Alcoholism can be explained as a severe form of alcohol abuse wherein an individual is unable to limit their alcohol consumption; even if they want to. Chronic alcohol consumption at any level affects both one’s physical and mental health. It may cause psychological effects including memory problems and learning disabilities to personality shifts and sudden mood swings. While all of the effects of alcoholism starting from the liver to the pancreas to the immune system can be devastating and even lead to death, one of the worst things about alcoholism is how it affects the mental health of an individual. Heavy drinking increases the risk for a wide range of mental health disorders and problems, such as:

• Impaired learning and memory capacity: Alcohol can severely affect both learning and memory function. Different forms of memory can become affected by prolonged alcoholism, including verbal memory, recall, and even temporary amnesia. Excessive drinking results in brain damage, which in turn results in a well-known condition called Korsakov’s syndrome. Korsakov’s syndrome is an amnesic disorder which means that people find it difficult to remember past events and to learn new things.
• Depression: Drinking in excess is often associated with a variety of negative emotional states, including depression. Depression and alcoholism often go hand-in-hand. Depression is more common in heavy drinkers, and heavy drinking is more common in those people with depression. This is a vicious cycle which can only be broken by a solid support system and help from trained professionals.
• Stress and anxiety: Depression is not the only mental disorder that can result from alcohol addiction. Other possibilities are anxiety and stress disorders, in which the patient worries about something bad happening all the time and is prone to getting overwhelmed. Many people who experience stressful situations tend to turn to alcohol to cope with that stress. But the problem is alcohol itself, as its very nature makes it trigger factor of stress and anxiety. Similarly, having a drink might seem like a good way to ease anxiety, but you may be doing more harm than good.
• Suicidal behavior: One of the psychological effects of alcohol also appears to be an increase in suicidal behavior. Researchers say that about 15% of alcoholics commit suicide. Research shows that approximately 75% of individuals who commit suicide are alcoholics, making their percentage much more than those who are able to control their alcohol consumption. Alcoholic suicide rates are 5–20 times greater than the non-alcoholic suicide rates.

One of the major problems with alcoholism is that it is often too late to curb the problem before people realize its gravity. A solution to this is to not underplay the actual alcohol consumption and pretend it is different from the actual case. It is necessary to undertake counseling and rehabilitation before alcohol addiction reaches the suicidal stage. If one is aware of any neighbor or relation in need of treatment for alcohol addiction, they can consider recommending an alcohol rehabilitation center or directing them towards the much-needed help.