Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Anonimus Essay

Many people, including alcoholics, are not fully aware of the devastation caused by alcohol abuse. Not only does alcohol have an impact on physical health, it causes a host of problems from a mental and emotional standpoint. This addiction is not only harmful to the body, it tears families apart, leads to job loss, and often causes isolation for the person who drinks.

Addiction is an epidemic in the United States of America. Yet out of all the addictive substances that are available to Americans, Alcohol has become the leading stimulant to flourish this outbreak. According to the 2014 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration statistics, 60.9 million Americans considered themselves binge drinkers while 1 in 10 underage alcohol users, age 12 to 20, already themselves considered heavy alcohol users (SAMHSA, http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-FRR1-2014/NSDUH-FRR1-2014.pdf ). Since alcohol addiction can affect any socioeconomic status and any street corner in America, many Americans know a friend or a family member that has been struck by this epidemic. I myself am one of those Americans. Although my grandmother lost her battle to addiction more

Alcohol Use Disorder, most commonly known as Alcohol Abuse or Alcohol Dependence, is widely known as problem that occurs with individuals who consumes an enormous amount of alcohol on a regular basis often in a single use. The individual is consumed with the thought of drinking most of the time and often feel as though they need it to continue with living their daily lives, even though, they are not really living at all because the enormous amount of alcohol causes a dysfunction for their daily tasks. It inhibits their ability to take care of their family, have social relationships and performing activities at work. It is believed that genetics can play a massive role towards an individual developing an Alcohol Use Disorder.

People drink in many ways, for many different reasons. We drink socially, to gain acceptance into a group. We drink alone to ease stress, to cope with our problems, or we “drink because we like the taste or how it makes us feel”#. Often drinking is a learned behavior, starting out as a social drinker; you quickly become psychologically and physically dependent. When someone reaches this stage they are often classified as an alcoholic. To an alcoholic, drinking becomes a compulsion; they cannot stop themselves from having another drink, like a social drinker can. In many cases alcoholics don’t even have to drink continuously in order to be an alcoholic. One the problems of alcohol addiction is that it’s something that doesn’t just effect the individual but it effects, friends and family as well. Spouse abuse, child abuse and dysfunctional family relationships can all be influenced by alcohol abuse.

Alcohol Anonymous was founded in 1935 and offers a twelve step program to help individuals kick the addiction. Fellowshipping with other alcoholics, sharing troubles of the addiction, and having a sponsor has shown to help addicts in their recovery process. Most counseling treatment centers focus on teaching a healthier lifestyle, overlooking the importance of the socioeconomic structure (Nikelly, A., 1994).

Drinking alcohol is woven into the social fabric of our culture, and indeed many people enjoy the social and cultural connection of sharing a drink together. However, because drinking is so common in our society, realizing you or a loved one has a drinking problem can be a challenge.  The consequences of alcohol abuse are serious. Alcohol abuse causes extensive damage to your health, your loved ones, and society. It results in thousands of innocent deaths each year, and exacerbates situations involving violent crimes and domestic violence.

There are two different kinds of drinking problems that people may struggle with at some point in their life. The first is alcoholism, which is the illness that alcoholics suffer from. An alcoholic is an individual who has a physical or mental desire to consume alcohol beyond his or her capacity to control it (O’Connor, 2011). As an alcoholic drinks more, his or her tolerance increases. This means he or she will need more alcohol in order to feel drunk. He or she may also experience a physical dependence; if they do not consume alcohol they will begin to experience withdrawal symptoms. The other type of drinking problem that someone may have to deal with is alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is when an individual’s drinking leads to problems, but they are not physically dependent on alcohol. These problems may occur at work, school, home or in their personal relationships. It can also lead to problems with the law when using alcohol in dangerous situations, such as drinking and driving (O’Connor, 2011). Despite the difference, both alcoholism and alcohol abuse are classified as a mental illness according to the DSM-5. Interestingly, there has been an increase in the amount of women who are suffering from these mental illnesses, but their difficulties can be mitigated with the help of group therapy.

However, “long-term control over drinking frequently cannot be achieved without other significant changes in the patient and his situation, including a reduction of tensions and distress” (Plaut, 35). In addition, “the quality of the patient”s life, his interpersonal relations and his social and psychological functioning, must all come within the focus of treatment” (Plaut, 35). The most popular and widely advocated treatment for alcoholism is Alcoholics Anonymous. “In 1938 it was estimated that over one million people belong to A.A. There are about forty-eight thousand chapters of the organization in one hundred and ten countries” (Mendelson and Mellow, 337). These chapters range in size from “six to four hundred persons” (Mendelson and Mellow, 337). Many people all around the USA receive help from Alcoholics Anonymous. “A.A. stresses that alcoholism is a disease and the persons suffering from it have lost their ability to control their drinking” (Plaut, 62). The frequent meetings “consist principally of the study of A.A. principles, and of members giving personal reports on their own successful struggles in dealing with alcoholism” (Plaut, 63). In addition, “the clearly stated principles of A.A. have been a help to many problem drinkers, although serving as a barrier for some others” (Plaut, 63). Alcoholics Anonymous is a wonderful sel-help group but it is not the cure for all problem drinking.

Alcoholism is perhaps the most common form of drug abuse in North America today. Scientists report that the reason alcohol is so popular to people is because it is pleasant, relaxing, and is considered a "social beverage." But what individuals often do not take in to consideration is the fact that alcohol dulls the brain and confuses physical reactions. This can lead to numerous injuries, accidents, and death. Alcohol affects every part of an alcoholic's life: their body, their mind and their family life. The body has a natural chemical that gives a feeling of a "natural high". It happens in the presence of a life-endangering situation. This chemical is adrenaline, which is meant to prepare the body for defense in

Have you ever thought alcoholism is a serious disease and thousands of people die each year due to excessive use of alcohol. Alcoholism is a chronic disease characterized by uncontrolled drinking or inability to manage drinking habits. It is also commonly referred as an alcohol use disorder. An estimated 88,000 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women) die from alcohol-related problems, Annually, making the alcohol third leading preventable cause of death in the united states(National institute of alcohol abuse and alcoholism). Alcoholism

Alcohol is one of many dangerous substances that effects our bodies. The effects of this drug can be very harmful. Alcohol is a potent non-prescription drug sold to anyone over the national legal drinking age, 21. Unlike other deadly drugs it is easy to access. This makes it easy to over-consume and create a tragic accident, even death. It can damage a person not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. Many people each year become more and more addicted to alcohol and soon experience all of it?s dangerous effects. Even if alcohol use is discontinued, some of these damages can not be cured, because the scars have been left on those that drink and those that surround them. The only hope

The United States currently is facing an alcohol use epidemic. A recent study was done that correlated high risk drinking and alcohol use disorders with symptoms, such as having to drink more than the patient is used to in order to get intoxicated or giving up activities the individual enjoys in order to drink. Alcohol use disorders can also lead to cancers or heart problems. The percentage of people who are alcoholics experiencing AUDs, especially minorities and older people, continues to rise. These individuals are also in most of families in poverty and have lower education than others. It can be hard for those individuals to afford basic health insurance, let alone contracts that could cover alcohol related problems. It can get so desperate

In the United States, 17.6 million people – about one in every 12 adults, abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent. (NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2012) The Mayo Clinic defines alcoholism as a chronic disease in which your body becomes dependent on alcohol (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010), and indicates that more than 100,000 Americans die annually from alcohol related causes (Johnson) . Aside from the physical problems that alcohol addiction can create, there are frequently emotional and social complications. Alcoholism is a disease that harms not only the alcoholic, but also the co-workers and family of the alcoholic.

Alcohol is the number one drug problem among America’s youth. More senior high school students use alcohol than any other psychoactive drug. Family doctors, pediatricians, schoolteachers, and parents know that alcohol is overwhelmingly the drug of choice among today’s youth, although trendier substances such as cocaine are often given more attention in the headlines (Carla Felsted, p. vii). Furthermore, it is widely acknowledged that drinking alcohol is a part of the youth culture in America; it may also be understood as a culturally conditioned and socially controlled behavior.

Dave (39) and Liz (33) have decided to seek social work services due to problems Liz is battling with alcohol addiction and the negative impacts this is having on their home life. Dave and Liz have been married for three years and live in a home with Dave’s three children from his previous marriage (Jenna 18; Joshua, 15; Jerome, 8). Prior to meeting Dave, Liz had problems with drugs and alcohol but was sober for five years before relapsing six months ago. Dave likes to have a few beers on the weekends and smokes marijuana occasionally when his children are not home. The children’s biological mother was killed in a car accident six years ago and Dave has little social support from other family members.