ALCOHOL ADDICTION

Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol Addiction

Introduction

Alcoholism is a chronic, frequently progressive and sometimes fatal disease marked by impaired control over alcohol use despite adverse effects from its consumption. Dependence on alcohol, tolerance of its effects, and remissions and relapses are common. Psychological features include preoccupation with alcohol use and denial of addiction, even when evidence to the contrary exists.

The definition of alcoholism has been an issue of considerable debate, and as the understanding of alcoholism has changed, so have the terms used to describe it. Repeated, uncontrolled drunkenness has been referred to as a sickness for hundreds of years. Roman philosopher Seneca called it a form of insanity. The term “alcoholism” was coined by Swedish physician Magnus Huss in his 1849 article “Alcoholismus Chronicus,” and the condition was first defined as a disease in the mid-twentieth century. Although also branded a genetic disorder, a psychological problem, or a result of social or personal dysfunction, alcoholism as a disease became the most widely accepted understanding of alcohol dependence.

Discussion

Alcohol abuse is one of the major threats to health in the U.S. The prevalence of alcoholism in the U.S. has been estimated to fall between 2 and 9% of the population. Each year 10% of all deaths are related to alcohol use. Chronic alcoholism and alcohol-related disorders can be physically, psychologically, and economically devastating to patients and their families. (Flavin, 2001)

The financial cost to the economy totals more than an estimated $148 billion dollars annually in care, recovery, crime, and lost productivity. Resulting social and personal problems, such as divorce, child abuse, suicide and homicide, are also significantly high.

Alcoholism, understood as a disease, is viewed as an illness which the alcoholic is not personally responsible for having contracted. As such, alcoholism is a medical disorder that produces the symptoms of alcoholic behavior. The illness is further understood to be incurable but controllable by total abstinence. This view is supported by the American Medical Association, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and Alcoholics Anonymous, the world's largest self-help program for alcoholics. Also, according to a 1987 Gallup Poll, 87 percent of Americans considered alcoholism a disease. Supporters of this interpretation also point to recent scientific research that may link alcoholism to genetic makeup. (Vaillant 2005)

RISK FACTORS FOR ALCOHOLISM

Age: Beginning drinking at a young age increases the risk of alcohol dependence.

Family history: Children of alcohol-dependent parents are at greater risk of developing alcoholism.

Gender: Males are more likely to become alcohol dependent than females, but women are at an increased risk of developing complications associated with alcoholism, such as liver disease.

Length of use: Regular binge drinking over an extended period of time may result in alcohol dependence.

Mental health: Persons afflicted by mental health disorders such as depression may be more likely to misuse alcohol or other substances.

Social and cultural factors: Being surrounded by friends who routinely drink may increase a person's level of alcohol use. Alcohol consumption in the media may also influence personal drinking habits. (Keller 2001)

EFFECTS ON SOCIETY

Alcohol abuse in American society ...