...Chapter 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING Introduction Alcoholism is a disease in which an individual continues to crave for alcohol despite of repeated alcohol-related problems. The signs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse are very similar, and are often just a question of degree or intensity. Typically, the last person to be aware that he/she has a serious drinking problem is the alcoholic himself/herself - they are in denial. Some signs and symptoms of alcoholism as well as alcohol abuse include, drinking alone, not being able to limit how much alcohol is consumed, dropping hobbies and activities the person used to enjoy; losing interest in them, feeling an urge to drink, having relationship problems, having problems with the law, having money problems, and requiring a larger quantity of alcohol to feel its effect (Videbeck, 2007). Alcoholism does not only affect the adults. According to Sociological theory, alcoholism is a learned response. This often happens at a young age. A child may see things around them or on TV of people drinking and they tend to believe that is the right thing to do. This addiction is primarily believed to be because of society's influences. This often will affect persons who mostly drink in groups. This theory is based more on the peer pressure a person might receive, so they often turn to alcohol drinking problems during college years. Moreover, it has become a public health concern because of its effect on the future of a child. The goal of the...
Words: 8613 - Pages: 35
...Alcoholism "disease of alcohol addiction," 1852, from alcohol + -ism, or else from Modern Latin alcoholismus, coined in 1852 by Swedish professor of medicine Magnus Huss (1807-1890) to mean what we now would call "alcohol poisoning." In earlier times, alcoholism would have been habitual drunkenness or some such term. Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence syndrome is a type ofAlcohol Use Disorder, and a broad term for problems with ethanol (commonly referred to as alcohol), and generally refers to alcohol addiction, which is thecompulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing. It is medically considered a disease, specifically an addictive illness. The synonym for alcoholism are addiction, crapulence dipsomania, drunkennes, alcohol addiction, alcohol dependence, methomania, problem drinking, substance abuse and vinosity. Alcoholism are due to many interconnected factors, including genetics, how you were raised, your social environment, and your emotional health. Some racial groups, such as American Indians and Native Alaskans, are more at risk than others of developing alcohol addiction. People who have a family history of alcoholism or who associate closely with heavy drinkers are more likely to develop drinking problems. Finally, those who suffer from a mental health problem such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder are also particularly at risk...
Words: 977 - Pages: 4
...An alcoholic is a person, on the other hand alcoholism is a lifestyle. An alcoholic has many faces. It is said that an alcoholic suffers from alcoholism which may be described as a physical compulsion and also a mental obsession. He or she doesn’t even know how to stop. At times the taught may not even cross their minds. For instance alcohol is a huge problem on most college campuses. Twenty-one may be the legal drinking age, but somehow minors find a way to get a hold of alcohol. People as young as fifteen are able to get their hands on an alcoholic beverage. Alcohol is said to be the chosen drug among college students. College students have a tendency to drink more than the general population. It is said that college students spend approximately $4.2 billion annually an alcohol. This money is spent on 430 gallons of alcoholic beverages, and 4 million cans of beer. The type of college, geographical location, the ethnic and gender makeup plays a role in the amount of drinking that occurs on a campus. For example, colleges with fraternities and sororities have higher statistics; this is because of their sponsored parties. They drink more often, which contributes to heavier drinking. Studies show that college students drink more when they are in a group, which speaks to peer influences. When it comes to drinking on campus there is no legal age so to speak. When someone goes to a party, they are not carded; they get a cup. Studies show that students between the ages of 18-21 drink...
Words: 1131 - Pages: 5
...Alcoholism; A social insight Alcohol has been present in the history and culture of mankind since the beginning of times. Used in religious activities and ceremonies, the concept of alcohol has historically been portrayed as beneficial for its analgesic, antiseptic and medicinal properties. However alcohol consumption, with the use of media has been transformed into an element in our society that is present everywhere and its abuse is such that, is the third leading cause of death in America. There are approximately 80,000 deaths attributable to excessive alcohol use each year in the United States. Alcohol along with tobacco has become the most legal used drugs in the world. About 65% of American adults claim to drink socially, however numbers get astonishingly big around college students, 90% of college kids drink, and the word occasionally takes a twist here, because college students are reported to be heavy drinkers, which means on average, more than two drinks for men a day and one for women. One drink is defined by its alcohol content; one drink refers to a 12 oz. beer, 5 oz. of wine, or a 1.5 oz. of 80 proof (40%) pure alcohol shot or liquor in a mixed drink like a cocktail. Alcohol consumption is believed to be, nearly five times more than what moderate standards refer to. This is increasingly worrying, because more alcohol consumption means increasing risk, not only for the drinker itself, but to all the people around the individual and even third parties. But...
Words: 873 - Pages: 4
...Alcoholism is a wide-ranging and complex disease that heavily plagues society. Drinking is defined as the consumption of a liquid, and/or the act of drinking alcoholic beverages especially to excess. Every year alcohol is responsible for 1/2 of all murders, accidental deaths, and suicides; 1/3 of all drowning, boating, and aviation deaths; 1/2 of all crimes; and almost 1/2 of all fatal automobile accidents (Overview 1). Alcohol is a potent nonprescription drug sold to anyone over the national legal drinking age, 21. Unlike carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, which can be manufactured by the body, alcohol is a substance that is not made within the body. It is a food, because it supplies a concentrated number of calories, but is not nourishing and does not supply a significant amount of needed nutrients, vitamins, or minerals. These are empty calories that result in an unattractive “beer belly.” Most foods are prepared for digestion by the stomach so that their nutrients can be absorbed by the large intestine. However, 95% of alcohol is absorbed directly through the stomach walls or the walls of the duodenum (part of the small intestine nearest the stomach)and small intestine (Overview 2). Various factors effect the speed of alcohol’s absorption into the body. - Watery drinks such as beer is absorbed more slowly. - Foods (especially fatty foods) delay absorption - Carbonated beverages speed up the emptying of the stomach into the small intestine where alcohol is absorbed more quickly...
Words: 2141 - Pages: 9
...book. Alcoholism According to an online article I found titled “Alcoholism signs - here are ten warning signs of alcoholism you should know” It states that consuming one or two drinks per day for healthy men and one drink a day for healthy non-pregnant women is “generally considered acceptable consumption without health risks.” However, as in the case of my family, as the amount of drinking per day or per week increases, alcoholism can develop as a result. The article goes on to say that as many as 12-14 million adults are chronic heavy drinkers who abuse alcohol or are alcoholics, my Uncle Harold comes to mind. He became an alcoholic early on in life, he was a binge drinker in high school and early twenties then due to stress on the job as he put it became a full fledged alcoholic. He always denied he had a problem because he never missed a day of work or any other obligation, and would angrily defend himself. But, denial and alcoholism are like two peas in a pod. He continued to drink and his health became progressively worse over the years. He lost his appetite and has a poor eating habits due to all the years of hard drinking. Now at the age of 86, he can hardly hold anything in his hands or can only fill a glass half full because of the uncontrollable shakes he has from the damage alcohol has done to his nervous system. So what is “alcoholism?” Health.google.com defines it as “drinking alcoholic beverages at...
Words: 1646 - Pages: 7
...Health Issue and Target Population Health Issue and Target Population On September 5, 2004, Colorado State sophomore, Sam Spady died after consuming alcohol for 11 hours during a Colorado State football game. Unfortunately, Ms. Spady’s situation is not an isolated event but rather an alarming trend with “nearly 1,700 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol-related incidents each year (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2005).” Moreover, drinking among college students often times occurs regularly, and in some situations the amount consumed reaches dangerous levels. Current surveillance systems used to monitor binge drinking among college students depicts an alarming trend, and it appears binge drinking is evolving from a social past-time into a dangerous public health epidemic. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) uses a telephone survey method for the purpose of acquiring information from study participants regarding their drinking habits. The obtained data is then calculated for the purpose of quantifying the prevalence, frequency, and intensity of binge drinking among study participants, and according to Kanny, Liu, Brewer, Garvin, and Balluz, (2012), “binge drinking was most common among persons aged 18-24 years; however, the highest frequency occurred in persons aged ≥ 65 years” (p. 15). Furthermore, the state of Wisconsin registered the highest age-adjusted...
Words: 530 - Pages: 3
...A number of theories in the medical feild are used to explain alcohol abuse. These are the biologic-genetic model, learning/social model, the psychodynamic model, and the multidimensional model .Each different model, for alcoholism have varied explanations as to how and why people use and abuse alcohol. The biologic-genetic model states that there is a specific genetic vulnerability for alcoholism. There has been extensive studies on factors in the genes that could determine or influence the use of alcohol from generation to generation. However, these studies have shown no hard evidence for an association between alcoholism and inherited factors. The learning and social model proposes that alcoholism is a process that is slowly developed within a social situation or atmosphere. This model of alcoholism has also been researched by using both human and animal subjects. A conditioning model of alcohol tolerance has demonstrated that specific cues from the environment such as odor, sight, and taste, produce a stimulus that results in alcohol consumption. If ethanol, the addictive ingredient in alcohol , is not supplied, a psychological compensatory response called a craving is produced. The psychodynamic model of alcoholism proposes that problematic child rearing practices produce psychosexual maldevelopment and dependence/independece conflicts. It is believed that while habitual alcohol use is in process, the habitual drinker may use behavior such as exaggeration, denial...
Words: 613 - Pages: 3
...by youths is in a form of binge drinks. The most affected age is the age between 18 and 24, of which many these youths are college students. From a research, one of the big cause of binge drinking is by influence usually by adverts from beverage (alcoholic) companies. These companies put the adverts in a way that it seems attractive and fun to drink much, among the youths. Again peer pressure plays a big role in the cause of binge drinking among youths especially college guys. Other causes may be due to curiosity i.e. they want to be aware how someone feels when drunk, believing that someone feels so good when he or she is drunk (Cranford, James A., Sean Esteban McCabe, and Carol J. Boyd, 2006). Also due to some believes that one can reduce stress by taking alcohol push students to alcohol drinking mostly towards or after an exam. As per the latest report by National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about four in a group of five college students take alcohol. Also, more than 50% of those who take alcohol consume it by binge drinking. Binge drinking has numerous consequences to college students. To college students, binge drinking leads to academic problems. More than 25% of college students fail to attend classes. This results in poor class performance as well as examination performance. Also, sexual abuse especially rape is rampant in colleges whereby...
Words: 705 - Pages: 3
...autobiographical memory system; it records detailed experiences about other people, places, and things that are important to us (Memory, 2009). Alcoholism The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence defines alcoholism as “a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations” (Alcoholism, 2001). This definition means that, alcoholism is a medical disorder that produces the symptoms of alcoholic behavior. This problem is further understood to be incurable but controllable by serious abstinence. In the United States, an estimated 14 million Americans struggle with alcoholism. More than 7,000 look for assistance for their dependence on any given day, either through inpatient or outpatient care, making alcohol the most common addiction in American society (Alcoholism, 2001). Intoxication may experienced by individual who consumed alcohol at a faster rate than the body can process; it circulates through the blood stream and depress the central nervous system. “Alcohol is not stored or passed through the body, but rather it is metabolized in the liver at a fixed rate of .25 and .33 ounces (7.1-9.4 grams) per hour, depending on the individual. Thus if consumption surpasses the liver’s ability to process it, signs of intoxication begin to appear” (Alcoholism, 2001). Alcohol and the developing brain The damaging effect of alcohol may start as early when fetus is still developing. This brain abnormality...
Words: 2003 - Pages: 9
...damage their mental functioning & also brain impairments that could change their behaviors (1997). The article also stated that alcoholism can have serious consequences & effects on the whole nervous system's functioning most definitely the brain (1997). These effects are: impaired conscious, knowledge, and short-term memory loss. It also includes changes in a person's personality and emotions which is a serious stage of the effects of alcoholism. But, somewhere between 15 to 50 percent of alcoholics may not often display obvious signs of cognitive impairment (Impairments of Brain & Behavior, 1997). People who are more drawn towards drinking are mostly teenagers and people in their early 20's. They usually drink in social settings and are more tempted to drink in parties, kickbacks, etc. These behaviors are considered "normal" in that age mostly because high schoolers are more desperate to "fit in" in their environment and also because college students are known for their party college life. Even people who drink occasionally and/or who are only "social drinkers" can also cause an affect to their cognitive functioning and impairment (1997). Visuospatial abilities & higher level of cognitive functioning are the most common alcohol-related brain impairments that are affected, in accordance with Cognitive Impairment & Recovery From Alcoholism (2001). Alcohol is a toxic substance that only with "mild-to-desperate" consumption can cause chronic effects. ...
Words: 294 - Pages: 2
...Alcoholism Paper Research Paper Merriam-Webster defines alcoholism as “a chronic disorder marked by excessive and usually compulsive drinking of alcohol leading to psychological and physical dependence or addiction.” a person who suffers from alcoholism is addicted to the effects of alcohol (Webster 1). He or she has a physical or mental desire to consume alcohol past their physical ability to control themselves. Alcohol is the second most commonly abused substance according to the NID (Pdf 1). This paper will present facts on, biological effects of alcohol on the body, the addiction to alcohol, genetic loading, and the deaths that are caused in some way by alcohol. Alcohol affects people differently. According to the CDC, the reasons are: Age, gender, race/ethnicity, physical condition, amount of food consumed before drinking, how quickly the alcohol was consumed, the use of other drugs or prescription medications, and family history (CDC 1). When alcohol is consumed, it bypasses the digestive system and goes directly to the blood stream; about twenty percent of the alcohol is absorbed into the blood stream via the stomach, and the other eighty percent by the small intestine (Dunlap 1). Alcohol acts as a sedative, but is perceived as a stimulant. The reason for this is that alcohol causes people to speak more freely; it impairs judgment and physical ability. Alcohol dilutes itself in water found in the body, this is one of the ways alcohol effects people differently, because...
Words: 981 - Pages: 4
...adults. They now have the right to be an adult and join the military and fight for our country, purchase pornos, move out of their parents basement, gamble all their life savings away, and smoke as much tobacco products as they’d like, Eighteen year olds can now do everything their parents do except legally consume alcohol. If they are caught in public drinking alcohol they will be arrested. College students and soldiers are being forced to drink unsafely in the privacy of their homes because they are not legally able to purchase or consume alcohol. Minors are surrounded by their drunken peers every day and want to join in on the fun, but can’t legally drink. They are forced to drink heavy amounts of alcohol in a short amount of time, and this leads to alcoholism, drunk driving, heart and liver disease, and alcohol poisoning. Over time lowering the legal drinking age to eighteen will greatly reduce binge drinking which will result in less alcohol related deaths. Binge drinking is having ten or more drinks on one occasion. Binging can lead to violence, alcohol poisoning, drunk driving, and alcoholism, all of which can be deadly. This has become a major problem in the United States. The majority of binge drinkers are minors, people under the legal drinking age of 21. Over the last five years, the number of students binge drinking went up three to five times, which means the number of alcohol related deaths per year is also rising. This is a new problem that was a result of raising the...
Words: 1216 - Pages: 5
...Although Rex is a brilliant father who can hold on to his ideals and support the family, his biggest shortcoming is his constant fall to alcoholism, which causes him to conduct poor decisions and dishonesty to his children. When his children need him, he simply drinks to wash away his problems. In the memoir, The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls recounts a story that begins with a young girl and her dysfunctional family traveling throughout the United States resettling from town to town. Rex’s alcoholism and selfish decisions put the family in constant lamentable poverty. Even though the family experience an occasional boost of inspiration or kindness, his actions often times do more harm than good for the family. Although Rex may appear to...
Words: 987 - Pages: 4
...Alcohol and Teenagers By Jonte Johnson Professor Kinnaird English 101 06 December 2011 Jonte Johnson Professor Kinnaird English 101, Section 5 06 December 2011 Alcohol and Teenagers Introduction: Alcohol abuse is described in many medical journals and books as a psychiatric diagnosis, “The Character disorder from chronic alcoholism shows itself in intellectual impairment, judgment defects, loss of mental efficiency, with general progressive deterioration in global functioning ability” (Bennett 2), describing the use of alcoholic beverages despite negative consequences. This means that an individual has no self control and does not care for the consequences that will arise if he or she continues to take massive intakes of alcohol without any regard for the safety and well being of his own and his fellow men. Alcohol abuse amongst teenagers is a growing concern for many parents and governments all over the world, “Seventeen million people suffer from alcoholism; 25% of these people are teenagers. The average victim is in his or her forties with a family and a job” (Ludwig 13). The consequences of teenage alcohol abuse has been widely reported and known yet very little has been done to stop alcohol abuse in the United States and other nations where ill-legal liquor houses and unlicensed production of alcohol is wide spread. Why Teenagers turn to alcohol: Teens use alcohol and other drugs for many reasons. They may do it because they want to fit in with friends...
Words: 1947 - Pages: 8
