Final answer:
Heavy alcohol consumption over time can lead to high tolerance, increasing health problems, and risks of dependency. It disrupts the hormonal balance and increases urine output, which could lead to dehydration.
Step-by-step explanation:
If you consume alcohol heavily over an extended period of time, you're likely to develop both a high tolerance for alcohol and various health problems. Tolerance means that more alcohol is needed to achieve the same effects, which can lead to an increase in consumption. Additionally, heavy alcohol use is linked to adverse health conditions such as kidney failure and high blood pressure.
Long-term use of alcohol also affects the central nervous system, where a person can become physically dependent on it, exhibiting signs of both tolerance and withdrawal. This can lead to psychological dependency, hence increasing the potential for substance abuse.
Moreover, drinking alcohol affects the hormones in your body. It increases urine output as it reduces the production of the antidiuretic hormone responsible for water retention, possibly leading to dehydration. As for developing a taste for alcohol or a good idea of your limits, these aspects are more personal and varied from individual to individual. However, the health risks and the potential for increased dependency tend to universally apply with heavy drinking.
Learn more about Effects of long-term alcohol consumption