health for years before I quit. What I’ve learned about alcohol has shocked me and made me wonder how it can be so easily distributed and marketed given that it’s one of the worst drugs out there. In fact, it could be worse than all the illegal or dangerous substances that we know of.
Read full storyConfusing Health Issues From Heavy Alcohol Use
Heavy drinking doesn’t receive nearly enough coverage in the news, and people are often not educated about alcohol use by family doctors. That is, people need to understand the basic health facts about alcohol use because, as it stands now, many people think heavy drinking is “normal.”
Read full storyHow Alcohol Affects Your Mental Health
I’m 7 years sober, and I’ve suffered from depression, anxiety, and alcohol issues most of my life. My father also suffered from the same thing, but unfortunately, he didn’t make it. He was able to seek help for his depression, but he couldn’t bring himself to quit drinking. And this eventually took his life.
Read full storyUnderstanding Physiological Health at the Beginning of Sobriety
So you’ve quit drinking and are awaiting the rush of health, vitality, and all things nice. Most of us quit because we want to feel better, or else why bother stopping, right? Except that now you feel a bit worse and can’t figure out why. You’re beginning to question your decision and can’t figure out why you would feel worse than ever.
Read full storyThe Trauma Behind Heavy Drinking
As someone who’s personally lived through alcohol addiction and watched others cope with alcohol addiction, I know that this is not a simple problem that can be solved overnight. The reasons we drink are complex, much more than we once thought. As a former mental health nurse, I also have a unique perspective and passion for this topic.
Read full storySigns of Alcoholic Liver Failure
I’m a former nurse and recovering alcoholic and have turned my forces over to writing educational health-promoting articles. In particular, ever since my own father died of alcoholic liver disease, I want more people to understand this confusing condition. Alcoholic liver failure often comes as a surprise with devastating results for families and those suffering from addiction.
Read full storyHeavy Drinking Versus Alcoholic Drinking
As a former nurse and recovering alcoholic, I want to educate people about the dangers and health issues of alcoholism. I know that education would have helped me understand my own relationship with alcohol back when I was drinking heavily. Unfortunately, current education about alcoholism and health issues is not widely available or common knowledge.
Read full storyMixing Certain Medications With Alcohol Can Accelerate Liver Disease
When my father died of alcoholic liver disease in 2016, I wanted to understand how this condition happened. As a former nurse, I should have known that he was sick, but the truth is I didn’t. Liver disease can be sneaky, and liver failure, especially from alcoholism, can happen unexpectedly.
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