Alcoholism

9 Pages 2284 Words

Introduction

When examining societies ‘normal’ families today we see them striving for values of love, loyalty and trust. Television shows and movies most likely illustrate teenagers drinking at ‘fun’ parties, or the parents at a social occasion, never getting trapped in the evils of drinking. Many people do not realize in the real world that these social ways of interacting can lead to much more serious and deeper issues in ones life. The causes and development of drinking are unbelievable, and it’s amazing that we don’t hear enough of this information in the media. This is the subject which I wish to discuss in this paper, and to define the true meaning of alcoholism:

It refers to the drinking of alcoholic beverages to such a degree that it seriously and repeatedly interferes with major aspects of an individual’s life-such as work, school, family relations, or personal safety and health. Alcoholism is considered to be a disease, meaning that if it follows a characteristic course with known physical, psychological, and social symptoms. The alcoholic continues to consume alcohol despite the destructive consequences. (Acoholism-Encyclopedia; 427)


How families deal with the stresses of a loved ones drinking habits are crucial to the way the child will learn to deal with drinking in the future. The effects of alcohol on the human body vary from person to person, as do the symptoms, and causes. The social effects of alcoholism will be reflected in this essay. Alcoholism in the family can cause many problems for each individual with in it.



Causes and Symptoms

“It has been said that there are as many causes for alcoholism as there are alcoholics.” (Ogilvie; 3) some of these are as follows alcoholics usually resort to drinking to ease anxiety; to heighten their excitement, to get them in a more upbeat mood; to enhance the feeling of power- so they feel they are in charge and they also may get aggressiv...