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Essays on how alcohol addiction affects the brain
Alcohol and the central nervous system
Essays on how alcohol addiction affects the brain
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The Crisis of Alcohol The drug choice of alcohol can be described and characterized as a drug that, despite its legality and prerequisite for a required age minimum, causes and elicits the most violence and aggressive behavior than all of the illicit drugs combined. Not only does alcohol weaken an individual’s ability to go about life efficiently, such as being able to operate a motor vehicle, but the drug also triggers an intense physiological alteration to body conditions as well, resulting in numerous health complications, and severe withdrawal symptoms, if dependent (Hammond, Niciu, Drew & Arias, 2015). The chronic disease of alcohol use disorder remains to be a prominent concern, affecting many individuals globally, resulting in the …show more content…
Affecting many relationships, alcohol is the common factor contributing to the numerous domestic abuse cases sought out by the police. Not only does alcohol induce this type of partner violence, but it also increases its intensity and severity (McMurran, 2017). With its adverse consequences on those who are victims, preventative measures have been emphasized to both aid in the reduction of alcohol consumption and in the reduction of partner violence. In a study done with 267 men that portrayed both, alcohol use disorder and a participation in intimate partner violence, were given an examination along with treatment. However, reportedly after a one-year follow up, 159 men relapsed, in which thirty-two percent were found to still be aggressive in comparison to the fifteen percent still recovering (McMurran, 2017). Hence, when the consumption of alcohol was reduced, aggression dropped nearly half the amount in those that strayed away from the …show more content…
Not only does alcohol weaken an individual’s ability to go about life efficiently, such a being able to maintain a job, but heavy drinking also affects a specific structure in the brain called the ventral striatum, in which ethanol alters the neuroplastic pathways, and changes the quantity of neurotransmitters, ultimately causing acute alcohol dependence and withdrawals (Hammond, Niciu, Drew & Arias, 2015). The chronic disease of alcohol use disorder remains to be a prominent concern, resulting in the death of millions globally. Therefore, active treatments that aid in both, withdrawal symptoms and the long-term prevention of relapse, should be taken in to account for better retention and prolonged abstinence, leading to the reduction of mortality and
Most alcoholics proceed to a stage where their brains or their bodies have been so harmed by alcohol that the effects persist even when they are not drinking. This stage may be reached...
The National Institution of Health published this article for the purpose of explaining about the human brain and it’s relation to alcohol. According to the article, people with alcoholism have been known to have problems with skills in their prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that controls decision-making and emotions. These same people show exaggerated neural responses in the dorsal striatum due to alcohol-related cues. This information shows that excessive drinking can affect learning and control of behavior and emotion. This information can be helpful in my paper because it explains that alcohol is a disease that affects the brain and it will help me try to prove my point of view.
Bushman, B. J., & Cooper, H. M. (1990). Effects of alcohol on human aggression: an intergrative research review. Psychological Bulletin, 107(3), 341-354.
Although domestic violence is a significant societal problem, which continues to receive public and private sector attention, intervention and treatment programs have proven inconsistent in their success. Statistics by various organization show that many offenders continue to abuse their victims. Approximately 32% of battered women are victimized again, 47% of men who abuse their wives do so at least three times per year (MCFBW). There are many varying fact...
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 ...
Domestic abuse, also known as domestic violence, can occur between two people in an intimate relationship. The abuser is not always the man; it can also be the woman. Domestic abuse can happen between a woman and a man, a man and a man, or a woman and a woman. Domestic abuse shows no preference. If one partner feels abusive, it does not matter their sexual orientation, eventually the actions they are feeling will come out towards their partner.
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is historically referred to as domestic violence. It describes a pattern of coercive and assaultive behavior that may include psychological abuse, progressive isolation, sexual assault, physical injury, stalking, intimidation, deprivation, and reproductive coercion among partners (The Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF), 1999). IPV leads to lifelong consequences such as lasting physical impairment, emotional trauma, chronic health problems, and even death. It is an issue effecting individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, race, religion, nationality or educational background. Eighty-five percent of domestic violence victims are women (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2003). More than one in three women in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2012). Thirty to sixty percent of perpetrators tend to also abuse children in the household (Edelson, 1999). Witnessing violence between parents or caretakers is considered the strongest risk factor of transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next (Break the Cycle, 2006).
McHugh, M. C., & Frieze, I. H. (2006). Intimate partner violence. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1087, 121–141. doi: 10.1196/annals.1385.011
The ingestion of alcoholic beverages for their enjoyable effects is a custom which has been around for thousands of years, and alcohol continues to be a popular drug because of its short-term effects (Coleman, Butcher & Carson, 1984). An enormous amount of damage can be attributed directly to alcohol abuse as a result of lost jobs, accidents caused by drunk drivers, and so forth (Maltzman, 2000). Alcohol also compounds other problems--an estimated 25% to 40% of hospital patients have problems caused by, or recovery delayed by alcohol abuse (Maltzman, 2000). Clinical psychologists spend about one-fourth of their time dealing with people who are suffering in part from alcohol or other substance problems (Vaillant, 1995). Although alcohol problems have been around for so long, it is only recently that these problems have begun to be associated with medical or psychological difficulties.
“For every family that is impacted by drugs, there are another 10 to 15 families impacted by alcohol abuse. It's a pretty big deal. We have a tendency to only look at part of the puzzle.” (Kevin Lewis). As a society we tend to categorize the severity of addiction in a way that drugs are the most dangerous and alcohol being just a problem. Because alcohol addiction can be a slow progressive disease many people don’t see it in the same light as drug addiction. An addiction to drugs is seen as being a more deadly and dangerous issue then that of alcohol because a drug addiction can happen more quickly and can kill more quickly. Alcohol is something that is easy to obtain, something that is found at almost every restaurant. People with an alcohol addiction can not hide from alcohol as easy as a drug addict. Approximately 7 million Americans suffer from alcohol abuse and another 7 million suffer from alcoholism. (Haisong 6) The dangers of alcohol affect everyone from children with alcoholic parents, to teenagers who abuse alcohol, then to citizens who are terrorized by drunk drivers.
Drinking alcohol is associated with many adverse health problems in the short and long-term. These include cancer, stroke, heart disease, miscarriage, premature birth and unintentional injuries. Despite the fact that alcohol brings many negative impacts, many people still choose to drink and do not overcome their drinking habit. They have been successfully seduced by alcohol until drinking has become their addiction. However, some of them try to quit drinking, but they still cannot break the addiction. Basically, quitting alcohol is difficult and almost impossible for them because of brain-craving, lack of belief and support, and weak willpower.
The primary research consisted of 146 female participants and the information was gathered by administering questionnaires (Feingold & Capaldi, 2014). A psychiatric interview; version 2.0 of the Composite International Diagnostic interview was used to determine drug dependency among the participants in the study (Feingold & Capaldi, 2014). The DSM-IV was used as the baseline to evaluate participants using the six drug dependence symptoms that contributes to substance dependency of victims over their lifetime (Feingold & Capaldi, 2014). The Conflict Tactics Scale was then used to measure the impact of the intimate partner violence experienced (Feingold & Capaldi, 2014). The study found that people who have substance dependency are more likely to be the perpetrators of intimate partner violence than victims (Feingold & Capaldi, 2014). However, cocaine abuse in women significantly correlated with them being victims. Furthermore, hard drugs and drug dependency increased the chance of women experience with repeat victimization (Feingold & Capaldi, 2014). However, Feingold & Capaldi, (2014) also found that women who are dependent on hard drugs are more likely to be the perpetrators of intimate partner
Alcohol abuse is the most common problem, nowadays. In fact, majority of people drink alcohol repeatedly to the point where they have difficulty to stop. Statistics show that, as much as, “40% of college students report drinking five or more drinks in one episode” (Walters & Baer, 2006). Alcohol has become more popular over the years as advertisements, simultaneously with commercials of it, filled the media. It also is easily accessible and cheap in comparison to other psychoactive substances. On the other hand, alcohol safety awareness programs are barely noticeable. My research will present how alcohol and its abuse gets into people’s lives and how it influences their physical and mental health, as well as, social existence.
Alcohol is, unfortunately, one of the most easily obtainable and most dangerous substances on the market. Although the legal purchasing and consuming age for alcoholic products is twenty-one, that does not stop younger people from abusing it. Not only is this illegal, but also quite dangerous. A common misconception about alcohol for children is that the legal, mental, and physical consequences of using alcohol “end” once a person becomes of the legal drinking age. The truth of the matter is that the dangers of alcohol consumption extend far beyond the age of twenty-one and into adulthood. Alcohol can have devastating effects for people of all ages. “Alcohol causes the most severe and widespread adverse health consequences of all drugs of abuse, affecting virtually every organ system. Fortunately, many of these require many years of drinking so they are not commonly found in adolescents” (Milhorn). Not only can alcohol destroy the life of the consumer, but can ...
Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the U.S. 17.6 million people, or one in every 12 adults suffers from alcohol abuse or dependence. According to the National Survey on Drug use and Health (NSDUH) an estimated of 20 million Americans aged 12 or older used an illegal drug in the past 30 days. Alcoholism and drug dependence can affect all aspects of a person’s life. Some people are able to use recreational or prescription drugs wi...