The Disease of Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a disease of epidemic proportions, affecting 9.3 to 10 million Americans, and many professionals
believe the figures are closer to 20 million (Weddle and Wishon). Alcoholism is a "physiological or physiological
dependence on alcohol characterized by the alcoholic’s inability to control the start or termination of his
drinking"(Encyclopedia Britannica 210). It consists of frequent and recurring consumption of alcohol to an extent
that causes continued harm to the drinker and leads to medical and social problems. Alcoholism, however, does not
merely cause harm to the alcoholic, but to the entire family as well, affecting an estimated 28 million children in this
country (Weddle and Wishon). These children grow up in the unhealthy and abnormal family systems harmed by
alcoholism, carrying the negative effects of this environment with them into adulthood. Consequently, adult children
of alcoholics are the innocent victims of a disease which has shaped thei!
r personalities and behavior as children and will, if not treated, promote their personal disintegration as adults.
Most alcoholics don’t fit the stereotype of the lying in the gutter drunk. Alcoholics are likely to be persons of
intense, if sometimes brief, enthusiasms. They often try to do too much too fast. They tend to demand perfection in
themselves and in others. Frustrated, they may become painfully depressed or overly aggressive. There is a lack of
inner stability with which to face life’s problems in a realistic manner (AL-Anon). As the disease of alcoholism sets
in, the family is forced to make an unspoken decision—to leave the alcoholic or to stay and adapt to his illness.
Because they do not want to disrupt their own lives or leave a love one, they deny the problem and try to adapt to the
pressures and problems that alcoholism brings.
Typically, as alcoholism takes over, the alcoholic becomes increasingly preoccupied with drinking. This can lead to
spending less time at home, and neglecting their responsibility to the family. The following are symptoms of
alcoholism (Alateen 5):
Loss of control. The loss of control is usually progressive. At first the alcoholic can control his drinking most of the
time. But he sometimes gets drunk when he doesn’t wants to. Eventually, he loses control more and more.
Progression. ...
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...approach dealing with alcoholism.
A person who has an uncontrollable desire to drink is an alcoholic: he has the disease of alcoholism (Alateen 8). The
alcoholic uses liquor to escape from reality or ease the pain they are feeling. Even though they may feel guilty and it
is obvious that it is destroying their life it is impossible to stop. They are emotionally dependent on alcohol and truly
believe it is impossible to live with out.
He tries to escape from his remorse by more and more drinking until the pain he suffers as a result of the drinking is
greater than the pain he’s trying to get away from by drinking. Only then will he be ready to stop: the desire to stop
drinking must come from within. No one can force an alcoholic to stop drinking.
Because the alcoholic is sick, he hurts himself and others. Due to our close association with him, we, too, develop
problems. The best way to help the compulsive drinker and ourselves, is to build our own strength, correct our own
attitudes, be kind to him, and learn how to detach from the problem (Alateen 9).
Works Cited
AL-ANON. Living with an Alcoholic.
"Alcoholism." Encyclopedia Britannica: Macropedia. 1974 ed.
There are many theories of alcoholism, and some approaches explain and treat certain alcoholics better than others. One of the common themes throughout the readings is that addicts display a range of personal and situational problems. There is no "typical" addicted personality or emotional problem (Allen, 1996). Because of these facts, it comes as no surprise that there are also no typical assessment or treatment for these individuals. For instance, a medical/disease model of alcoholism may be more useful to some alcoholics than others. The point is that instead of rigidly applying one model, a counselor's goal is to use the models that are most effective to the particular alcoholic in question.
As illustrated the model of drug abuse and the theories behind addiction are varied. There is no concrete reason for one person who drinks to become alcohol dependent versus the person who does not. Several factors contribute to why a person begins drinking and why they continue to do so despite reasons to stop. The case history exhibits a client with many risk factors associated with alcohol use and dependence.
Robinson, David. From Drinking to Alcoholism: A Social Commentary. London: John Wiley and Sons, 1976.
Alcoholism, as opposed to merely excessive or irresponsible drinking, has been thought of as a symptom of psychological or social stress or as a learned, maladaptive coping behaviour. More recently, and probably more accurately, it has come to be viewed as a complex disease in its own right. Alcoholism usually develops over a period of years. Alcohol comes to be used more as a mood-changing drug than as a foodstuff or beverage served as a part of social custom or religious ritual.
5. Recurrent alcohol use resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home.
“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.
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.
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).
The crippling effects of alcoholism and drug dependency are not confined to the addict alone. The family suffers, physically and emotionally, and it is the children who are the most disastrous victims. Frequently neglected and abused, they lack the maturity to combat the terrifying destructiveness of the addict’s behavior. As adults these individuals may become compulsively attracted to the same lifestyle as their parents, excessive alcohol and drug abuse, destructive relationships, antisocial behavior, and find themselves in an infinite loop of feelings of emptiness, futility, and despair. Behind the appearance of calm and success, Adult Children of Alcoholics often bear a sad, melancholy and haunted look that betrays their quietest confidence. In the chilling silence of the darkest nights of their souls, they yearn for intimacy: their greatest longing, and deepest fear. Their creeping terror lives as the child of years of emotional, and sometimes physical, family violence.
Many scientists have tried to define what Alcoholism is, and what this disease may be rooted from. Some people would argue that alcoholism is simply the over-consumption of alcohol, this statement is only somewhat true. An alcoholic is a person who relies on alcohol as a medium to help him or her deal with physical, emotional, or spiritual needs.
...f Alcoholics Anonymous describes alcoholism as a “cunning, baffling, and powerful “ disease (Alcoholics Anonymous 2001). So when it is said by opponents of the disease concept that alcoholism is a condition of moral weakness or a behavioral condition, I am reminded of people I have met or personally known who have the disease of alcoholism. Most of them were good ,hard working people whom one would never suspect of being alcoholics. But over time alcohol took its toll on their bodies and minds, and, before long they were only shells of their former selves. Many of these alcoholics ended up in hospitals and rehabilitation centers, not because they were “bad people” or had “behavioral problems” , but simply because they had a disease called “alcoholism”. Because of what chronic drinking does to the mind and body, alcoholism should definitely be considered a disease.
Alcohol is a widely available drug. Some people may use alcohol from time to time, and drink small amounts. Other people may drink frequently, and drink large amounts at a time. People who drink alcohol very often for a long time, and have problems after drinking alcohol, may have what is called an alcohol use disorder. Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are the two main types of alcohol use disorders:
..., cancer, liver and pancreas disease etc. There are many factors why do people drink, such as: make friends, forget problems, to feel happy, to relax, to feel less anxious, to feel confident and the genes, in my opinion play the key role in this problem. Some people don’t realize that this is a big deal, the big problem until it’s late. Once someone tried alcohol and become dependent it is hard to realize that person needs help to stop it. Also drinking alcohol is closely linked with use of other drugs, legal and illegal. Smoking, drinking and drug taking often co-exist. I chose this article to review because I think it has good examples to show people what causes alcohol dependence and what conditions one can get if drinking alcohol often. People need to remember that we live ones and it is important to keep ourselves healthy and none of bad habits worth our life.
"Because time and amount of drinking are uncontrollable, the alcoholics is likely to engage in such behaviors as [1] breaking family commitments, both major and minor; [2] spending more money than planned; [3] drinking while intoxicated and getting arrested; [4] making inappropriate remarks to friends, family, and co-workers; [5] arguing, fighting and other anti-social actions. The alcoholic would probably neither do such things, nor approve of them in others unless he was drinking" (Johnson 203).
experiences they build to make them better people. A lack of social and emotional development