“The chief reasons for starting to drink involve social and cultural factors, particularly the expectancies that form from watching other individuals enjoying themselves while drinking (Text, )”. Many young people start because they see their parents and friends doing it. Additionally, many ceremonies and celebrations involve the use of alcohol, showing others alcohol is acceptable and fun. Media also plays a role in a person’s decision to drink alcohol. Alcohol use is abundant in many television shows and movies. It is almost impossible to watch a television show without seeing a commercial promoting alcohol. Along with these reasons, others begin drinking because of psychological reasons such as, depression, stress, and anxiety. Many of the individuals who drink for these reasons can cause increased problems with their mental health. These people drink to change their mental state because alcohol can temporarily alleviate the feelings of depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, this can cause people to have much worse feelings of depression and anxiety. This can lead some people to drink more to get rid of the increased feelings, causing a vicious cycle of…
In “The Behavioral Genetics of Alcoholism” Matt McGue explains some of the people who are at a higher risk for alcoholism. “People who were reared in an environment where drinking was tolerated and encouraged, people suffering from a mental illness and people who are biologically related to an alcoholic” (McGue, 109). At times alcohol abuse appears to be uncontrollable and most often unexpected, no one believes they will someday fall victim to this disease, let alone will they allow their child, grandchild, or other beloved family member to do so. However most people resemble the characteristics of those who reared them and most often this is done completely subconsciously. When one of both parents drink on a regular basis this becomes the norm in the eyes of the children. If drinking is consistently done within the boundaries that one is confined to and if parents condone these poor habits it is most likely that these children will begin to believe…
One of the leading reasons is that alcohol addiction and abuse leads to unemployment and separation from the family. Alcohol abuse also leads to or exacerbates underlying thoughts of depression as well as lowering inhibitions against impulsive action and impairs judgement.…
Underage drinking can cause teenagers to develop an alcoholic addiction. Addiction changes a person's state of mind, therefore it can affect the choices and actions of teens. This condition can cause teens to become violent and make poor decision in trying to fulfill their need for alcohol. The addiction…
There are many social factors that can cause one to develop alcoholism. Some include: peer…
In the article titled “Clinical Validation of Characteristics of the Alcoholic Family”, by Marlene Lindeman and colleagues, the authors discuss the meaning of alcoholism, the defining characteristics of alcoholism and how it effects the family of the alcoholic. According to Lindeman alcoholism is defined as, “a disease that alters intimate relationships within the family and impairs functioning of the nonalcoholic and alcoholic family members”. This article supports the actions that took place in Jeanette’s book, in the way her father, Rex Walls, was a heavy drinker who could not keep a job nor a stable income. Jeanette recalls different times in her life where her father rarely kept a job simply because he did not care for it and got himself…
Alcoholism is characterized by the addiction to alcohol that is out of the drinker's control. Not being able to stop using alcohol can cause severe physical, mental, emotional and spiritual consequences. Alcoholism is a chronic progressive disease that can be fatal if left untreated. In reality people drink for many reasons such as; it helps them relax, gives them confidence, helps them sleep, helps reduce anxiety, stops them from worrying about things, deal with stress, deal with panic attacks, because they are depressed, because they are dependant on it, even to counter-act withdrawal symptoms. With these reasons people use alcohol to self medicate, but what they don't know is that in reality it makes…
People drink for many reasons. It is a way to escape from pressure and stress. Also, a lot of people feel that it is a relief from emotional and financial problems. Some people are pressured into drinking by their peers. Drinking is a social aspect. Drinking and driving can have a very detrimental effect on your brain. It can…
There are several reasons why people start drinking. first of all, and most heard is peer pressure. Teens sometimes feel the need to fit in and want to impress their peers. In a way, this is similar to an adult constantly practicing/playing golf so he/she can impress their boss or co-workers at the golf tournament. Next, are stress, anxiety, depression, and family problems. Family problems include things such as divorce or even parents constantly arguing with one another or siblings. With each of these, the teenager could be trying to fight the pain, or “escape reality” in which they turn to alchohol, know that it makes them feel differently, and sometimes happier. Another reason that teens start drinking is low self-esteem. Alchohol efects the brain so when it is drank, people tend to loosen up and be more sociable and while drinking they will have more confidence and talk to people that they never would have talked to before, do things that they never would have attempted to do with out…
Alcohol is a powerful drug. It acts on the body primarily as a depressant and slows down the brain’s activities. If you continue to abuse alcohol it can lead to alcohol dependence. Alcohol dependence is also called alcoholism. You are physically or mentally addicted to alcohol. You have a strong need, or a craving, to drink. Long term heavy drinking harms your liver, nervous system, heart, and brain. It can cause health problems or make them worse. These problems include: cirrhosis or pancreatitis, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, certain types of cancer, including breast cancer, stroke, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Alcohol abuse also can contribute to stomach problems, interactions between medicines, alcohol, and sexual problems. It can lead to violence, accidents, social isolation, and problems at work, school, or home. Drinking also makes symptoms of mental health problems worse. When you have a drinking problem and a mental health problem, it is called a dual diagnosis. It is very important to treat all mental health problems, such as depression.…
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, “Alcoholism is a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by continuous or periodic: impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking, most notably denial” (www.step12.com). Alcoholism affects mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, friends, neighbors, and…
There are many factors that can fit into this section, but the most prominent are the effect of an alcoholic parent or family member. If they are an alcoholic or has a heavy drinking problem, the younger members may have conflicted feelings on their own consumption of alcohol when they become of age for fear of becoming like said family member.…
According to recent studies alcoholism is a disease that affects not only the addicted person but it also affects their families as well. Many children who grow up in homes where one or both parents are alcoholics or abuse alcohol will in time need to have help in sorting out all of the issues associated with a parent or parents that abuse alcohol. Sometimes children of alcoholics are physically, sexually and emotionally abused. Even when there is no outward abuse the child growing up in an alcoholic family suffers damage. Once a parent is on the road to living in an addicted state the need to drink supersedes the ability to care for the child. The children become innocent bystanders unable to make sense of their world. These children may grow…
In the United States alone, there are 17.6 million alcoholics. That is about one in twelve people. Some people drink because the think it is fun and others drink because they have some sort of problem that they are trying to get through. Some do not know that they have a problem until somebody tells them or something tragic happens to make them realize their problem.…
The reasons why people drink are always complicated. Some of the reasons that people drink are because they are stressed or they…