Alcohol and You: Why Do People Drink?
Addiction comes in many forms: you might be addicted to something as simple as having a cup of coffee every morning or eating up whatever drama creeps on to your Facebook page. We are all addicted to something, though the intensity of our addictions vary. The previous examples seemed relatively harmless, but imagine this scenario: what if your morning coffee was replaced with a few bottles of beer at the local bar every night? It may start off as just a harmless way of relaxing after a long day at work, but soon your nightly trips to the bar begin to interfere with your personal life: you miss your son’s game-winning goal in a soccer game that he had been talking about for weeks, you spend your anniversary black-out drunk, and you become more hostile and bitter towards your family. Soon, you are left alone, with the only solace you still have is end of the bottle, and soon your life is spiraling out of control, and your only purpose in life is finding a way to inebriate yourself again.
This is a particularly grim scenario, but it is not far off from reality for many struggling with alcohol addiction. It’s easy to say that people can just quit drinking, but the situation of alcohol addiction is more complex than that; many see alcohol as an escape from the hardships of reality, and there’s a reason for that. Alcohol is a powerful depressant, which means that it bypasses our social inhibitors that prevent us from acting on thoughts that are “unusual,” thus resulting a more relaxed feeling in situations that are otherwise uncomfortable (hence why many parties have alcohol). For example, an individual who is usually shy and reserved may become uncharacteristically friendly and outgoing while ine...
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...rinking alters the chemistry of the brain, and it has been proven that heavy drinkers respond to stress with higher levels of anxiety than non-drinkers (Alcohol Alert).
However, the doom and gloom of addiction isn’t always permanent; in many cases, alcoholics are able to sober up and enjoy a life free from alcohol dependence. The first and best measure anyone can take to treat alcohol addiction is to seek counseling. Alcoholics should also begin finding the source of their drinking problem so that they can determine a solution, such as finding alternate coping methods if their alcoholism is due to stress. You can drink in moderation, as long as you don’t drink more than the daily allotment. Nonetheless, the best way to avoid alcoholism is to just say no, as the grief and turmoil that are coupled with alcohol abuse and misuse won’t make anyone’s problems any easier.
There are many different definitions in which people provide regarding addiction. May (1988) describes that addiction “is a state of compulsion, obsession, or preoccupation that enslaves a person’s will and desire” (p. 14). Individuals who suffer from addiction provide their time and energy toward other things that are not healthy and safe. The book
Addiction /ə-ˈdik-shən, a-/ noun 1. A strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble), 2. An unusually great interest in something or a need to do or have something (Addiction). Addiction can cause a person to sabotage their lives in order to get their next fix, whether that be scoring another gram of coke or a double with cheese, a large fry, and a large soda. Addicts are stuck in a constant cycle of getting cravings, going through with their ritual, using, experiencing guilt, and being emotionally triggered, thus bringing them back to the beginning. Now, most people when they hear the word “addiction”, the first thing that comes to their mind is drugs. However, if a vast majority of individuals
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, alcoholism is defined as "the compulsive consumption of and psychophysiological dependence on alcoholic beverages." It is a problem that can tear apart marriages and families, cause someone to lose his job, and many more negative results. In order to recover from this dependency a person must lose his desire for and dependence upon alcohol, continue to remain sober, and resolve all conflicts caused by the alcohol abuse. There are several alternatives an alcoholic has to rehabilitate himself. The best solution is a combination of individual therapy and a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous.
Addiction is something that may seem inevitable but at the end it’s entirely the fault of a person who is addicted. In the article by Charles Duhigg ‘the power of habit’ Angie Bachmann got addicted to gambling, it was because of her fault as she kept accepting the offers from cassino and many other reasons.. Both knew what they were doing but still Angie let herself get into the situation, and the casino encouraged it. She was a well settled housewife, when everybody used to leave the house she was all alone. One fine day, while passing through the street she took a visit to casino just for a change.
Addiction is defined simply as a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as drugs) or do something like gambling (Addiction, 2016). Addiction can be crippling and can control all aspects of your life to the point of not being able to function as a productive member of society. Addicts can have a life long struggle, even once sober, or clean, from the addiction.
Alcohol abuse can potentially lead to major health risks, “It can cause damage to the liver, brain, and other organs” (Medline Plus). Alcoholism is an issue that affects a great number of people. According to Medline Plus, “…about 18 million adult Americans have an alcohol use disorder (AUD)” (Medline Plus). When considering these figures only represent the adult population as well as only including the adults in the US, it is apparent that the issue is widespread. Not only does it affect the person but also those around them. Unfortunately many times it affects other members of their family the most. According to American Addiction Centers, “As a general rule, these people have a greater likelihood of having emotional troubles compared to children who grew up in sober homes”. This suggests that the children of the people who suffer from alcoholism are affected to a great extent on an emotional level. As stated by American Addiction Centers, “In general, children of individuals who abuse alcohol are four times more likely to abuse alcohol themselves”, which would then only further the cycle of alcohol
Heredity, conditioning, and environment can contribute to the use of alcohol. One beverage can affect parts of the brain and nervous system. Sensory input then comes into play when alcohol is consumed. Symptoms depend on many factors such as one’s body itself and the amount of alcohol intake. Not only does alcohol affect the person consuming it but others around them, impact relationships, and group behavior. Therefore, after the individual has taken beverage after beverage of alcohol the body will start showing signs of damage to the body both internally and externally.
Researchers have suspected for years that chronic alcohol abuse and alcoholism can change the programming within a human brain, particularly in the regions involving judgment, and making decisions. Throughout the years we have become susceptible to alcohol, everybody in the past decades and centuries drank. As to how much they drank we don't know. Within this study of the alcohol that affects our brains scientists have stated, " Cell and animal studies have consistently indicated that changes in gene expression in the brain appear to be responsible for the...
When society thinks about people drinking alcohol, the first assumption is that there is a drinking disorder occurring. There are thousands of ways to get help and for one to learn the correct way to drink alcohol. Society, however, doesn’t realize that there are steps and reasons alcoholism occurs within society.
So, it is clear that addiction is all around us and can attack anyone of us at any given time. Even studies conducted show that people neglect to speak around their dependency for two primary reasons. Foremost, because people do not comprehend, or they bear a total misconception to their addiction, that they do not realize that addictions can be critical to their overall wellness. Moreover, second, many people believe being an addict will never happen to them, but, in reality, most addictions start off as simple little habits. Such as starting with one drink after dinner and before you know it you are drinking several drinks a day. However, one does not opt to be addicted to a substance, because addictions are physical defects in the brain, a disease, and not one’s choice.
Main Point: What defines an addiction? According to Psychology Today, “Addiction is a condition that results when a person ingests a substance…. or engages in an activity….that can be pleasurable but the continued use/act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, relationships, or health.” This can range anywhere from drug use to eating disorders, to gambling, to even texting in today’s generation. Shocking to say the least, especially when most people do not even know they are addicted or are an addict until they realize this definition.
Addiction is a very strong word that brings along many negative connotations. When we think of an addiction we imagine someone who depends on a certain substance, most likely alcohol to have their needs met. Addiction is defined by the Webster dictionary as, "a compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal." Even though our society sees addiction and only applies the word to drug addicts and alcoholics, there is a much wider range of subjects that fall under the umbrella of what an addiction truly is. An addiction is a dependency on any kind of materialistic object that you use on a day to day basis that brings
Alcoholism is known to be one of the largest illnesses that affect individuals in the world today with nearly 32 million Americans who have struggled with it in one year alone. It is becoming a much larger problem that is reoccurring and wiping out a large portion of the population. Some individuals might think that excessive drinking isn’t a problem, but others find that it is completely
Alcoholism is a disease that affects many people in the United States today. It not only affects the alcoholic, but also their family, friends, co-workers, and eventually total strangers. The symptoms are many, as are the causes and the effects.
The best way to avoid alcohol abuse, dependence, and addiction is to drink only moderate amounts, or not drink at all. Moderate drinking is no more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men. To avoid alcohol dependence: