Alcohol abuse is when a person continues to drink without caring about the outcome. Alcohol abuse and addiction to alcohol are not the same thing. An alcohol abuser may only drink a few days a week but when they do they drink so much that they make risky decisions and can harm themselves and/or others. The most common symptoms of alcohol abuse include depression, lack of interest in their life as a whole and with family and friends, and violent behavior. Alcohol abuse can come with both long and short-term effects. The short-term effects include vomiting, headaches, slurred speech, and impaired judgment. The long-term effect, which are more serious, can include blackouts, memory loss, and liver disease. Treatment for alcohol abuse includes treatment at a specified center that would require the individual to stay for treatment. For a person to leave a treatment center they need to have a good understanding of their problem and why they need to get help to stop the problem. Counselors and therapists make sure that their patients have alternatives to drinking so that they are less likely to have a relapse. It is really important for a person going through treatment to have a big support system, including their family and friends, because it will really help them with successfully getting help. I believe that this is an important topic because not only does alcohol abuse the person abusing alcohol but it can also affect others in the community. I feel like alcohol abuse applies to my classmates and myself because of how easy it is to drink excessively and also how easy alcohol is to obtain here in Charleston.