Alcoholism is a world-wide disease that affects millions of people. In the early years, alcoholism was viewed different, more of a weakness and disgrace. Any strong motivated individual could stop drinking if they wanted. Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, struggled mentally and physically with alcohol. The use of alcohol damaged Bill’s health, tanked his career, and brought upon anguish to his wife and friends. Alcoholism is a disease that infiltrates the brain and physically plagued the human body.…
What is alcoholism? That seems to be a perplexing question. According to the report entitled This is A.A. An Introduction to the A.A.Recovery Program, “There is no formal A.A. definition of alcoholism…” but continues, “It can be described as a physical compulsion, coupled with a mental obsession” (This, 1984, p.9). This quote seems to describe how it feels to be an alcoholic. In the Brief Guide to Alcoholics Anonymous, “As A.A. sees it, alcoholism is an illness” (A brief, 1972, p.6). As the article also mentions, the American Medical Association defines alcoholism as an illness as well. No matter the definition, alcoholism causes numerous problems for the people who experience it.…
This is a result of the body’s organs being actively damaged. Drinking would also turn into the person’s only coping mechanism. At this point, the individual and the people around him/her most likely recognize that there is an issue, therefore the addict may be drinking in secret or making excuses to drink. The following phase is when physical effects begin to be more apparent. The individual would have developed a strong craving for alcohol and would suffer from withdrawal symptoms if the craving isn’t met.…
Alcoholism is an addiction/disease that may start out just by drinking with friends on the weekends socially. The general alcoholic is one whom starts drinking socially and then recognizes that they are unable to stop like some of their friends. Eventually they begin to develop a tolerance and have to actually drink more to feel the same feelings the felt before. Once they realize they are becoming an alcoholic is when they actually start drinking alone or think that they have to drink just to study for tests. The disease/addiction is telling them they have to study under the influence because the definitely don't make better grades by studying. Most of the time these alcoholics are in denial and it takes something “bad” happening before they realize they have a problem.…
The definition of alcoholism can be described as a chronic illness, which is marked by uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages that interferes with physical or mental health, and social, family or occupational responsibilities (Medical Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.. n.d.)This dependence on alcohol has only been diagnosed as a medical disorder recently in the medical field. Like many other diseases, it has a predictable course, but whether it’s influenced environmentally or genetically is still up for debate. The disease can also be called progressive and fatal which means that the disease can persist over a long period of time, bodily changes progress as the drinking continues and can cause premature death through overdose, suicide, motor vehicle crashes and complications of the brain, liver, heart, and other organs. Alcoholism can be detected by four basic symptom’s, they are, tolerance which is the increasing need to drink excessive amounts to feel its affects, also impaired control which is the problem of not being able to stop oneself from drinking at any given time. Craving is another symptom characterized by a strong compulsion to drink, and lastly is physical dependence which shows withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, sweating, nausea or shakiness (Nature vs. Nurture: A Continuing Debate |…
First, before I could answer this question, I had to do a little research. Alcohol addiction is a physical dependence on alcohol which occurs gradually. Over time, drink too much alcohol changed the balance of chemicals in your brain associated with the pleasure aspects of drinking alcohol. Excessive, long-term drinking can affect the balance of these chemicals, causing your body to crave alcohol to restore good feelings or to avoid negative feelings. “Alcoholism was officially recognized as a disease by the American Medical Association in 1991”. ( http://www.learn-about-alcoholism.com/alcoholism-disease.html ).…
Alcohol is a drug found in beer, wine, and liquor that causes intoxication. Alcohol can impair a person’s physical and emotional state. Intoxication is the physical and mental changes produced by drinking alcohol (Friedman, Stine, and Whaten 2242). Some people believe that beer and wine are safer than liquor which leads them to believe that it is okay to drink. The truth is that one 12 ounce bottle of beer or a 5 ounce glass of wine is equal to the amount of alcohol in a 1.5 ounce shot or liquor and can cause the same effects (“Facts About Alcohol”). Short term effects of alcohol include nausea, vomiting, dehydration, coma, death, blackout, memory loss, poor vision, reduced reaction time, and loss of judgement along with self control (Friedman,…
The negative short term affects of excessive drinking are numerous. Impaired vision, judgment, and speech are among the first and most obvious symptoms of drunkenness. Also, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, and headaches are among the most common symptoms the next day, commonly referred to as a "hang over." The main problem with these short term affects is the impaired judgment and motor skills. When people are drunk, they can get very emotional, and…
The symptoms and consequences associated with severe alcohol consumption also vary greatly; that is, in some individuals only a few may be present. These may consist of the development of physical dependence manifested as a state of physical discomfort or hyperexcitability (tremors or shakes) that is reduced by continued consumption; the development of tolerance to the effects of alcohol, which leads individuals to increase their consumption; accidents while intoxicated; blackouts, characterized by loss of memory of events while intoxicated; work problems, including dismissal; loss of friends and family association; marital problems, including divorce; financial losses, including bankruptcy or continual unemployment. Medical problems can include gastric ulcers, pancreatitis, liver disease, and brain atrophy. The last is often associated with cognitive deficiencies, as shown by the inability to comprehend relatively simple instructions or to memorize a series of numbers. See also: Cognition…
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…
Alcohol is a depressant that slowly begins to have an effect on the functions of the body. The alcohol quickly enters the bloodstream and then is carried throughout the body. The effect of excessive use of alcohol affects every system in the body, especially the brain, liver, and heart. These effects it has on the body is significant.…
Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows the function of the central nervous system. Alcohol actually blocks some of the messages trying to get to the brain. This alters a person's perceptions, emotions, movement, vision, and hearing. Alcohol can help a person feel more relaxed or less anxious. More alcohol causes greater changes in the brain, resulting in intoxication. People who have overused alcohol may stagger, lose their coordination, and slur their speech. They will probably be confused and disoriented. Intoxication can make someone very friendly and talkative or very aggressive and angry. People who are intoxicated may think they're moving properly when they're not. They may act totally out of character. When large amounts of alcohol are consumed in a short period of time, alcohol poisoning can result. Violent vomiting is usually the first symptom of alcohol poisoning. Extreme sleepiness, unconsciousness, difficulty breathing, dangerously low blood sugar, seizures, and even death may result. From a very young age, kids see advertising messages showing beautiful people enjoying life and alcohol. And because many…
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.…
“Most people who drink alcohol do not become alcoholics.”(Gale pg.2 Para 2) An alcoholic addiction stems from other personal problems of the past or a current problem. Many people may think that an alcohol addiction is a disease or they may not. Alcohol has become a self-medication so that people can dismiss their problems for the time being. If someone feels they have an alcohol addiction, or others do, there are different treatments to help the matter but someone who is addicted to alcohol is usually in denial and treatment will only help a person if they are willing to except it themselves.…
Alcoholism is very common. If you ask people if they know someone that is an alcoholic, I am sure that nearly every person will say yes. Being close or being an alcoholic can have a large impact on someone’s life. Many people do not know what alcohol really truly is and how it affects others.…