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Cause and effect of alcoholism essay
Causes and effects of alcoholism
Abstract the impact of alcoholism
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One out of every thirteen adults is affected by this. Fourteen million Americans alone suffer this disease, caused by a combination of physiological, psychological, social, and genetic factors. It destroys lives, tears apart families, and can even defeat the toughest of people. And now, nearly half of all teenage kids use it. I am speaking of course, of alcohol. Alcohol can only be defeated through proper funding, reform, and cooperation.
There are approximately 85,000 alcohol related deaths in the United States each year (Drug War Facts, 2004). Included in that number are young teens, college students, and adults. The word alcoholic means anyone who is affected by drinking, and seriously influences or interferes with his/her work, family, or health (Alcoholic. 2009Merriam-Webster Dictionary) Alcoholism is a disease, and one of the worst to have. Over nine million Americans have alcoholism (Harris, 2000). Programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), have a very high failure rate. About 90% to be more accurate. Very few alcoholics make it successfully through AA, leaving little cha...
“The harmful use of alcohol is a global problem which compromises both individual and social development. It results in 2.5 million deaths each year. An intoxicated person can harm others or put them at risk of traffic accidents or violent behavior, or negatively affect co-workers, relatives, friends or strangers. Thus, the impact of the harmful use of alcohol reaches deep into society.” This is a scary statistic which figuratively states that every thirteen seconds someone dies in a death related to alcohol. CBS news reported that more than 30 percent of American adults have abused alcohol or suffered from alcoholism at some point in their lives. This is a staggering number which is widely overlooked because alcohol is legal. Those who suffer feel helpless and trapped by their addiction being unable to stop and quit on their own. Thankfully a man named, Bill Wilson, lead a group of men to write how to become set free from the slavery of addiction.
Alcohol is the most widely used substance all over the world. The use of this substance affect the person health and economy. It is also affecting the family, community and the country (“National Institute on Drug Abuse,” 2016). Most people are facing this problem, but they could not get rid of it alone. Drinking addicted people need someone who has the same problem, and decided to quit drinking alcohol, therefore Alcoholics Anonymous is standing for them to help such type of people and bring their normal life. Alcoholic Anonymous subculture helps the families, the community and the country, because mostly excessive alcohol drinking leads to the crime, and it is affecting the person life “40% of all violent crimes today by the case of an excessive drinking (“National Institute on Drug Abuse,” 2016). Most crimes are alcohol related according to the National Council on Alcoholism, 37% of almost 2 million convicted offenders currently in Jail, report that they were drinking the time of their arrest (“Alcohol, Drugs and Crime,2016). Most people easily addicted with alcohol especially young people, because they can get it easily around. This drinking problem leads the people to the crime and shade their future life. Some people decide to stop drinking, and they go to the Alcoholic Anonymous to their alcohol addiction treatment. As long as the person gets ready to follow the program and promise to change his or her practices, they will bring their life back. For a few people AA might not
Today, one out of every thirteen adults abuse alcohol or are alcoholics. That means nearly thirteen million Americans have a drinking problem. (www.niaaa.nih.gov) This topic offers a broad range of ideas to be researched within the psychological field. For this particular project, the topic of alcoholism and the psychological effects on people best fit the criteria. Alcoholism is defined as a disorder characterized by the excessive consumption of and dependence on alcoholic beverages, leading to physical and psychological harm and impaired social and vocational functioning. (www.dictionary.com) Through this project, the most important information regarding personal experiences dealing with alcoholism will be revealed. Not only are statistics, like the facts mentioned before, important when dealing with an issue such as alcoholism, but personal accounts and information are often more powerful and influential evidence. Non-alcoholics should be allowed to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for research purposes.
"NIH Study Finds Chronic Alcohol Use Shifts Brain's Control of Behavior." NIH News Release. 22 Aug. 2013: n.p. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
“For every family that is impacted by drugs, there are another 10 to 15 families impacted by alcohol abuse. It's a pretty big deal. We have a tendency to only look at part of the puzzle.” (Kevin Lewis). As a society we tend to categorize the severity of addiction in a way that drugs are the most dangerous and alcohol being just a problem. Because alcohol addiction can be a slow progressive disease many people don’t see it in the same light as drug addiction. An addiction to drugs is seen as being a more deadly and dangerous issue then that of alcohol because a drug addiction can happen more quickly and can kill more quickly. Alcohol is something that is easy to obtain, something that is found at almost every restaurant. People with an alcohol addiction can not hide from alcohol as easy as a drug addict. Approximately 7 million Americans suffer from alcohol abuse and another 7 million suffer from alcoholism. (Haisong 6) The dangers of alcohol affect everyone from children with alcoholic parents, to teenagers who abuse alcohol, then to citizens who are terrorized by drunk drivers.
Everyone understands that alcohol addiction is the "illness". Unlike flu, addiction is the illness hidden by affected people themselves. All of us know that the sooner one admit that he or she have a problem, the sooner he or she can get treatment.
The problem of alcohol abuse has been recognized for thousands of years, but only more recently have we begun to see alcohol addiction as a treatable disorder. According to the Classical Disease Model of `Alcoholism,' habitual use of alcohol can be identified as a disease. Webster's Dictionary defines the concept of `disease' as follows: "Any departure from health presenting marked symptoms; malady; illness; disorder." Therefore, as many occurrences of alcohol excess provoke such symptoms, it is somewhat understandable that `alcoholism' is classified as a disease. The Classical Disease Model appears to offer a hopeful option. Treatment and sobriety can allow people to lead fulfilling lives. Adjacent to the notion of alcoholism as personal failure or moral deterioration, the Classical Disease Model appears to be a more desirable concept as it provides a motive for the alcoholic to seek treatment and gain sympathy, minimizing personal guilt. As alcoholism is seen as a progressive and, to an extent, hereditary illness for which those afflicted are not accountable, victims avoid being ostracized from society (Jellinek, 1960). Labeling the problem as a `disease' allows the medical profession to take responsibility for the treatment of alcoholism, which puts the problem in a more favourable light than if it were in the hands of psychologists or social workers, thus detaching the stigma connected with the problem while it is put on a par with other diseases such as diabetes or cancer. However, critics of the Classical Disease Model believe stigma helps reduce alcohol problems and aids the alcoholic. Any effort to reduce the stigma which is faced by the alcoholic will reduce pressures to moderate consumption and could have the additional ...
My assignment was to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting and write my observations and thoughts on the meeting, its structure and philosophical beliefs. I was extremely uncomfortable about attending such a personal meeting. Would individuals welcome me or feel as if I would judge? Even though I was uncomfortable, I am glad I attended the meeting as it was a very enlightening experience for me.
A majority of American citizens can honestly say that they, or a loved one, have been personally victimized by the dangerous side effects of alcohol. Yet alcohol is still considered a recreational beverage, that too many people take for granted. The addiction to alcohol is officially labelled as “Alcoholism.” Alcoholism can affect one’s life in a numerous amount of ways. It is an overlooked danger in the U.S. which can negatively affect the youth of America and the economy, which is why it is an enormous danger to the U.S.
Binge or excessive drinking is the most serious problem affecting social life, health, and education on college campuses today. Binge or excessive drinking by college students has become a social phenomena in which college students do not acknowledge the health risks that are involved with their excessive drinking habits. Furthermore college students do not know enough about alcohol in general and what exactly it does to the body or they do not pay attention to the information given to them. There needs to be a complete saturation on the campus and surrounding areas, including businesses and the media, expressing how excessive drinking is not attractive and not socially accepted.
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.
In conclusion binge drinking is a serious health issue that needs to be dealt with. This affects so many people throughout the year and most people don’t realize that they binge drink half the time. I believe this mostly affects younger age kids who are 17-20 years old who go out and drink until they black out. This day and age young adults aren’t really informed about this and can possibly prevent injuries to themselves and others if someone would just talk to them about what’s going on. If people knew more about this subject and the effects on their health I believe more the numbers would drop and people would look for more help with their addiction to alcohol
Alcoholism is known to be one of the largest illnesses that affect individuals in the world today with nearly 32 million Americans who have struggled with it in one year alone. It is becoming a much larger problem that is reoccurring and wiping out a large portion of the population. Some individuals might think that excessive drinking isn’t a problem, but others find that it is completely
Alcohol Addiction Treatment/Prevention In 2010, a total of 25,692 people died of alcohol-induced causes in the U.S.; dependent and non-dependent use. The death rate for alcohol-induced causes for the total population increased from 2.7% from 7.4 in 2009 and 7.6 in 2010. The adjusted death rate for males in 2010 was three times the rate of females, (Murphy, 2010). An estimated 23.5 million age 12 and older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol abuse problem in 2009 according to The National Institute on Drug Abuse.
... Alcoholism is a serious problem in today's society. It is extremely important that the public, including the large groups of users and abusers of alcohol, gain as much knowledge as possible about the symptoms and effects of alcoholism if we ever want to see the reduction of statics involving fatalities, injuries, diseases caused from the use and abuse of alcohol. Education and realization of the effects alcoholism can have on the different aspects of a person's life are the best ways that we can help control the number of alcoholics in the United States.