My Top 10 Reasons for Becoming a Non-drinker
1. To honor the memory of my brother, who died after an eight month battle with squamous cell carcinoma, which probably began in his esophagus, but was not diagnosed until it had already metastasized to his spine. It is finally becoming accepted knowledge that heavy alcohol intake greatly increases the risk for squamous cell and other cancers—including breast cancer in women. According to “Science News” magazine this occurs because alcohol acts as a solvent and with heavy use over time, it shortens the length of a cell’s DNA telomeres and this results in more cell mutations increasing the risk of developing aberrant cancer cells. Although the current epidemiological evidence seems to indicate that stopping drinking will not lower the risk of an incidence of cancer, this is still open to debate as much is still unknown about other lifestyle factors that can mediate the risk—for example improved diet, better sleep, and exercise. My brother was not aware of the increase risk for cancer from drinking and he quit after his diagnosis—but he strongly recommended that all of our family members quit before it is too late.
2. For my wife: who has tolerated my drinking for 35 years, and also to set a better example for my sons—no matter how late it seems—never give up.
3. For my liver: this seems obvious until you or a friend are actually diagnosed with cirrhosis and your life depends on a rare transplant.
4. For my heart: in addition to raising your blood pressure and increasing your risk of a stroke, excessive drinking also raises your triglyceride levels putting you at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Heavy drinking is toxic to the heart muscle and can cause it to become enlarged and thin, which prevents it from pumping efficiently. This alcoholic cardiomyopathy can lead to heart failure and in severe cases can cause a reduced blood flow damaging other organs.
5. For my lungs: According to the NIH (National Institutes of Health) in addition to alcohols association with pneumonia, alcohol abuse increases the risk of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) by 3 to 4 fold. ARDS has a mortality rate of 40 to 50 percent and is responsible for as many deaths annually as cirrhosis of the liver. My primary form of aerobic exercise is bicycling and the damage alcohol has on both the heart and lungs should be an obvious impediment to enjoying it fully.
6. For my brain: my father (also a long time heavy drinker) at age 81, is now in stage 5 of Alzheimer’s disease and while alcohol use is not directly linked to Alzheimer’s, it is certainly linked to short term memory problems. Heavy alcohol use and binge drinking cause a loss of tissue in large areas of the brain and overall shrinkage as one age’s, making an alcoholic brain appear much older than it actually is. This is now known to be somewhat reversible by stopping alcohol intake, a good diet and aerobic exercise. Since the game of chess is one of my favorite hobbies, I would like to keep my brain as healthy as possible as long as possible.
7. For my pancreas and kidneys: in addition to the hormone insulin, the pancreas also produces digestive enzymes that your intestines use to break down food, and alcohol is a major cause of acute and chronic pancreatitis. This and high blood pressure can also impact the kidneys health.
8. For my digestive health: Alcohol is a known cause of cancers: mouth, voice box, throat, esophagus, stomach, liver, colon, rectum, and breasts. In addition it may increase the risk for cancer of the pancreas. Alcohol also inhibits the absorption of important vitamins and minerals needed for long term well-being and health.
9. For my self-respect: no one wants to be “that person” who cannot control their drinking whether at parties, at work, or with their family life. Since I have trouble controlling my alcohol consumption after that first drink—then my best course of action is to abstain completely.
10. For my overall health and well-being: None of us know how long or short our lives will be and without question continued drinking will definitely shorten the length, but more importantly—it will also severely reduce our quality of life as we age. My only rational goal and desire is to maintain as high of a ‘quality of life’ as possible--and this can only be accomplished as a non-drinker. Waking up sober—priceless!
I wrote this on days 4 and 5 to help keep me motivated. I also printed it out on day 5 and had my wife read it, as I had not told her that I was becoming a non-drinker, mostly out of fear of the extra pressure not to fail. It was almost as difficult as making the initial decision, and while the anxiety goes away--it is very unpleasant at the time. My wife liked it and is very supportive. Just say never again!
I'm sure many of you have made your own lists, and while mine almost has a clinical feel to it--this really is our bodies and minds I'm talking about. Plus many of us really don't realize just how much damage alcohol has on all of our organs.