Alcoholics Anonymous Research Papers
Lose the Booze
“Come on just one more, you’ll be fine!” This is just one tiny example of how one drink can turn into your last. To know your limit is the basis of knowing how far is exactly too far. The time may be fun in between the blackouts but the payment is far more than a nasty hangover the next day. The medical consequences with just one night of drinking can add up over time and shorten your life considerably. In the end all we ask for is more time and to be surrounded by the people you love. With the chances that you are a long life drunk your loved ones will be driven away with all your priorities set on your drinking habits. As the days turn into weeks in a row with you coming home drunk you could lash out on the people …show more content…
who care for you and in the end resentment will set in. You will be utterly be left alone to deal with your addictions and face what you have been pushing away.
The physical effects that alcohol has on the body would range from disastrous to intermediate. To be drinking hard liquor each night for a year compared to just a beer a night is quite the difference in the effects. Damage done would include decreased liver function, cancer of the pancreas, and the in heart. While drinking and being exposed to the high speed world can cause a person to do dangerous and irrational activities these would include drinking and driving. To help a person stay on the right track of sobriety programs have been created such as 24/7 alcohol checks and PBT tests to make sure you are being held accountable for your decisions (Humphreys C.3). While not being in the right state of mind you are also susceptible to harming the people around you, wither the ones you love or the people you hardly know. One example would have to be drinking a driving gone wrong, veering off on the other side of the road and either hurting or killing a person you didn’t even know. Another example would be coming home and either emotionally or physically hurting the people you swore to protect with your honor and cherishment.
The psychological effects would compare to the physical effects but differ in many ways. People in a twenty-first generation society are becoming more and more aware of the effects drinking can have on the mind and the way how people’s priorities shift towards one thing. After the treatment of certain care centers had been exposed and inspected methods were soon changed after (Zoraya A.2). While in this day and age we are becoming more and more invested in what technological advances can do, we can focus on using technology to help with this growing problem of alcoholism (Roan E.1).
Home living is also effected with the use of alcohol. Not being in the right state of mind to change a diaper, to cook a wholesome meal, or to emotionally care for your children and wife. Studies and common sense have shown this has led to an increase of in home problems. Without being capable of taking care of your children only will create a domino effect to drink at an early and created low self esteem in small growing children. While taking this to another level, it can also be the cause of more divorces, split families or even more children in the foster care system.
It has been speculated that early teens should be allowed to have a sip here or there to get a sense of alcohol. Also studies have shown that if you start drinking at a young age you’re more likely to develop a dependence on that alcoholic substances (Roan E.1). Weather teenagers are allowed to drink they should always have supervision of a person in the family over the age of 21 (Albernaz G.2). To also compare the differences of single or mixed families in a study of allowing teens to drink. Which would you think would have a higher chance of drinking without their parents knowing? In one study the results had shown that in both single and mixed families compared to full families they both had a higher chance of drinking dependence (Albernaz G.2). To turn 21 and finally being able to drink whenever and buy other substances whenever is very freeing but can also turn into over drinking and over buying of such substances. A person who has abided too the law and hadn’t have a single sip of alcohol in their life other than the church setting would be curious and want to get the tipsy feeling or even want to try everything in sight. This in turn can cause alcohol dependence over time leaving the newly 21 year old only wanting more. Letting teens drink here or there will take the curiosity of alcohol out of the picture, making your 21 birthday a little safer (Albernaz G.2). In this century college has been the glory place to party, drink, and overall have a great time. The creation of memories that you will more than likely forget the next day, week, or year. Some college students either don’t drink at all or they drink more than they can possibly handle to function properly (Bryce). The normality in college in the past ten years has been to drink and to drink a lot (Bryce). Some can also make very strong connections to long living effects to the body after you’re done with high school and college. Older Americans who were hard liquor drinking in their youth are at more of a risk for heart disease and so many more illnesses than compared to a moderate drinker. The American population is mostly composed of older based people (Ingraham A.3).
Over time programs have been created to help the alcoholics and substance abusers also known as AA (Alcoholics Anonymous).
For these people this is the first step of overcoming their addiction and to get their life together. Alcoholics Anonymous isn’t a religious based organization, but they do believe in a higher power to help people through their emotional or physical problems (Johnson and Pagano A.11). After the passing of denial for help the person can finally make changes to their life in positive ways. Few young adults have believed in a faith to help them through rough times (Johnson and Pagano A.11). To believe in a higher power to help you out of your mess is very rejuvenating peace in a sense of knowing there is something bigger than yourself to help you. Speculations have shown people who regularly go to church are less likely to experiment with alcoholic drinks (Johnson and Pagano A.11). I believe this statistic is incorrect for the fact that we never know who is secretly an alcoholic behind closed doors. I’m sure it doesn’t matter what religion you are or if you go to church every Sunday. Anyone can turn into an alcoholic or a drug user it’s all a matter of your situation and if you’re willing to let yourself go that …show more content…
far.
Being in the new generation of Alcoholics Anonymous, they have created a new way of healing. Addicts are stepping out and saying the only way to heal is to accept what is and earn social acceptance (Bernstein A.2). By doing this the new age alcoholics are setting meetings in the public to conquer the anonymous feel to AA (Bernstein A.2). In my opinion it’s not social acceptance that a person needs it’s self-acceptance and accountability. It shouldn’t matter what other people not in your inner circle think it’s what you and your loved ones think/feel. To accept what you have done and what you have lived through. That in itself is the acceptance that you need to move forward in life. Millions of people have yet to embrace this new tactic, but they do need time to choose which they prefer (Bernstein A.2). The main reason AA has been anonymous is that people feel safe while coming to the meetings and sharing what they need to get off their chest.
The Alcohol Anonymous Foundation was created with the help of co-founder Bill Wilson, who had written a book about how he had overcame his own addiction (Roan E.1). Another person who had a lot of experience with alcoholism is Heyman, a person who helps people overcome personal problems including alcoholism (Gillis 19-21). To help other people with their issues you then in turn help yourself conquer your own problems. “Drug and alcoholism is not a disease, but a master of free will” says a Harvard psychologist (Gillis 19-21). This opens more speculation with the genetics being in play or even self-fulfilling prophecy. Some people even use learned helplessness as a way to explain why they “can’t” overcome addiction. There are even some cases when people truly believe they will never overcome their addiction and in believing that they can’t and they won’t try. When living with the problem every day of your life it almost becomes a part of you as a person. Trying to get away or to cut that part of your life out could seem to be scary to even approach but the final conclusion is to take the step towards to get help. So when a well renowned psychologist says it’s apart of free will and not genetics, how does one prove those findings to the public and non-believers?
Genes play heavily in all alcoholic situations (Bryce).
One example would be if you were categorized as a lightweight drinker or if you can “hold” your liquor. Low sensitivity to alcohol is the fault of a gene called 5HTT (Roan E.1). To go more in depth if you had five Bud Lights and you were feeling the strong effects but your friend drank ten Bud Lights and felt fine. This is the example of the gene 5HTT in the first friend’s body. When alcohol is mixed with a mental illness, suicide risk becomes greater (Bryce). Why you may ask does this happen? Alcohol is a depressant which means if added with mental illness it can create a strong strand of sad emotions which leads to depressed thoughts. Battling mental illness is a battle in itself but with alcohol added it can turn deadly. Alcoholism can be closely related to PTSD and TBI (Zoroya A.2). We are just now understanding how PTSD works and how it affects people. When a soldier comes home with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) emotions are still on the battlefront trying to survive day from day. Having adrenaline pumping harder and harder every day until you come home either when the tours up or if you are injured. One may turn to alcohol to numb the pain of injuries or the mental pain that came from the experience overseas. Thus contributing to alcohol dependence and then leading to alcoholism. “In 2010 about 90 soldiers had committed suicide within three months of receiving substandard care.”(Zoroya A.2).
This creates an emergency to have better care for PTSD and TBI for those who come home.
The death rate for alcoholic instances has increased 37% between 2002- 2014 (Ingraham A.3). The contributing factors could include drinking and driving, suicide, and over consumption. More and more people have died from alcohol related deaths at a rate not seen in 35 years (Ingraham A.3). With this upcoming generation the need for new “illegal” substances has increased drastically either used for hookahs, injections or powder. I believe that people get addicted to the fact that their bodies aren’t in homeostasis when they drink, shoot up or smoke. The term homeostasis is the constant our bodies are in balance with the world. For example when people like the thrill that a roller coaster gives them because they are taken out of the homeostasis for a brief time thus creating a thrill. Some may say these narcotics dull the scenes while other say that they can see the world for truly what it is. There has been crazy speculation that the government is behind the plan to rid weed and other substances because on these drugs people can see through the deception. This explanation people give could also be a coping mechanism and justification to why they are using these drugs. This then relates simple alcohol in this way first smoking and alcohol is introduced, then smoking weed seems like a good idea, and then turns to shooting up hard narcotics. You may not be switching from weed to cocaine all by your own. You have to think about where you are purchasing your substances and if purchased from the wrong people you may be digging a hole for yourself. Some drug dealers associate themselves with hard drinkers to get their footing into the business then introduce the idea. To not only get hooked onto weed they lace that weed that you buy with heroine and even cocaine. Once you’re hooked you are not only in debt, you are now addicted to the very substances that your swore you would never take. With being in debt you now have to find a way to pay it off and your seller has the perfect solution. You are now in the selling business of illegal substances, tearing your family apart, and some wanted by the police. This is just one example of how far a person on and selling narcotics will go.
I have been looking at alcohol from a very negative perspective even though it isn’t all bad to say the least. It’s apart of the human experience and apart of who we are as a generation. In this world you have to find the balance within your life, society, and anything you do if it’s food, pop, or the infamous alcohol. In everything you need to know how much is too much and how much is healthy for yourself not your friend sitting next to you. The human experience is about living life like you would die tomorrow whether you're a politician sitting late in the office trying to make their mind up on a certain bill or just a young teenager tasting it for the first time. Everyone has their experiences and not all are bad as I contradict everything that I have said I do believe that there is a time and place in everyone's lives for alcohol.
“Come on just one more, you’ll be fine!” This is just one tiny example of how one drink can turn into your last. To know your limit is the basis of knowing how far is exactly too far. The time may be fun in between the blackouts but the payment is far more than a nasty hangover the next day. The medical consequences with just one night of drinking can add up over time and shorten your life considerably. In the end all we ask for is more time and to be surrounded by the people you love. With the chances that you are a long life drunk your loved ones will be driven away with all your priorities set on your drinking habits. As the days turn into weeks in a row with you coming home drunk you could lash out on the people …show more content…
who care for you and in the end resentment will set in. You will be utterly be left alone to deal with your addictions and face what you have been pushing away.
The physical effects that alcohol has on the body would range from disastrous to intermediate. To be drinking hard liquor each night for a year compared to just a beer a night is quite the difference in the effects. Damage done would include decreased liver function, cancer of the pancreas, and the in heart. While drinking and being exposed to the high speed world can cause a person to do dangerous and irrational activities these would include drinking and driving. To help a person stay on the right track of sobriety programs have been created such as 24/7 alcohol checks and PBT tests to make sure you are being held accountable for your decisions (Humphreys C.3). While not being in the right state of mind you are also susceptible to harming the people around you, wither the ones you love or the people you hardly know. One example would have to be drinking a driving gone wrong, veering off on the other side of the road and either hurting or killing a person you didn’t even know. Another example would be coming home and either emotionally or physically hurting the people you swore to protect with your honor and cherishment.
The psychological effects would compare to the physical effects but differ in many ways. People in a twenty-first generation society are becoming more and more aware of the effects drinking can have on the mind and the way how people’s priorities shift towards one thing. After the treatment of certain care centers had been exposed and inspected methods were soon changed after (Zoraya A.2). While in this day and age we are becoming more and more invested in what technological advances can do, we can focus on using technology to help with this growing problem of alcoholism (Roan E.1).
Home living is also effected with the use of alcohol. Not being in the right state of mind to change a diaper, to cook a wholesome meal, or to emotionally care for your children and wife. Studies and common sense have shown this has led to an increase of in home problems. Without being capable of taking care of your children only will create a domino effect to drink at an early and created low self esteem in small growing children. While taking this to another level, it can also be the cause of more divorces, split families or even more children in the foster care system.
It has been speculated that early teens should be allowed to have a sip here or there to get a sense of alcohol. Also studies have shown that if you start drinking at a young age you’re more likely to develop a dependence on that alcoholic substances (Roan E.1). Weather teenagers are allowed to drink they should always have supervision of a person in the family over the age of 21 (Albernaz G.2). To also compare the differences of single or mixed families in a study of allowing teens to drink. Which would you think would have a higher chance of drinking without their parents knowing? In one study the results had shown that in both single and mixed families compared to full families they both had a higher chance of drinking dependence (Albernaz G.2). To turn 21 and finally being able to drink whenever and buy other substances whenever is very freeing but can also turn into over drinking and over buying of such substances. A person who has abided too the law and hadn’t have a single sip of alcohol in their life other than the church setting would be curious and want to get the tipsy feeling or even want to try everything in sight. This in turn can cause alcohol dependence over time leaving the newly 21 year old only wanting more. Letting teens drink here or there will take the curiosity of alcohol out of the picture, making your 21 birthday a little safer (Albernaz G.2). In this century college has been the glory place to party, drink, and overall have a great time. The creation of memories that you will more than likely forget the next day, week, or year. Some college students either don’t drink at all or they drink more than they can possibly handle to function properly (Bryce). The normality in college in the past ten years has been to drink and to drink a lot (Bryce). Some can also make very strong connections to long living effects to the body after you’re done with high school and college. Older Americans who were hard liquor drinking in their youth are at more of a risk for heart disease and so many more illnesses than compared to a moderate drinker. The American population is mostly composed of older based people (Ingraham A.3).
Over time programs have been created to help the alcoholics and substance abusers also known as AA (Alcoholics Anonymous).
For these people this is the first step of overcoming their addiction and to get their life together. Alcoholics Anonymous isn’t a religious based organization, but they do believe in a higher power to help people through their emotional or physical problems (Johnson and Pagano A.11). After the passing of denial for help the person can finally make changes to their life in positive ways. Few young adults have believed in a faith to help them through rough times (Johnson and Pagano A.11). To believe in a higher power to help you out of your mess is very rejuvenating peace in a sense of knowing there is something bigger than yourself to help you. Speculations have shown people who regularly go to church are less likely to experiment with alcoholic drinks (Johnson and Pagano A.11). I believe this statistic is incorrect for the fact that we never know who is secretly an alcoholic behind closed doors. I’m sure it doesn’t matter what religion you are or if you go to church every Sunday. Anyone can turn into an alcoholic or a drug user it’s all a matter of your situation and if you’re willing to let yourself go that …show more content…
far.
Being in the new generation of Alcoholics Anonymous, they have created a new way of healing. Addicts are stepping out and saying the only way to heal is to accept what is and earn social acceptance (Bernstein A.2). By doing this the new age alcoholics are setting meetings in the public to conquer the anonymous feel to AA (Bernstein A.2). In my opinion it’s not social acceptance that a person needs it’s self-acceptance and accountability. It shouldn’t matter what other people not in your inner circle think it’s what you and your loved ones think/feel. To accept what you have done and what you have lived through. That in itself is the acceptance that you need to move forward in life. Millions of people have yet to embrace this new tactic, but they do need time to choose which they prefer (Bernstein A.2). The main reason AA has been anonymous is that people feel safe while coming to the meetings and sharing what they need to get off their chest.
The Alcohol Anonymous Foundation was created with the help of co-founder Bill Wilson, who had written a book about how he had overcame his own addiction (Roan E.1). Another person who had a lot of experience with alcoholism is Heyman, a person who helps people overcome personal problems including alcoholism (Gillis 19-21). To help other people with their issues you then in turn help yourself conquer your own problems. “Drug and alcoholism is not a disease, but a master of free will” says a Harvard psychologist (Gillis 19-21). This opens more speculation with the genetics being in play or even self-fulfilling prophecy. Some people even use learned helplessness as a way to explain why they “can’t” overcome addiction. There are even some cases when people truly believe they will never overcome their addiction and in believing that they can’t and they won’t try. When living with the problem every day of your life it almost becomes a part of you as a person. Trying to get away or to cut that part of your life out could seem to be scary to even approach but the final conclusion is to take the step towards to get help. So when a well renowned psychologist says it’s apart of free will and not genetics, how does one prove those findings to the public and non-believers?
Genes play heavily in all alcoholic situations (Bryce).
One example would be if you were categorized as a lightweight drinker or if you can “hold” your liquor. Low sensitivity to alcohol is the fault of a gene called 5HTT (Roan E.1). To go more in depth if you had five Bud Lights and you were feeling the strong effects but your friend drank ten Bud Lights and felt fine. This is the example of the gene 5HTT in the first friend’s body. When alcohol is mixed with a mental illness, suicide risk becomes greater (Bryce). Why you may ask does this happen? Alcohol is a depressant which means if added with mental illness it can create a strong strand of sad emotions which leads to depressed thoughts. Battling mental illness is a battle in itself but with alcohol added it can turn deadly. Alcoholism can be closely related to PTSD and TBI (Zoroya A.2). We are just now understanding how PTSD works and how it affects people. When a soldier comes home with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) emotions are still on the battlefront trying to survive day from day. Having adrenaline pumping harder and harder every day until you come home either when the tours up or if you are injured. One may turn to alcohol to numb the pain of injuries or the mental pain that came from the experience overseas. Thus contributing to alcohol dependence and then leading to alcoholism. “In 2010 about 90 soldiers had committed suicide within three months of receiving substandard care.”(Zoroya A.2).
This creates an emergency to have better care for PTSD and TBI for those who come home.
The death rate for alcoholic instances has increased 37% between 2002- 2014 (Ingraham A.3). The contributing factors could include drinking and driving, suicide, and over consumption. More and more people have died from alcohol related deaths at a rate not seen in 35 years (Ingraham A.3). With this upcoming generation the need for new “illegal” substances has increased drastically either used for hookahs, injections or powder. I believe that people get addicted to the fact that their bodies aren’t in homeostasis when they drink, shoot up or smoke. The term homeostasis is the constant our bodies are in balance with the world. For example when people like the thrill that a roller coaster gives them because they are taken out of the homeostasis for a brief time thus creating a thrill. Some may say these narcotics dull the scenes while other say that they can see the world for truly what it is. There has been crazy speculation that the government is behind the plan to rid weed and other substances because on these drugs people can see through the deception. This explanation people give could also be a coping mechanism and justification to why they are using these drugs. This then relates simple alcohol in this way first smoking and alcohol is introduced, then smoking weed seems like a good idea, and then turns to shooting up hard narcotics. You may not be switching from weed to cocaine all by your own. You have to think about where you are purchasing your substances and if purchased from the wrong people you may be digging a hole for yourself. Some drug dealers associate themselves with hard drinkers to get their footing into the business then introduce the idea. To not only get hooked onto weed they lace that weed that you buy with heroine and even cocaine. Once you’re hooked you are not only in debt, you are now addicted to the very substances that your swore you would never take. With being in debt you now have to find a way to pay it off and your seller has the perfect solution. You are now in the selling business of illegal substances, tearing your family apart, and some wanted by the police. This is just one example of how far a person on and selling narcotics will go.
I have been looking at alcohol from a very negative perspective even though it isn’t all bad to say the least. It’s apart of the human experience and apart of who we are as a generation. In this world you have to find the balance within your life, society, and anything you do if it’s food, pop, or the infamous alcohol. In everything you need to know how much is too much and how much is healthy for yourself not your friend sitting next to you. The human experience is about living life like you would die tomorrow whether you're a politician sitting late in the office trying to make their mind up on a certain bill or just a young teenager tasting it for the first time. Everyone has their experiences and not all are bad as I contradict everything that I have said I do believe that there is a time and place in everyone's lives for alcohol.