One of the growing epidemics of young adults in the United States is the dependence and/or abuse of alcohol, which is commonly referred to as alcoholism. The condition is described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V, as an alcohol use disorder (AUD), a type of substance abuse disorder, which encompasses both alcohol abuse and dependence. More specifically AUD is defined as, “medical conditions that doctors can diagnose when a patient’s drinking causes distress or harm (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2007).” When the reliance or use of alcohol interferes with daily functioning, or causes greater harm to the one’s self, it can then be looked at as a disorder. According to the DSM-V, patients must exhibit at least two of the eleven criteria to meet the standard for AUD. Along with a list of eleven criteria, there are some common symptoms of alcoholism, or alcohol use disorders. These symptoms are cravings for alcohol, loss of being able to contain drinking, physical dependence and lastly a tolerance build-up (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2007). This is a very prevalent mental disorder among adults, but the major concern of this study is the development of AUDs in emerging adults, which are classified by the ages 18-25. According to one study, “18- to 25-year-olds had the highest prevalence of past-year alcohol abuse or dependence, with 19.8% of 18- to 25-year-olds meeting criteria for an AUD (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2011).” The dependence and abuse of alcohol of this age group is alarming and has motivated researchers to search for underlying causes of the development of the disorder. Trocmè et al., 2010 previously indicated th...
... middle of paper ...
...-disorders
Goldstein, A.L., Henriksen, C.A., Davidov, D.M., Kimber, M., Pitre, N.Y., & Afifi, T.O. (2013).
Childhood maltreatment, alcohol use disorders, and treatment utilization in a national sample of emerging adults. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 185-194.
Nevid, J.S., Rathus, S.A., & Greene, B. (2014). Abnormal Psychology in a Changing World (9th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2011). Results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Trocmé, N., Fallon, B., MacLaurin, B., Sinha, V., Black, T., Fast, E.,…Holroyd, J. (2010). Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect 2008: Major Findings. Ottawa, Ontario: Public Health Agency of Canada.
· Sedlak, A. (1990) Technical Amendments to the Study Findings--National Incidence and Prevalence of Child Abuse and Neglect: 1988. Rockville, MD: Westat, Inc.
Liehr, P, Marcus, M, Carroll, D, Granmayeh, K L, Cron, S, Pennebaker, J ;( Apr-Jun 2010). Substance Abuse; Vol. 31 (2); 79-85. Doi: 10.1080/08897071003641271
Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the US. One in every 12 adults suffers from alcohol abuse. Alcohol addiction is very common in modern ...
Today, one out of every thirteen adults abuse alcohol or are alcoholics. That means nearly thirteen million Americans have a drinking problem. (www.niaaa.nih.gov) This topic offers a broad range of ideas to be researched within the psychological field. For this particular project, the topic of alcoholism and the psychological effects on people best fit the criteria. Alcoholism is defined as a disorder characterized by the excessive consumption of and dependence on alcoholic beverages, leading to physical and psychological harm and impaired social and vocational functioning. (www.dictionary.com) Through this project, the most important information regarding personal experiences dealing with alcoholism will be revealed. Not only are statistics, like the facts mentioned before, important when dealing with an issue such as alcoholism, but personal accounts and information are often more powerful and influential evidence. Non-alcoholics should be allowed to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for research purposes.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (2009). NIDA InfoFacts: Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction . Retrieved October 22, 2011, from http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/treatmeth.html
Conclusion Child abuse and neglect is a very serious issue that can not be taken lightly. We need to provide continuing public education and professional training. Few people fail to report because they want their children to suffer abuse and neglect. Likewise, few people make deliberately false reports. Most involve an honest desire to protect children, coupled with confusion about what conditions are reportable.
Barlow, H. D., Durand, V. M. (2012). Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach. Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
To understand alcoholism, it must first be understood what this affliction is dependent on. Alcohol is a substance that is made by the fermentation of fruits, grains, or miscellaneous other organic materials. The chemical, alcohol, is a depressant and acts on every cell in the human body. Due to this, the central nervous system, along with the pleasure centers of the brain, are affected resulting in a feeling of euphoria and a sense of well being. After repeated exposure, the brain becomes dependent on this drug to unburden itself whenever it feels the compulsion. Several factors that contribute to alcoholism are the individual’s psychology, genetics, culture, and the individual’s response to physical pain.
Barlow, David H., Vincent Mark. Durand, and Sherry H. Stewart. Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2012. 140-45. Print.
Alcohol is the premier drug choice among many youths. A national survey found that slightly more than half of young adults in the United States between the ages of 12 and 20 have consumed alcohol at least once. A psychoactive drug that depresses the central nervous system, alcohol, like tobacco, affects both the mind and the body. It lowers the brain’s ability to control behavioral functions and impairs one’s ability to perform basic motor skills. In today’s society, it is not a surprise for young teens to consume alcohol before they have reached the legal drinking age of twenty-one. Due to this, it has become a leading health problem in the United States. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about 4,358 people
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (Office of Applied Studies). Treatment Episode Data Set(TEDS): Highlights-2003. National Admissions to Substance Abuse Treatment Services, Rockville, MD: Department of Health and Human Services, 2003.
Funding is awarded to support ongoing research programs to identify, prevent and treat child abuse and neglect and to collect and distribute data. Projects that are currently funded are Child Welfare Information Gateway website, the National Resource Center for Child Protective Services, National Quality Improvement Center on Differential Response, annual publication of Child Maltreatment and the initiative on Supporting Evidence-Based Home Visitation to Prevent Child Maltreatment.
Barlow, D., Durand, V., & Stewart, S. (2009). Abnormal psychology an integrative apporach. (2nd ed.). United States of America: Wadsworth
... Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2012): ERIC. Web. The Web. The Web.
Halgin, R. P., & Whitbourne, S. K. (2010). Abnormal psychology: clinical perspectives on psychological disorders (6th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.