High Functioning Alcoholics Essay

When I saw the Alcoholics Anonymous assignment on our syllabus earlier this semester I thought, "Oh my god, I have to go to some stupid AA meeting." In the weeks prior to attending the meeting, I was very nervous about attending it because I did not know what to expect. Some of the questions going through my mind were: "Was everyone expected to talk at the meeting?" and "Was I going to be criticized as the outsider wanting to know what AA was all about?" Those were my two main concerns.

Individuals plagued with alcohol and other substance-abuse problems face numerous barriers along the way to their recovery (Cunningham, Sobell, Sobell, Agrawal & Toneatte, 1993). At the micro-level, some of the primary barriers relate to the potential threat to their employment and income as a result of acknowledging their problems. They include the financial risks associated with disclosure of the problem to employers. At the macro-level, there are relatively few high-quality opportunities for community-funded programs, particularly for middle and upper-middle-class working individuals. Those barriers include the relative unavailability of publicly-funded programs that are well-regulated and staffed by professionals with licenses in substance abuse fields. At the psychosocial level, there are significant barriers in the form of societal behavioral norms that pose barriers of different types based substantially on gender (Beckman & Amaro, 1986). They include general societal behavioral norms that promote alcoholism and substance abuse and particular psychosocial interpersonal dynamics at work and in the home that present different types of barriers to effective treatment based largely on gender (Beckman & Amaro, 1986; Jessup, Humphreys, Brindis & Lee, 2003).

When alcohol and substance recovery became popular, it was just individual groups that supported recovery. It wasn’t until 1935 that the federal government acknowledged that alcoholism was a disease and needed to be treated. Once the government acknowledged that people could be an alcoholic, they opened their 1st “narcotic farm”. This facility marked the beginning of federal involvement in addiction research and treatment. Since the government recognized alcoholism as a chronic disease, the insurance industry began to reimburse the treatment of alcoholism just like any other illness. This leads to a dramatic expansion in private and hospital-based inpatient treatment programs. In 1966, President Johnson appoints the first National Advisory

For my research paper, I decided to turn my focus to the people who suffer from alcohol addiction. I am trying to learn about people in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) because I want to know if the program is successful in order to inform my readers of the struggles and effects of alcoholism and binge drinking. I find it fascinating how someone can allow substances to take over their lives, and I respect those who have overcome such battles.

     A person does not have to drink every day in order to be considered an

“According to the DSM-5, a diagnosis of substance use disorder is based on evidence of impaired control, social impairment, risky use and pharmacological criteria” (samhsa.gov, 2015). The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reports that 52.7% of Americans age 12 years and older reported being current drinkers (2015). It is estimated that 17 million Americans have an AUD based on the criteria of the DSM-5. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines drinking in three levels: moderate drinking, binge drinking, and heavy drinking. Moderate drinkers

    As previously stated, alcoholism is a huge problem that needs more attention. Alcoholism is “an addiction to the consumption of alcoholic liquor or the mental illness and compulsive behavior resulting from alcohol dependency.” Studies show that the current use of alcohol is highest among ages eighteen to thirty-four. The data recorded from middle school and high school is shocking. Sixty-six percent of 7-12 graders have reported having a drink before in their lifetime (Farrell, Jennifer “Parents Awareness of Dangers of Underage Drinking”). Not only are the number of underage drinkers shocking, but the number of women who drink daily is quite surprising. Seventy-five percent of women ages twenty-six to thirty-four drink alcohol

The following interview was conducted in an attempt to learn firsthand the effects that alcoholism has on other members of the family unit. The Individual interviewed is a 21 year old Female.

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.

In 2007, the National Institutes Of Health, led by Dr. Howard B. Moss, the Associate Director for Clinical and Translational Research at NIAAA, released a report that identified five different types of alcoholism among the population. Their mission with their report was to help break the myth that alcohol addiction was a problem that only affected certain people in certain ways.

Moreover, compared to days of no drinking, the odds of any male-to-female violence on days of heavy drinking by the male partners (drinking six or more drinks in 24 hours) are more than 18 times higher and the odds of severe violence are more than 19 times higher”. I also followed the study of Fals-Stewart Ph.D. It was revealed that about 137 men went into a domestic violence treatment program and out of 137 men 135 of them entered into a alcoholism treatment program over a 15 month span. This is a very similar pattern with men who are drinking and physical violence against women. Its as if drinking is and enhancement or “liquid courage” as people call it to display a side you that would never come out if you didn’t have the assistance of alcohol. Once this level is reached Its called Dependent drinking. Dependent drinking is past heavy drinking this is when the person is now addicted to alcohol and suffers from many consequences , in particular an inability to function normally either socially , intellectually or physically they are not able to control drinking and it may lead to

Most consumers of alcohol do not suffer adverse consequences. Individuals with excessive drinking patterns, nevertheless, have an elevated risk for alcohol-linked problems ranging from social to health issues. Alcohol abusers are a sub-population of alcoholic or alcohol-dependent individuals. However, the terms “abuse of alcohol” and “alcohol dependence” are dissimilar (Harford & Muthen, 2001). Consequently, alcohol abusers may drink excessively without being dependent. In addition, alcohol abuse includes numerous outcomes and patterns while alcohol dependence or alcoholism involves specific diagnostic criteria (Harford & Muthen, 2001).The peculiarity between alcohol abuse and alcoholism is significant from the perspective of biopsychology and treatment. Thus, interventions applied to alcohol abusers may be inadequate for alcoholic individuals. Conversely, measures that address alcoholism are mostly unsuitable for the majority of alcohol abusers.

Every day in the United States, people young and old, men, women, and even children suffer from the effects of alcoholism. Alcoholism is a persistent and constantly growing disease brought about by the over-drinking of alcoholic beverages. Personal life issues and serious, even life threatening, health problems can occur when a person gets caught up socially or privately in the use of alcohol. This problem and many cases leads to repeated drinking over months and years. Whether someone is a social drinker or an every weekend binge drinker the over exposure to the chemicals in alcohol eventually cause the body to become addicted and need more at a time to get the same effect. Withdrawal symptoms occur in the body when consumption suddenly decreases or stops. A true alcoholic never knows how much he or she will drink, how long they will drink, or what consequences will occur from their drinking. And, it is possible for a person to have a problem with alcohol even while it has not progressed to the point of alcoholism. A person could have a so called “drinking problem” or he may have an alcohol addiction problem. The once in a blue moon drinker who takes part in partying with his friends for New Year’s Eve then suffers the hang over and swears not to drink that much again for a long time is not who we are talking about. No, a person with a drinking problem plans to be drinking for the purpose of getting drunk often. Drinking too much can cause a lot of problems

Above all being able to prevent alcohol abuse is countless to having to live with it or be around it. Being unable to meet expectations at home and work, not being able to limit drinking are all signs that someone may be falling to alcohol and becoming an alcoholic (“Alcoholism”). There is most likely a cause to not being able to meet all requirements, but if someone is not willing to go talk to someone and try to resolve their internal conflicts they may turn to a more harsh “treatment”. Being around a loved one that drinks a lot is something many people encounter but no one wants to admit that their loved one is an alcoholic, if they drink alone, drink with intention of getting drunk or drinks early in

Going back to the early 1920’s, alcoholism was an issue for many men, evident by the push for the Prohibition by many women at that point in time. Women wanted the 18th amendment so that their husbands would stop throwing their money away at bars, when many families lived from check to check, this was when the phrase “when you have a relationship with someone who is addicted, you have a relationship with an addiction, not a person” was coined by individuals in relationships with alcoholics. Saying that alcohol serves no purpose wouldn’t be telling the entire truth, in fact, alcohol does have its uses, including but not limited to cleaning wounds, and disinfecting door handles that are touched