Alcoholism
Alcohol Dependence is a disease characterized by: a strong need or compulsion to drink, the frequent inability to stop drinking once a person has begun, the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms (nausea, sweating, shakiness) when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking, and the need for increasing amounts of alcohol in order to feel an affect. Most experts agree that alcoholism is a disease just as high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis are diseases. Like these other diseases, alcoholism tends to run in the family. Drinking alcohol is not the only factor that leads to alcoholism, it is a chronic disease that leaves an everlasting effect on the person's life and his family.
The basic difference between the social drinker and the alcoholic is the way he drinks and the effect alcohol has on him. How much a person consumes is not the determining factor. An alcoholic might not have drink for a month, but when he does, he cannot stop. A social drinker could have a drink a number of times per week. That does not make him alcoholic. A problem drinker drinks to escape from unpleasant realities whereas the social drinker drinks to complement an event. The alcoholic becomes both physically and psychologically addicted to alcohol. The social drinker does not. Therefore, I have been researching to gather the facts that distinguish a social drinkers and an alcoholic and what divides people into these two categories. In other words, why do people belonging to these two categories have different effects on them? Alcoholism
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is a disease and that is why alcohol has different effects o...
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Alcoholics are people with a disease that can be defined in medical terms and requires a proper regime of treatment. Alcoholics are addicted to alcohol. Alcoholic addicts are unable spontaneously give up drinking. Though they may go without a drink for a few days, or sometimes even longer periods, inevitably they revert. The greater the need to stop drinking, the more difficult they find it to do so.
To understand alcoholism, it must first be understood what this affliction is dependent on. Alcohol is a substance that is made by the fermentation of fruits, grains, or miscellaneous other organic materials. The chemical, alcohol, is a depressant and acts on every cell in the human body. Due to this, the central nervous system, along with the pleasure centers of the brain, are affected resulting in a feeling of euphoria and a sense of well being. After repeated exposure, the brain becomes dependent on this drug to unburden itself whenever it feels the compulsion. Several factors that contribute to alcoholism are the individual’s psychology, genetics, culture, and the individual’s response to physical pain.
Generally speaking, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) references substance dependence (in this case, alcohol) as a cluster of cognitive, behavioral, and physiological symptoms that shows that the person is continuing use of the substance even with adverse effects on the individual’s life. Specifically, for a person to be diagnosed with substance dependence they must show at least three of the following symptoms; tolerance, withdrawal, substance being taken in larger amounts of over a longer period of time than intended, an unsuccessful desire or effort to control the use of the substance, there is a great deal of time devoted to the drug, important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced due to the substance, and the individual continues use of the substance even with the knowledge that the substance is causing physical or psychological problems (APA, 2000).
Gorski (1996, p.98) stands by his belief in the disease theory of alcoholism. Although some drinkers do not have the disease of alcoholism, more severe drinkers do and are seen as suffering from a biological disease and need to be treated as such. In the late 1950’s and 60’s research projects at Yale and Rutgers concluded that alcoholism is a disease. As a result of the...
What is alcoholism? Alcoholism is a complex chronic psychological and nutritional disorder associated with excessive and usually compulsive drinking. Alcoholic abuse is a destructive pattern of alcohol use, leading to significant social, occupational, or medical impairment. A persons alcohol tolerance can be measured by how many alcoholic beverages they can drink before becoming intoxicated. Being an alcoholic has several downfalls, such as the withdrawal symptoms. Some of the withdrawal symptoms consist of sweating or rapid pulse, increased hand tremor, insomnia, nausea or vomiting, anxiety or grand mal seizers. There are two types of drinkers. The first type, the casual or social drinker, drinks because they want to. They drink with a friend or with a group for pleasure and only on occasion. The other type, the compulsive drinker, drinks because they have to; despite the adverse effects that drinking has on their lives. The cause of alcoholism is a combination of biological, psychological, and cultural factors that may contribute to the development of alcoholism in an individual. Alcoholism seems to run in families. "Although there is no conclusive indication of how the alcoholism of families members is associated, studies show that 50 to 80 percent of all alcoholics have had a close alcoholic relative" (Some researchers have suggested that in several cases, alcoholics have an inherited, predisposition to alcohol addiction. Studies of animals and human twins h...
Many of us know that to be categorized as an alcoholic one is always drunk and acting out of character, but alcoholism is much more than that. Alcoholism is when an individual is dependent on alcohol, consumes large amounts of alcoholic drinks, cannot function socially or at work, and has symptoms of withdrawal while trying to quit drinking. (Dictionary.com)
Alcohol Abuse Alcohol abuse is a very dangerous condition in that it can cause many problems in a persons life and affect many aspects of their lifestyle. Alcoholism (or alcohol abuse) somehow effects everyone's life at some point in time; through a parent, a sibling, a friend, or even personal encounters. Alcohol abuse, as a medical diagnosis, refers to a pattern of behavior characterized by excessive alcohol consumption. This consumption can occur at regular intervals, regular weekend intervals, or during binges, which are considered as being intoxicated for at least two successive days. Difficulty in stopping, reducing the amount of alcohol use, and impaired social/occupational role functioning are all characteristics of alcohol abuse.
“Alcoholism (alcohol dependence) is a more severe pattern of drinking that includes the problems of alcohol abuse plus persistent drinking in spite of obvious physical, mental, and social problems caused by alcohol” (Ringold, M. S.). Alcoholism is a major social problem in today’s world. People can agree that alcoholism threatens the lives of the person and the people they care about. Alcohol is one of the drugs that have caused serious problems for the younger generation. Alcoholism is greatly influenced by peer pressure. To get stress out, sometimes an alcoholic will drink heavily. Alcohol consumption is associated with your health. Drinking heavily can be the cause for liver cancer. Also, you can be intoxicated and could be driving drunk
Alcohol dependence is also called alcoholism. A central characteristic of alcohol dependence is the often overpowering desire to consume alcohol. Patients experience difficulties in controlling the consumption of alcohol and continue drinking alcohol despite harmful consequences. Problem drinking has multiple causes, with genetic, physiological, psychological and social factors all playing a role. Not every individual is equally affected by each cause. For some alcohol abusers, psychological traits such as impulsiveness, low self-esteem, and a need for approval prompt inappropriate drinking. Alcoholism is a multifactorial trait because there are a lot of environmental and genetic factors that influence this trait.
Alcohol related mortality rates are caused by alcoholism. Alcoholism is defined as an addiction to alcohol consumption. Alcohol has existed since the creation of agriculture thousands of years ago. Agriculture provided individuals with access to alcohol and it was not until developed research realized it was an addictive substance. The production and availability of alcohol has led to the rise of addiction. Addiction is a growing problem in current society. One of the major triggers of addiction is known to be stress. Stress is a major risk factor for many health related issues in society today. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has created a medical diagnosis known as alcohol use disorder or AUD. They use a Diagnostic
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, alcoholism is defined as "the compulsive consumption of and psychophysiological dependence on alcoholic beverages." It is a problem that can tear apart marriages and families, cause someone to lose his job, and many more negative results. In order to recover from this dependency a person must lose his desire for and dependence upon alcohol, continue to remain sober, and resolve all conflicts caused by the alcohol abuse. There are several alternatives an alcoholic has to rehabilitate himself. The best solution is a combination of individual therapy and a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous.
The first to advocate alcoholism as a disease was Benjamin Rush (1785-1843), and he even proposed that hospitals should be established to aid in the treatment of this disease (Cox, 1987). Since Rush, there have been many more definitions of alcoholism including the Statistical Abstracts (1979) account that an alcoholic is defined as ?one who is unable consistently to choose whether he shall drink or not, and if he drinks, is unable consistently to choose whether he shall stop or not. ?Alcoholics with complications? are those who have developed bodily or mental disorders through prolonged excessive drinking? (O?Brien & Chafetz, 1982, p.26). Further, Mark Keller of Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcoholism in March of 1960 stated that alcoholism is a ?chronic disease manifested by repeat implicative drinking so as to ca...
Alcoholism is a disease in which the drinking of alcohol becomes uncontrollable. Compulsion and craving of alcohol rules the life of the alcoholic. Many of us drink alcohol to socialize which is not alcoholism. An alcoholic is a frequent habitual user. Alcohol, a central nervous system depressant, dulls the senses especially vision and hearing. Signs of alcoholism are tremors, delirium, inability to concentrate and many others. “According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, more than 13 million Americans abuse alcohol”(Mayo Clinic Health Information 1). There are many causes leading an individual to alcoholism. Alcohol damaging effects are physically, psychologically, and socially devastating.
Alcoholism is defined as a destructive addiction to alcohol while alcohol abuse is defined as a destructive abuse of alcohol. Alcoholism is the most severe form of alcohol abuse but there are many different factors that contribute to a person becoming an alcoholic. Alcoholism is genetic but usually influenced by someone’s environment growing up and their present environment. Having a abusive childhood or a hard life in general can trigger feelings that turn into a need to drink. An alcoholic can not control his/her intake of alcohol because he/she does not have control over it. There are many signs and symptoms to determine if someone is in fact an al...
Alcohol dependence is when you use alcohol consistently for a period of time, and your body changes as a result. This can make it hard to stop drinking because you may start to feel sick or feel different when you