The multi-causal model of drug abuse takes into account social and individual causes of addiction, both distant and immediate, that lead to a disposition to using drugs, drug use and the social and individual consequences. Why a person becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol is different for everyone. Some are genetically predisposed, some learn it from their environment (i.e. family or friends), and still others use it to avoid a trauma they have experienced. The case history describes a client that had both social and individual causes for her alcohol use and subsequent dependence. From the individual perspective, the client was a victim of child abuse, which led to feelings of fear and sadness and a desire to avoid these emotions. Socially, she came from a family of alcoholics giving her easy availability. There was also the pressure of keeping up appearances due to her mother’s status in society. The initial individual consequences of the client’s alcohol use were reinforcing. She felt invincible, warm, and it helped her avoid the thoughts in her head. Everything was right with the world as long as she was intoxicated. After long-term use the consequences were unpleasant. She neglected her children and could not maintain a romantic relationship. Her excessive drinking embarrassed her family. It seems she was not getting the same relief from the alcohol causing her to find ways to drink more (i.e., making herself sick). As a result of years of use she had entered a neuro-adaptive state where tolerance had caused an increased need for alcohol. This state also accounts for the extreme withdrawal symptoms she experienced when she quit drinking. Just as there are many models and causes of abuse, there are also many theories of addic... ... middle of paper ... ...ence of alcoholism. In the same way a family history of alcohol could be a genetic factor in the client’s drinking problem, so could the acceptance of alcohol as a tool of avoidance. This client was given alcohol at 6 years old by her teenage sister to numb her pain. We do not know why her sister began drinking, but an assumption can be made that the practice is not generally disapproved of since underage drinking appears to be a norm in this family unit. As illustrated the model of drug abuse and the theories behind addiction are varied. There is no concrete reason for one person who drinks to become alcohol dependent versus the person who does not. Several factors contribute to why a person begins drinking and why they continue to do so despite reasons to stop. The case history exhibits a client with many risk factors associated with alcohol use and dependence.
Slutske, W. S., D’Onofrio, B. M., Turkheimer, E., Emery, R. E., Harden, K. P., Heath, A. C., et al. (2008). Searching for an environmental effect of parental alcoholism on offspring alcohol use disorder: A genetically informed study of children of alcoholics. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 117, 534-551.
Severe mood swings, violent rages, memory loss—each of these problems were a part of my family life during the past two or three years. These problems are the result of alcoholism. Recently, a member of my family realized his abuse of alcohol was a major problem to not only himself, but also to those around him. He would lose control of his temper and often would not even remember doing it the next day. Alcohol became a part of his daily life including work, home, and any other activities. His problem was that of a "hidden" and "high-society" alcoholism. When he was threatened with the loss of his job and the possibility of losing his family, this man knew it was time to get help. After he reached his lowest point, he took the first step towards recovery—admitting his problem.
The crippling effects of alcoholism and drug dependency are not confined to the addict alone. The family suffers, physically and emotionally, and it is the children who are the most disastrous victims. Frequently neglected and abused, they lack the maturity to combat the terrifying destructiveness of the addict’s behavior. As adults these individuals may become compulsively attracted to the same lifestyle as their parents, excessive alcohol and drug abuse, destructive relationships, antisocial behavior, and find themselves in an infinite loop of feelings of emptiness, futility, and despair. Behind the appearance of calm and success, Adult Children of Alcoholics often bear a sad, melancholy and haunted look that betrays their quietest confidence. In the chilling silence of the darkest nights of their souls, they yearn for intimacy: their greatest longing, and deepest fear. Their creeping terror lives as the child of years of emotional, and sometimes physical, family violence.
INTRODUCTION: Alcoholism can affect anyone. It has enormous costs as it pertains to societies, families, and individuals. It is not prejudicial towards any race, color, sex, religion, or economic level. Although we do have ideas as to what alcoholism is, what we do not know is the exact cause(s) of this problem. Researchers are continually seeking answers to the long-standing nature versus nurture debate. Different views are split between a biological paradigm and a physchological paradigm. No one explanation seems to be better than another is. I will present views of the effects alcoholism has on society and an insight to the factors that serve to fuel the nature or nurture debate concerning alcohol abuse and alcoholism.
Frey and Schonbeck explain that it is estimated that over 76 million people worldwide are affected by alcohol abuse or dependence. The chance of having an alcoholic in one’s life is very high. Children that grow up in an environment with an alcoholic may increase that child’s chance of becoming an alcoholic themselves. In the United States, the most commonly abused drug among youth is alcohol. Even though the legal drinking age is 21, nearly 20% of all alcohol consumed in the United States is by people under the legal age (83). In fact, when youth start drinking at social events in their teenage years, they are greatly increasing their risk of developing alcohol problems (85). Alcoholism can affect people of all ages. Furthermore, some experts try to differentiate between alcoholics and social drinkers. Typically, they base this off of five categories. Social drinkers do not drink alone. They consume minimal amounts of alcohol during social functions. Situational drinkers may not ever drink unless they are stressed out. These drinkers are more likely to drink by themselves. Problem drinkers can be described as a drinker that alcohol has caused problems in their life. However, they usually respond to advice given by others. Binge drinkers are out of control in their alcohol consumption. They may drink until they pass out or worse. Alcoholic drinkers have found that their lives have become unmanageable and that they are completely powerless over alcohol (84). Alcoholics should be cautious of their surroundings to prevent
It is unfortunate that many people within our society and worldwide suffers from the affects of alcohol addiction. There are many issues associated with this addiction and many times it’s not only the victim that deals with the addiction but also the people in close association with the individual. Alcohol addiction can afflict anyone and knows no limits of its damage that it can do to a person’s life or the people in their lives. Most importantly are the ones whom seek help for their addiction as it becomes a lifelong healing period for them. It has become clear that constant consumption of alcohol leads to addiction. It has also become clearer with the laws and policies that have been drawn up to combat drunk drivers that it is not a normal thing to do anymore as was thought to be normal in the late 60’s and early 70’s. This is not normal behaviour and it becomes clearer as the laws for drinking and driving is enforced by law enforcement officers. It is a duty for addiction workers to help in the aid of these problems and its laws and policies that help in putting a stop to some of the problems that arise from this addiction.
In this paper I plan to include different aspects of alcoholism. I plan to cover the different approached people have towards it and how it affects people’s daily life. Alcoholics do not realize that their actions not only affect them in a bad way, their body and their mind, but also that they affect the people around them and what a huge impact that has on their loved ones. I will include stories that my friends and relatives have provided me with about their experience with alcohol and alcoholics that they had to deal with and the impact that it had on their lives and their surroundings, as well as factual data and statistics that I have found in my research about this topic. Coming to the U.S. from Poland, where the legal age to purchase and consume alcohol is eighteen, things are quite a lot different. I was twelve when I had moved here and I had older cousins which were of the legal...
The problem of alcohol abuse has been recognized for thousands of years, but only more recently have we begun to see alcohol addiction as a treatable disorder. According to the Classical Disease Model of `Alcoholism,' habitual use of alcohol can be identified as a disease. Webster's Dictionary defines the concept of `disease' as follows: "Any departure from health presenting marked symptoms; malady; illness; disorder." Therefore, as many occurrences of alcohol excess provoke such symptoms, it is somewhat understandable that `alcoholism' is classified as a disease. The Classical Disease Model appears to offer a hopeful option. Treatment and sobriety can allow people to lead fulfilling lives. Adjacent to the notion of alcoholism as personal failure or moral deterioration, the Classical Disease Model appears to be a more desirable concept as it provides a motive for the alcoholic to seek treatment and gain sympathy, minimizing personal guilt. As alcoholism is seen as a progressive and, to an extent, hereditary illness for which those afflicted are not accountable, victims avoid being ostracized from society (Jellinek, 1960). Labeling the problem as a `disease' allows the medical profession to take responsibility for the treatment of alcoholism, which puts the problem in a more favourable light than if it were in the hands of psychologists or social workers, thus detaching the stigma connected with the problem while it is put on a par with other diseases such as diabetes or cancer. However, critics of the Classical Disease Model believe stigma helps reduce alcohol problems and aids the alcoholic. Any effort to reduce the stigma which is faced by the alcoholic will reduce pressures to moderate consumption and could have the additional ...
Alcoholism is a disease in which the drinking of alcohol becomes uncontrollable. Compulsion and craving of alcohol rules the life of the alcoholic. Many of us drink alcohol to socialize which is not alcoholism. An alcoholic is a frequent habitual user. Alcohol, a central nervous system depressant, dulls the senses especially vision and hearing. Signs of alcoholism are tremors, delirium, inability to concentrate and many others. “According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, more than 13 million Americans abuse alcohol”(Mayo Clinic Health Information 1). There are many causes leading an individual to alcoholism. Alcohol damaging effects are physically, psychologically, and socially devastating.
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.
The story “The Drunkard” by Frank O’Conner has many social issues, but the one social issue that sticks out most for me is substance abuse. My family has very addictive personality’s; it is mostly with alcohol and drugs. Substance abuse has been in my family for a few generations. I have learned that substance abuse can affect others around the person that is abusing. I want to talk about the history of substance abuse, types of substance abuse, and relapse of substance abuse that relate to the story “The Drunkard.” Substance abuse has been around a very long time and the history of it is fascinating.
The onset for substance dependence may occur at any moment in people’s life despite age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, level of education, social status, etc., but in many cases the use of alcohol and drugs are more frequent in men than it is in women, persons who are employed tend to consume less substance than those who are out of work, and people with low level of education have higher prevalence of engaging in drugs abuse than individuals with high school degree or greater; on the other hand, alcohol dependency does not show degree of difference between low or high level of
There are four stages of addiction to alcohol use. The first stage is the pre-alcoholic stage. This stage is characterized by a person’s ability to drink alcohol for leisure without getting drunk. An example is drinking in a friend’s party or work end year party. The second stage is prodromal stage and involves blackout and memory loss after drinking and rising urge for alcohol but a person struggles to hide. For example, sneaking and having a few everyday drinks after work. Next is the crucial stage where one becomes predominantly occupied by alcohol. For example, an individual values alcohol more than his friends or job and have to drink at any time of the day. The final stage is the chronic stage characterized by constantly drunk and shows
Overcoming addiction is a journey that can last a lifetime, but people succeed if they have the right tools, mindset, motivation, and ability. Alcoholism is a disease in which the consumer has the inability to manage drinking habits. In moderation, alcohol is used by some to relax and considered safe. However, misusing alcohol can cause harm not only to the drinker, but to anyone close to that person, and society in general. Sometimes the warning signs of early alcohol abuse are noticeable. Other times, symptoms can be harder to notice, but when alcohol addiction is found in its early stages, the chances for a successful recovery increase significantly. Some of the most common signs of early alcohol abuse could be, being unable to control consumption
As far as I can remember, alcohol has been a common issue in my life. Whether we were at the beach or just waking up, there was always an open bottle of beer or liquor. Due to the fact that my father was such a heavy drinker, my mother feared that I would grow an addiction as a result. Despite all the anger and regret that alcohol caused in my father’s life, I still feared that I would have an irrepressible impulse to drink. As the years went by, my father’s addiction and the challenges it brought in my life, eventually shaped me to become who I am today.