Alcoholism is defined as a primary, chronic disease with genetic and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. Alcoholism is often progressive and fatal. That is to say, alcoholism is a pattern of drinking that causes harmful consequences. The many causes of alcoholism run deep into the family genus system and can cause numerous effects to the present family and social status.
Alcoholics start out or develop alcoholism with one drink and continue until the point of intoxication. Many cases start with the social drinking status, which then develop into heavy drinking. In addition to social drinking, peer pressure plays a big role in the development of alcoholism. In today’s society, many younger adults are peer pressured into taking that first drink and then continuing drinking while they attend different events and parties.
Research has shown that there is a line of hereditary influence. Children with parents that are alcoholics are more likely to become alcoholics than children who have non-alcoholic parents. This means that they have the genes so there is a greater chance that they will end up like their parents. Roberta Caplan states that, “Alcoholism runs in some families and although there is no conclusive of how the alcoholism of family member is associated, studies show that 50 to 80 percent of all alcoholics have had a close alcoholic relative” (Caplan 266).
The Essay on Alcoholism Alcoholics And Family Members
... admit to themselves the presence of alcoholism hoping it ... other social workers frequently label and discover the signs of alcoholism first. More than ever before, it is essential for parents, ... control his drinking, he or she could lose their job, family life, and well-being. Most alcoholics and family members rarely ...
In most cases of alcoholism, the problem occurs when a person cannot cope with everyday life. That person uses alcohol to treat and medicate their problem without realizing the harm that they are doing to themselves. The relation between their problems, jobs, and stress result in them drinking excessively and now knowing when to stop. The alcohol is used as an excessive substitute for dealing with their problems.
Alcoholism effects the emotional and physical aspects of the drinker and his environment. One of the effects is a feeling of being “down.” For example, they drink to drown out depressed or anxious feelings. If you have ever been around an alcoholic that has been drinking heavily, you know that they bring down the mood of the people around them. Therefore, the drinker does not only make himself look bad, it makes the others around him less sociable and there willingness to be around that person vanishes very quickly.
Physical effects of the drinker range from mild to very severe and fatal. For example, mild cases show signs of tender or swollen livers. In addition, hallucinations, agitation, tremors, and seizures will also occur when the alcoholic drinks on a regular basis, destroying the control he has over his own mind. The full potential of drinking and alcoholism is damage to the brain. This is a multiple step process where the effects start with occasional blackouts moving as high as full memory loss. This is where the drinker relies on alcohol so much that he loses the full potential and capacity that his brain is able to hold. Fatal of all the effects is chemically unbalancing your system to result in death, drinking too much too often. You will know this when the person begins to vomit up blood and will pass out on a regular basis.
Alcoholism effects everyone from the bottom rung to highest presidential status. In conclusion, alcoholism is a serious problem in today’s society. It is important that people learn as much as they can about the causes and effects so they will not become a statistic. Do not think that because who you are and your importance in the world is a shield to the effects of alcohol. Education is the best way that we can control alcoholism in today’s society. Through learning the causes and effects, we can better the people around us to realize they have a problem and find the appropriate places find help.
The Dissertation on Alcoholism Problem
Alcoholism is a chronic problem that includes difficulty in controlling drinking, having to drink consistently to get physical independence, being preoccupied with alcohol, and continually using alcohol regardless of problems it causes (Brick, 2004). Alcohol should not be legal in U.S. because it is impacts negatively on health, family, community and on a person’s education. Alcohol drinking is ...
Works Cited
Caplan, Roberta. “Alcoholism.” Academic American Encyclopedia. 1998
