Alcohol Addiction Research Paper
Abstract
The term “alcoholism” describes a drinker who is mentally and physically dependent on alcohol, and who would most likely have withdrawal symptoms upon trying to quit. This dependence prevents most alcoholics from being able to control when they drink and how much they drink. For that reason, alcoholics usually drink to excess despite the consequences. Alcoholism, like any addiction, is a chronic disorder which involves continued use despite negative consequences and requires ongoing treatment and management. This research paper will cover many aspects of alcoholism including the causes and effects of drinking and different treatment approaches.
Alcohol Addiction: A Growing Epidemic Alcohol’s importance in our social history is significant. Even more significant is the abuse of alcohol and how alcoholism has affected modern society. While historians don’t know exactly when alcohol was first created, they do know that it’s been around throughout almost all of human history. However, before the word “alcoholism” was ever spoken, alcohol was used for many purposes such as medicine, religious rituals and traditions, and even settling or giving courage in battles. Alcohol is the first drug used by ancient man, and its effects, both enriching and damaging, have been well documented throughout the world for centuries. Beer jugs dating back to about 10,000 B.C. have been discovered and Egyptian hieroglyphs as old as 3100 B.C. show that wine was enjoyed far back into the first and second dynasties. In Egyptian burials, alcohol was used to help the dead journey into the afterlife. There is also evidence that the Babylonians, around 1600 B.C., knew how to brew twenty different types of beer. (Gifford, 2010). It was also around this time that alcohol was tied to abuse. The Babylonians made their laws to include punishments against drunkenness. The Greeks and Romans loved wine so much that they worshipped Dionysus, the god of wine, and they would become extremely
The term “alcoholism” describes a drinker who is mentally and physically dependent on alcohol, and who would most likely have withdrawal symptoms upon trying to quit. This dependence prevents most alcoholics from being able to control when they drink and how much they drink. For that reason, alcoholics usually drink to excess despite the consequences. Alcoholism, like any addiction, is a chronic disorder which involves continued use despite negative consequences and requires ongoing treatment and management. This research paper will cover many aspects of alcoholism including the causes and effects of drinking and different treatment approaches.
Alcohol Addiction: A Growing Epidemic Alcohol’s importance in our social history is significant. Even more significant is the abuse of alcohol and how alcoholism has affected modern society. While historians don’t know exactly when alcohol was first created, they do know that it’s been around throughout almost all of human history. However, before the word “alcoholism” was ever spoken, alcohol was used for many purposes such as medicine, religious rituals and traditions, and even settling or giving courage in battles. Alcohol is the first drug used by ancient man, and its effects, both enriching and damaging, have been well documented throughout the world for centuries. Beer jugs dating back to about 10,000 B.C. have been discovered and Egyptian hieroglyphs as old as 3100 B.C. show that wine was enjoyed far back into the first and second dynasties. In Egyptian burials, alcohol was used to help the dead journey into the afterlife. There is also evidence that the Babylonians, around 1600 B.C., knew how to brew twenty different types of beer. (Gifford, 2010). It was also around this time that alcohol was tied to abuse. The Babylonians made their laws to include punishments against drunkenness. The Greeks and Romans loved wine so much that they worshipped Dionysus, the god of wine, and they would become extremely
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