Interaction of Society
Peer pressure leads many young adults to drink. High School clicks, it is the cool thing to do is drink like the adults. College, what is seen on TV is college parties and the drinking that happens during those events. The Military is another place that is seen as drinkers. All of these groups lead to drinking, or the perception of drinking. Today’s society displays this perception and those in these groups follow these they think that is what they are supposed to do. From that point, the dependency starts, then they are an alcoholic.
Experience
As a young high school student, to hang out with the older crowd that had the popular status, to drink is what put you in that group. It was fun and the feeling was something new. Learning the consequences of those actions did not really ever set a standard of not drinking. Through those experiences, later in high school, keeping up with old friends attending the cool college parties was unique. During this time it was seen that many people that have never had the alcohol experience until college were now learning about it. The final stage in personal experience was joining the Military. Again another environment that the perception of drinking was the standard to fit in this group of people.
After experiencing combat, one of the easiest ways to forget about some of those experiences was drinking. By this point in life it was just a standard to keep up with peers, but has now changed to a point of this is the only way to get some sleep, or just relax. After another tour of combat, again it is now more medicine instead of a social thing to do. It is now a dependency to get through the day.
Today’s Standards in Society
This has been an example of just one experience. There are many others that are similar or have followed a similar path. Because of perceptions alcoholism has become an issue in society. But today’s society has found ways to look into and solve this issue, and help with the dependency of alcohol and help individuals with this addiction, or illness. Society has placed this perception on groups to drink, and now how to fix it. But will they ever find a way to prevent it. Not everyone in any of these groups becomes an alcoholic, but they are learning more and more how to prevent it from happening or at least fix it once it does happen.