Alcoholism

This paper highlights the topic of alcoholism and its consequences. Alcoholism is defined by people as their experiences and lives witness the addiction in their own or in their loved ones' lives. Psychologists generally use the DSM-IV-TR as the standard definition for substance abuse and substance dependence. This definition is used to more effectively treat alcoholism as a mental health disorder. Because alcoholism has been a long-standing concern in most cultures, many forms of treatments have been used. The consequences of alcoholism are costly, not just to the individual (career, intrapersonal, social, personality, economic), but also to the individual's loved ones (relationships, commitments, and responsibilities) (Schneider, 61).

As with any addiction, societies have been spending a lot of financial, personnel, and psychological resources in the treatment of alcoholism, especially acknowledging the many causes of alcoholism. It is the soul of changing an addiction in that the desire and intentionality of the alcoholic person are most imperative. In essence, ceasing alcoholism is highly probable only when the alcoholic has set his or her heart on changing.

It is acknowledged that enumerating the causes of alcoholism may put this discussion at the risk for degrading or blaming the victim. It is thereby the hope that this list of causes conveys the respect for the struggle and predicament of people with alcoholism. Developmentally, drinking alcohol is often first experienced in adolescence. Certain familial, genetic, behavioral, and cultural norms (availability, encouragement of family, prices, accessibility, media and advertisement) and the individual's predisposition all interact to determine whether the adolescent continues to drink in early adulthood and whether the individual pursues abusive drinking into adulthood (Heien, 42).

The genetic cause of alcoholism has been confirmed by research; people with parents who are abusers or dependents usually have higher tolerance for alcohol and a higher predisposing risk for addiction. ...