In every culture there are many ways of releasing stress, releasing anger, and letting out what affects an individual on a day to day basis. Jamaicans smoke weed, Chinese individuals perform karate to let out their anger, and frustration. In a world where problems and stress is a part of an individual’s everyday life, many people deal with it differently. In The Lone Ranger And Tonto Fist fight in Heaven Sherman Alexie defines Indians as heavy consumers of alcohol, and symbolizes alcohol as a way of Indians to deal with their issues. There are many issues that occur in an individual’s life that can be stressing, hard to deal with, and overwhelming. The world tends to search for drugs or alcohol to forget about reality. There are situations …show more content…
When addiction kicks in, even with or without issues, an individual is going to turn towards their addiction at all times. Alexie states that Indians are alcoholics, and that they are addicted to drinking. In the story Crazy Horse Victor “got up, pulled on his Levi’s, buttoned his red and black flannel shirt, the kind some writer called an Indian shirt. He stepped into his cowboy boots, opened the tiny refrigerator, and grabbed a beer” (Alexie 41) this goes to show that Victor is addicted to drinking. The first thing he does when, he rises up is to go to the refrigerator and grab a beer. Outside of the book when an individual is addicted to alcohol or a drug the first thing an individual does when he rises out of bed is to fulfill their need. Fulfil there addiction so that they can …show more content…
Maybe you don’t even own a red shirt, your dark eyes and skin” (Alexie Lines 23-25) in many of Alexie’s work, and especially this poem, he symbolizes a Red shirt in describing an Indian. Alexie seems to have a strong image for Indians, and them wearing red shirts. The red shirt symbolizes his image towards Indians. Alexie strongly feels like every Indian wears and has a red shirt. In a world outside of Alexie’s writing, individuals are judged and categorized based on the dress code they have. For example when an individual wears their pants down below their rear end, first assumption is they are rebellious and have been to prison. That is how this world has evolved. Dress code can define an individual, and Alexie describes Indians to always wear a red
“Alcoholism is an epidemic among Native Americans”(KCTS9). Many people believe that alcoholism is in the Native’s blood, but it is truly just a situational problem. On the reservations a majority of families are poverty ridden, and these families normally stay on the reservation their whole lives. Junior, a 14 year old Spokane Indian, manages to break the cycle of hopelessness and alcoholism in his family by leaving the reservation school to go to the white school in the novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Another character that Sherman Alexie brings to life, Arnold, is the typical alcoholic indian stereotype who allows alcohol to affect the course of his life in the movie Smoke Signals. In both Smoke Signals and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, author Sherman Alexie shows how alcohol on the reservation can cause accidents, funerals, and heartache.
Many people dislike the term ‘addiction’ in relation to drugs or other substances, particularly as it infers that a person is powerless over their use of a particular drug or in some circumstances, a number of substances. Whilst others maintain it is this powerlessness that is the foundation of diagnosis and treatment – that treatment is not possible without recognition of addiction itself as the ‘problem’ being addressed. The professional and public perception of addiction is complicated. There are many approaches and models to explain addiction, the role of the addict, and their environment. This essay will compare and contrast two of these approaches, the medical/disease and the social model. Initially this essay will describe the origins of each model, and follow by explaining their respective strengths and weaknesses, and finish with an overview of the key differences between them. This essay will conclude by demonstrating that a holistic approach, and a cross-pollination of these models is the most successful approach to treating addicts. As is the case for all diseases, there are multiple treatment options, and as ever person is different, the results in each individual cannot be predicted.
The doctor at the Veterans Affairs hospital says that “’Reports note that since the Second World War a pattern of drinking and violence, not previously seen before, is emerging among Indian veterans.’” (Silko 49). This is evident in the way that Tayo’s friend are always at the bar self-medicating, because “Liquor was medicine for the anger that made them hurt, for the pain of the loss, medicine for tight bellies and choked-up throats” (Silko 37). This behavior from his friends put this pressure on Tayo to drink, but when he does it only makes him sicker. While it temporarily relives the pain it only hurts him more. The social pressure is not the only thing hindering Tayo’s forward
The first chapter is about understanding addicts and alcoholics and how it is a disease that affects a person brain and understanding that addiction is not something that some people can just quit. I It is important to understand that there is more addiction then just stopping and many people still do not believe addiction is a disease when it really is. Addiction affects a person brain by affecting the dopamine neurotransmitters. Some drugs will bind to the dopamine and directly stimulate those receptors. Some drugs will bind to the dopamine but do not stimulate dopamine receptors.
Most times, the lasting result becomes increasingly sweet with realization, metamorphosis, and helpful action. As each individual experiences despair, resulting action varies. Yet no matter how minuscule or substantial the problem at large is, the presence of acting accordingly to cease the problem remains perpetual. With collaboration of ideas and seeking guidance from groups, one comes to find assurance and advice that of which unveil the truth and the knowing it takes to remove any problem all together. An immediate chain like response occurs, almost like a wake up call, sounding loudly and abruptly, even after snooze was set, to clearly dictate that action needs to be taken. When proper action is taken, then miraculous life will
Everyone has to deal with struggles during their everyday life. Some people’s problems are more serious than others, and the way that people deal with their problems varies. Everybody has a coping mechanism, something they can use to make the struggle that they’re going through easier, but they’re usually different. Some people drink, some people smoke, some people pretend there is no problem. There are healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms, and people will vary the one they use depending on the problem they’re facing. In The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, the author and her family deal with their struggles in multiple different ways as time goes on. However, the severity of her situation means that the methods she uses to deal with it are very important. That’s why it’s bad that Jeanette’s and her family have such unhealthy coping mechanisms, such
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.
The term addiction can be interpreted in many ways, concering both illegal and legal substances. Not only can one become addicted to a substance, but also activities like gambling, shoplifting, and sex. Prior to considering addiction, one must first understand what constitutes a substance. Levinthal (2002) describes a drug as a chemical substance that changes the functioning of the body when ingested (4). Although illegal drugs may come to mind when hearing this definition, alcohol and tobacco fit under this criteria as well. For the purpose of this essay, controlled and regulated (licit/legal) substances will be focused upon. Alcohol is a regulated substance that can be thought of as a social drug (Levinthal, 2002, p.192) and arguably tobacco
In conclusion, the problem of addiction may seem impossible to overcome at first, however; there are steps that can be taken in order to obtain recovery.
As a result, living up to worthy expectations also can be difficult for anyone, especially in the modern world, where most people in American society have experimented with alcohol and drugs. Many Native Americans, however, face additional perils that increase their risk for alcohol and substance abuse; for example; cultural conflict, post-traumatic stres...
The impact of various kinds of substances to cultural groups has historically been precipitated by the significance of particular substances on different cultural groups (Moore, 2010).This is mainly because the long term usage of these substances leads to the integration of the consumption of the substance into the cultural patterns of the given group. One such group that has been affected by the extensive usage of a particular substance is the Native American community. According to the Associated Press (2014, August 28), as noted on the MSNBC website, out of ten deaths among the Native American population, one is Alcohol related. Additionally, the prevalence of Alcohol consumption among the Native American population relates to the fact that it’s associated with the various cultural events that define the way of life of Native Americans. Therefore, the focus of this paper shall be on the cultural aspects, effects and prevalence of Alcohol among Native Americans. Particularly, the paper shall outline a brief introduction of the Native American culture and the prevalence of Alcohol in this culture; compare the aspects of alcohol abuse between the Native Americans and the African Americans; analyze the particular effects of alcohol in the body; and demonstrate the cultural impact of Alcohol abuse among the Native Americans.
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.
Ghosh, R. P. (2012, February 11). Native Americans: The Tragedy of Alcoholism. Retrieved May 21, 2014, from International Business Times: http://www.ibtimes.com/native-americans-tragedy-alcoholism-214046
In the novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, he conveys numerous different examples of how alcohol controls many of the Indians lives who reside on the reservation. In the book, it illustrates how a multitude of Indians who live on the Spokane Indian Reservation are impoverished; they live a life that to many of the readers are vastly different. For example, the Indians barely have enough money to eat on a regular basis. Now, the people who live on the reservation need a way to relieve stress from their daily life, and they end up alleviating stress by drinking an abundance of alcohol. The problem is when a number of the adults on the reservation drink too, much they end up hurting not only themselves but
For those struggling with an addiction, the first step towards recovery is the most challenging step.