...November 2011 What Can AA Do for Problem Drinkers? Does Alcoholics Anonymous work? Many people have family members and/or loved ones that have a drinking problem. So what should they do to get help? There are many different abstinence programs; Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as AA, is one of the programs. An analysis of the AA program reveals that the program can be very effective, but only if the alcoholic wants help and gets the help they need. AA celebrated their 76th anniversary this year. They counted two million members participating in 115,000 groups worldwide, half of them in the U.S. AA started its first meeting in Akron, Ohio, in 1935. Bill Wilson, a businessman, and Bob Smith, a physician, started the association. They were both alcoholics. Bill Wilson achieved sobriety mainly through his association with a Christian movement. Smith was inspired by Wilson, and also stopped drinking (Does Alcoholics Anonymous Work 1). They were determined to help other alcoholics, so the men published “The Big Book”. “The Big Book” explained their philosophy, methods, and principles. One method that became very famous, and still is famous, is the 12-step method. The 12 steps are what a recovering person must go through initially and repeat in order for the process to work. For newcomers, the steps are often grouped into three major categories: trust God, clean house, and help others (Does Alcoholics Anonymous Work 1). The 12-steps is about one getting honest with oneself...
Words: 1577 - Pages: 7
...Lily Turner Professor Carlson 4/19/15 Discourse Analysis Daily Devotion There are many people that judge the effectiveness of alcoholics Anonymous. The research on this matter is controversial and subject to a wide variety of interpretation. Within A.A., there are several aids available to alcoholics, both social and textual. However, the sociocultural dynamic in the group holds a higher significance than the suggested A.A. readings. One of the most celebrated textual materials offered to alcoholics would be the “Big Book”, consisting of Alcoholic’s stories and their solutions. Another text that holds great value is the “Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions” this describes a twelve-step program and how it should be implemented in every day life of an Alcoholic. These texts have been in existence for almost seventy-five years and have helped many addicts across the world. However, there was a time where alcoholics did not have such resources. The first A.A. meeting was held in New York in the early 1930’s underneath the Oxford Group, which was a religious movement. The Oxford Group practiced a recipe of self-improvement through honesty, making amends, prayer and meditation. Cases of Alcoholism that were proven medically “hopeless” were referred to the Oxford Group. Possibly the most recognized case of Alcoholism and author of the “Big Book”, was a Wall Street stockbroker, Bill Wilson. His professional success was ruined by his chronic Alcoholism. Landing in hospital...
Words: 1598 - Pages: 7
...“Mr. Brooks” I chose to do my term paper on the film “Mr. Brooks.” The Plot of the Film consists of the main character; Earl Brooks who is played by Kevin Costner, owner of a successful box business, who is married to a devoted wife, which they have a loving daughter together and love unconditionally. But Mr. Brooks has a terrible secret that he has been able to hide from everyone. That terrible secret happens to be that he is a psychopathic serial killer who is known in media as the “Thumbprint Killer.” Being a wealthy, successful businessman recently honored by the Portland, Oregon, Chamber of Commerce as "Man of the Year" as well as a philanthropist no one has ever suspected him. Being unable to control his horrific addiction, Brooks gives in to his sadistic, all too real alter ego “Marshall” played by William Hurt. A pesky, voyeuristic witness “Mr. Smith,” played by Dane Cook catches him in the act of his latest crime. The rush that Mr. Smith felt after seeing Mr. Brooks brutally kill a couple he used to watch and take pictures of while engaging in sexual activities has set him on a path of destruction and he is taking all the wrong steps to get there. Then there’s the detective, “Tracy Atwood,” played by Demi Moore who has been on the case for quite some time without Mr. Brooks knowledge of it adds a few twists and turns to an already terrifying game of cat and mouse. The way the script has been written, is a “moral” one. You have a man, “Mr. Brooks” who is fighting...
Words: 2285 - Pages: 10
...abuse of alcohol alone is estimated at $144.1 billion dollars annually. Every man, woman and child in America pays nearly $1,000 a year to cover the costs of unnecessary health care, auto accidents, crime and loss of productivity resulting from alcohol abuse. Alcohol deaths account for approximately five percent of all deaths occurring in the United States. Alcohol is considered to be one of the most widely used drugs as it attacks the central nervous system. Two-thirds of all adults drink alcohol; one-third of those are under the age of eighteen. The term alcoholic is commonly used to refer to a person who is severely dependent on alcohol as a result of their drinking pattern. Not everyone with an alcohol problem becomes an alcoholic. If this is true then what differentiates the social drinker from the alcoholic? A novice explanation would be that social drinkers do not experience problems when they drink, however alcoholics develop a physical dependence on alcohol and lack control over how much they drink and what happens when they drink, resulting in social problems. Can it be this simple? Why doesn't a person...
Words: 6352 - Pages: 26
... families, schools, medical systems and legal systems. Cognitive behavioral therapy puts its focus on the underlying cognitive processes and environmental cues that affect developmental issues and substance abuse. To address the problem of substance abuse relapse, “a secondary analysis involving administration of the Adolescent Relapse Coping Questionnaire (ARCQ) and the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN) was conducted to understand adolescent’s cognitive-behavioral coping skills in relation to substance abuse relapse” (Hunter, 2006). The ARCQ is a three-part instrument that was designed to be used with adolescent substance abusers. This particular instrument assesses coping and appraisal in situations “where there is a high risk of relapse” (Hunter, 2006). The ARCQ has three factors that are made up of different coping strategies. There are 3 different factors involved. Factor 1: “cognitive behavioral strategies such as developing a plan and following through” (Hunter, 2006). Factor 2: “self-critical statements for example, blaming or criticizing” (Hunter, 2006). Factor 3: “abstinence-focused strategies such as attending meetings of Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous” (Hunter, 2006). This particular instrument focuses on substance abuse, the negative consequences that are associated with substance abuse and the different triggers that can lead to relapse. The ARCQ was designed for adolescents and is frequently used in research and has proven...
Words: 767 - Pages: 4
...Unit 9 Final Project Case Study Nicole Sanchez PS370: Health Psychology Professor Elizabeth Smith Clark Kaplan University October 2, 2012 Health psychology consists of the mind and body working together to contribute to the wellbeing of a person. In choosing case study number one I: John, I will be discussing the effects of stress and alcoholism to a person’s wellbeing as well as different support and therapeutic techniques that can help with stress and treat alcoholism. Case Study: John John is suffering from alcoholic hepatitis due to excessive drinking. He is having severe stomach problems and has been exhibiting moodiness, sleep deprivation, weight loss and lack of energy. Along with alcoholism, John is suffering from stress due to the possibility of his wife leaving him and his job being on the line. Evaluation of models behavior According to the case study John has multiple health issues that the doctor cannot explain from a physical point of view. His medical problems can be explored by understanding what psychosomatic medicine (the mind body relationship) is. According to Friedman (2002) “a significant proportion of patient complaints (at least 25 percent) made to physicians are psychological in nature and have no significant physical counterpart.”(pg. 80) Patients, like John, exhibit symptoms from tension (caused by an unhappy marriage) such as headaches, pain, or weakness and no physical explanation can be found because the problems are somatization...
Words: 2203 - Pages: 9
...fact that alcoholism is indeed destructive to the human race. This explains the reason as to why numerous studies have been conducted and some are still underway in relations to various areas where alcoholism is indeed a major threat. It is however important to note that most of these studies are mainly centered on the alcoholic. Alcoholism is a term that has many and sometimes conflicting definitions. In current and historic usage, alcoholism refers to a condition that results from continued consumption of alcohol despite the social and medical impacts that are raised by the vice. Alcoholism also referred to, in the nineteenth century and partly in the twentieth century, as dipsomania, may also refer to pre-occupation with or compulsion towards the consumption of alcohol and/or impaired ability to recognize the negative impacts of excessive alcohol consumption. The Macmillan dictionary (2002) defines the word alcoholism as a medical condition that makes it difficult to control the amount of alcohol you drink. 1.2.0 Alcoholism The dictionary definition of alcoholism is, a disorder characterized by the excessive consumption of and dependence on alcoholic beverages leading to physical and physiological harm and impaired social and vocational functionality. The Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research defines alcoholism as a layman’s term for alcohol dependence and abuse. The medical...
Words: 45382 - Pages: 182
...Individual Project 1 PSYC120-1201A-35: Psychology and Understanding Human Behavior: The Individual June 10, 2014 For the purposes of this assignment and the ones that follow, I have chosen to select Mike Tyson as my subject. It is my belief that his troubled childhood, meteoric rise to fame and fortune, and his often-controversial behavior in and out of the ring makes for an interesting character worthy of analysis. Michael Gerard Tyson was born June 30, 1966 in Brooklyn, New York. He was only two years old when his father, Jimmy Kirkpatrick abandoned the family, leaving his mother, Lorna Tyson to take care of Mike and his two siblings, Rodney and Denise. She had a great deal of financial difficulty in supporting her family, and eight years later, she was forced to move her family into the tough, crime-ridden Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn. Tyson, small and shy, was often the target of bullying. To combat this, young Michael began developing his own style of street fighting, and graduated from this to criminal activity. His gang, known as the Jolly Stompers, assigned him to clean out cash registers while older members held victims at gunpoint. He was only 11 at the time. He frequently ran into trouble with police over his petty criminal activities, and by the age of 13 he had been arrested more than 30 times. (Biography, 2012) His behavior eventually landed him in Tryon School for Boys, a tough reform school in upstate New York. It was here that he was introduced...
Words: 1120 - Pages: 5
...Staten Island YMCA Counseling Service | Helping Others To Help Themselves | Incorporating Substance Abuse Services, Mental Illness, and Health and Nutritional Services | Kendra Williams April 21, 2014 | Contents 1.0 Executive Summary 2.0 Situation Analysis 3.1 Market Summary 3.2 SWOT Analysis 3.3 Competition 3.4 Product (Service) Offering 3.5 Keys to Success 3.6 Critical Issues 3.0 Marketing Strategy 4.7 Mission 4.8 Marketing Objectives 4.9 Financial Objectives 4.10 Target Markets 4.11 Positioning 4.12 Strategies 4.13 Marketing Mix 4.14 Marketing Research 4.0 Controls 5.15 Implementation 5.16 Marketing Organization 5.17 Contingency Planning 5.0 Conclusion 1.0 Executive Summary The YMCA Counseling Service is preparing to launch a new and improved counseling service. The new counseling service is going to include adult outpatient treatment group, family, and individual counseling services, adolescent outpatient treatment group, family, and individual counseling services. We will also continue the prevention services for adolescents and children, and incorporate nutrition and health program/workshops for adults, adolescents, and children. Improving the services at the YMCA Counseling Service will better equip the individuals that we help to live a better and healthier substance- free life. With adding new programs to the services...
Words: 6331 - Pages: 26
...Maintenance (Lady Dawn Bartolo) Introduction The fifth function of personnel is maintenance that which has been established, that is, an effective workforce with the ability and willingness to perform organizational task. (Junette Bacus) Communicating and counseling One must face the task of maintaining the effective work force that has been assembled. Two features of this workforce that must be maintained (1) attitudes and (2) physical condition. The number of factors affecting the development and maintenance of employee is limitless, but verbal and nonverbal communication process is involved in all stages. In our report we will examine the nature of communication processes, channels and structures through which the flow and means through which blockages and filters can be minimized. Nature & Importance of Communication Communication – the act of inducing others to interpret an idea in the manner intended by the speaker or writer. communist (Latin word) – “common” Managing – getting things done through others, a task which requires the manager to communicate with other people. Channels & Structure Communication Networks 1. Similar to the formal structure of a firm (four persons able to communicate with only a central fifth person – the manager. 2. Representative of the behaviorally free-flow concept (everyone can communicate with each other). 3. Each person can communicate only with his or her two neighbors, somewhat reminiscent of an...
Words: 2876 - Pages: 12
...disability or age. In this court case employee, Joel Hernandez, from the Raytheon company had tested positive for cocaine usage. With the fear of being rejected from his employment, Joel had quit his job because he knew that he had violated petitioner Raytheon Company's workplace conduct rules. Another reason for why he resigned was based on the fact that the petitioner would have eventually fired him from the company if had he not resigned. After over two years of recovery, Joel applied to be re-employed claiming on his application that they had previously hired him. He has included some letters in his application that were from his pastor talking about how he is an “active church participate” and from an Alcoholics Anonymous counsellor about his “regular visit and attendance” at meetings and his quick recovery. When an HR employee of the company reviewed Hernandez’s application, it was rejected because the company has a strict policy against rehiring employees who were fired from the workplace after doing something wrong/against the rules. According to the HR employee, she didn’t know that Joel was previously addicted to drugs when she was evaluating his application and rejected it. As a result of being rejected, Hernandez filed a charge and launched a lawsuit with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Asserting that according to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), his rights were violated. As a consequence, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission gave a...
Words: 1032 - Pages: 5
...for the most part, on the medical aspects. In the way of background, alcoholism refers to the drinking of alcoholic beverages to such a degree that major aspects of the individual’s life -such as work, school, family relationships or personal SAFETY AND HEALTH, above all, are seriously and repeatedly interfered with. Alcoholism is considered a disease, meaning that it follows a characteristic course with known physical, psychological, and social systems. The alcoholic continues to consume alcohol despite the destructive consequences. Alcoholism is serious, progressive, and irreversible. If not treated, it can be fatal. It is generally thought that once the disease has developed, the alcoholic will not drink normally again. An alcoholic who abstains from drinking, however, can regain control over the aspects of life with which ALCOHOL interfered. The alcoholic is then said to be “recovering” not “cured” of the disease. It is important to note that the particular symptoms and pattern of DRINKING PROBLEMS may vary with the individual. ALCOHOLISM is, therefore, a very complex disorder, and it is this very complexity which has led some recent researchers to question the accuracy of the disease concept of alcoholism. A person does not have to drink every day to be an alcoholic. Moreover, someone who drinks frequently, or sometimes gets drunk is not necessarily an alcoholic. It is possible to abuse alcohol for a short or contained period of time without developing alcoholism...
Words: 15226 - Pages: 61
...Alcohol Dependence Ashley Nicole Stringer PSY/650 Psychopathology July 14, 2014 Mary Mc Greevy Alcohol Dependence Alcohol dependence is a material associated illness in which a person is hooked to alcohol either mentally or physically, and persists in utilizing alcohol regardless of considerable parts of dysfunction, proof of physical dependence, and an associated difficulty. The word alcohol dependence has substituted alcoholism as a word in turn that people do not suppress the thought of cure and illness, but could consider alcohol as a chemical they might be contingent upon deal with environmental stresses. In order to comprehend this disorder one must first understand just what alcohol dependence is. Then one needs to theorize alcohol dependence employing the biopsychosocial model. And finally it is important to talk about the treatments or interventions that are known to be the most successful for alcohol dependence and why. Once all of this is understood then alcohol dependence can be a little clearer. Alcohol dependence is a growing problem in world and further research is being done to hopefully get this problem under control (Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley, 2013). Description of Alcohol Dependence Around twelve percent of American grown-ups have had an alcohol dependence issue during their lifetime. The word alcohol dependence has substituted alcoholism as a word in turn that people do not suppress the thought of cure and illness, but could consider...
Words: 1896 - Pages: 8
...Introduction Youth residential facilities all across America are filled with the future of our workforce. While in these facilities young people are taught to be functioning attributes to society, and the main way to do this is by obtaining employment. Often these youth are plagued by physical and mental disabilities that will give them a harder road than someone applying for the same position. The U.S. Census Bureau says that about 49.7 million Americans have a disability. Those with a physical disability were 9.4 percent, mental disability was 5.6 percent for people age 16 and older, and 6.9 percent had an employment disability (census.gov). When youth leave facilities were they have been groomed and ultimately institutionalized, they are stuck without skills that will help them obtain employment and be able to compete in today’s society. The research in this paper will explore the laws that protect those with disabilities and how they may be improved to provide them with equal employment opportunities. These youth put so much of their self-worth into having a job but are often discriminated against. Getting up and being involved in a working society puts forth an image of belonging as so many times in their past they have been shunned aside and made to feel inferior by those most important to them. Disability discrimination occurs when an employer or other entity covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, or the Rehabilitation Act, as amended, treats...
Words: 8776 - Pages: 36
...| California State University, Long Beach County Project: Plumas Brandon Gonzales ID#: 012658332 HCA 300 MW 9:30-10:45am 10/31/2014 Word Count: ~3,812 Abstract This paper will present an assessment and analysis of the health care information researched in Plumas County with addition to percentages and statistics gathered from registered sites and resources. This paper will also develop health resolutions and suggestions that are to be taken in to consideration with a resources profile and analysis. The research provided, focusing on the iron triangle made up of cost, access, and quality; will identify alarming health problems with increases and/or decreases to access and quality taken from legitimate sources and government data and surveys. The future consequences of these following problems, how Plumas County's health professionals plan to act on them, and recommendations to generate solutions will also be presented. A population research conducted in 2013, the "United States Census Bureau" estimated a total population of 18,859 residents in Plumas County making up .05% of California's total population estimated at 38,332,521. Since 2010, the county has shown a 6% decrease in total population losing more than a thousand people in the past 3 years. Plumas County contains a very small fraction of California's residents compared to larger counties in the state. A more precise breakdown of the research in population provided by the "U.S. Census Bureau"...
Words: 4856 - Pages: 20
