Alcoholics who are drunk are not cognizant of subtle social cues. .
They may behave in a socially improper way without even being aware of their actions. On the other hand, because they are only conscious of obvious externalized social cues, they are likely to be ultra- sensitive in their reactions to the situation. Deprived of their ability to think clearly and deeply, alcoholics, under the influence of alcohol, do not realize that they can behave in an alternative way. What is even more dangerous is that drunken people can develop a sense of grandiosity and believe that they are more powerful than they actually are. Thus, they may deliberate provoke others or misinterpret others" behavior as a challenge to their supremacy (Graham, Wells, & West, 1997, p. 627). .
Although the symptoms described above can be regarded as short-term effects of alcohol consumption, studies have indicated that alcohol abuse has long-term degenerative effects on the cerebellum. The cerebellum is an integral part of the brain that controls the acquisition of motor skills and processes that deal with movement. Furthermore, the cerebellum also plays a part in certain cognitive processes, such as language production and "mental imagery" (Sullivan, Rosenbloom, Deshmukh, Desmond, & Pfefferbaum, 1995, p. 138). During the postmortem examination, researchers have found tissue volume loss and shrinkage of nerve cells in the cerebellums of older alcoholics. The nerve cells are responsible for regulating eye movements. When they are damaged, visual perception can be affected adversely. In these cases, the individuals cannot perform eye-hand coordination activities, such as driving. These damages are most significant in older alcoholics who have been abusing alcohol for !.
at least ten years (Sullivan et al., 1995, p. 139). Older alcoholics aged between 40 and 63 years of age were found to suffer from balance problems after given an extensive series of tests.
