Facts
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Alcohol can affect the liver through a disease known as cirrhosis, a progressive, fatal illness. Half the patients diagnosed with cirrhosis will die within five years unless they cease drinking. It claims more than 14,000 deaths per year.
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Alcohol abuse costs Americans 116.7 billon dollars per year due to insurance premiums, medical care, business losses, incarceration, and prosecutions.
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There are more than 7,000 alcohol treatment programs in the United States.
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Alcoholism kills between 100,000 and 200,000 annually
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Seven million children below the age of 18 live in alcoholic homes, and nearly five million teenagers (three in ten) have drinking problems.
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These are staggering facts that cannot be ignored. With most of the emphasis today on drug abuse, many people are not looking at the number one drug of choice. . . . alcohol:
How Much Is Too Much
The basic difference between the social drinker and the alcoholic is the way he drinks and the effect alcohol has on him. How much a person consumes is not the determining factor. An alcoholic might not have drink for a month, but when he does, he cannot stop. A social drinker could have a drink a number of times per week. That does not make him alcoholic. A problem drinker drinks to escape from unpleasant realities whereas the social drinker drinks to complement an event. The alcoholic becomes both physically and psychologically addicted to alcohol. The social drinker does not.
Alcoholism Is Not Discriminating
The disease does not care if you are black or white, fat or thin, poor or rich. Alcoholism hits people of all races, religions, and creeds. Women are as prone as men. Age is not a factor. One can become alcoholic at 15 or 70.
How Does One Become An Alcoholic? The Disease’s Progressions
Some people say they were alcoholic after their first drink. Others say it came more slowly and started with social drinking, led to problem drinking, and then progressed to alcoholism. In the following paragraphs, the three stages will be described.
In the first stage, blackout drinking may occur. A blackout is not remembering what you did while drinking. There are many inmates in prisons who have no recollection of events and the result was incarceration. Some robbed stores, others assaulted citizens, and, in the worst cases, victimized family members. Amazingly, there was no recall.
* For the sake of simplicity, “he” is used when referring to the alcoholic but it should be noted that “she” could easily be substituted.
Another signal in the first stage is gulping drinks to get a “rush”. Pre-drinking before parties or dinner engagements frequently occurs. Sneaking drinks and stockpiling liquor is common. People have been known to become quite ingenious when it comes to hiding bottles—storing them in the back of the toilet, in the bottom of laundry baskets, and even in a windshield dispenser on a car: The alcoholic, in the initial stage, feels guilty and knows that he is not drinking like others. When his friends are satisfied with a drink or two, it is merely a warm-up for him. More women are “closet” drinkers than men due to the stigma associated with “women drunks”. A closet drinker hides her drinking from friends and family and sneaks drinks when no one is around.
The second stage of alcoholism shows an increase in a person’s desire to drink, yet there is still some ability to stop. Friends and family are now noticing signs of a problem. The problem drinker can still function at work but absenteeism is increasing. Very often he convinces his wife or children to make the “sick” call for him. These people become “enablers” because they help the alcoholic not face his own consequences. The enablers can become as sick or sicker than the alcoholic himself. The drinker is sure he can control his alcohol intake, stops for periods of time to prove to everyone that he does not have a problem, and then usually starts consuming alcohol again. He and his family become part of a never ending merry-go-round.
During the second stage, guilt and fear have set in. Remorse and defensiveness are becoming more common. The drinker feels sorry for himself and thinks that no one understands his problems. He blames the “boss”, work, wife, children, in-laws, etc. The alcoholic looks at everyone else for causing his miseries and is incapable of seeing himself realistically.
Alcoholism is known as the disease of denial
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The final stage is a heartbreaker. All control is lost. Daytime drinking is a habit and the alcoholic cannot function without it. Every waking thought is focused around the next drink. The body has now taken over and demands alcohol. The craving controls the drinker. Malnutrition sets in (drinking is much more important that eating and food takes away the high or feeling of euphoria. More and more alcohol is required to “feel good” as the body demands a greater amount. What was effective before in reaching that “high” no longer works.
Isolation and loneliness are common. The family avoids social occasions. Mood swings are drastic. Insomnia and panic attacks are symptomatic of the full blown alcoholic. He can’t think clearly and has lost some of his memory. Fears increase. Paranoia and rages are frequent. In the very final stage, he can no longer control his shaking. Hallucinations are common. The brain starts to deteriorate. Suicide doesn’t seem like a bad idea. Hope is gone.
When Does An Alcoholic Stop Drinking?
An alcoholic stops drinking when he has hit “bottom”. That bottom may have many different levels. Think of a ladder or elevator. If someone gets off at the first floor, he hasn’t lost much materially. He still has his job, wife, friends, and family. But he is in so much emotional pain that he has reached his particular bottom. Another person may get off at a lower lever where he has had to lose his job, home, and family. The third person may not ever be able to stop and ends up in prison, insane, or dead. Some feel it has to do with how badly a person wants to get better. Others say it takes a “spiritual awakening”. An alcoholic cannot get well without asking for help. Many are too sick to swallow their pride and say they are powerless over alcohol.
What Causes Alcoholism?
It is caused by three factors: 1) environmental, 2) psychosocial, and 3) predisposition.
1)
Psychosocial
dynamics influence how we look at ourselves. If a child sees loving parents in a safe nurturing surrounding, that child, in all probability, will grow up feeling good about himself. He’ll know that it’s okay to make mistakes. His dad means what he says. His mom doesn’t break her promises. The child feels secure and loved. In many cases, he will surround himself with similar friends. He has a fairly healthy sense of his identity and isn’t easily swayed when it comes to changing his values. To be popular (especially teen years), he may experiment with things that aren’t good for him but, generally, comes back on track.
The messages a child hears (whether direct or subtler) influences his thinking and self esteem. A positive value system helps a child discern right from wrong, how to say no instead of yes, and make good decisions by asking others for their opinions and advice. On the other hand, a youngster with negative psychosocial influences often times becomes a “people pleaser” in order to win friends because his self-esteem isn’t intact. That child will be more susceptible to things that make him “ feel good” (most of the time he is in emotional pain). He hasn’t been told that he’s important; he’s learned to survive alone (perhaps not physically but emotionally); he hasn’t felt the security of nurturing. The child from an alcoholic home has lived with mixed messages, poor role models, and the “no talk” rule (don’t think, don’t talk, don’t feel).
2) The
environmental
influence is as strong as the psychosocial in creating an alcoholic. Where a child was raised, and his surroundings, are crucial factors in his development. If he was raised in poverty but there was a solid foundation of love and structure, the child may turn out emotionally healthy. But if that same child had a negative environment and little nurturing, where positive messages about himself were rare, he will not be as prepared for the world. His insecurities will be greater than the average person and alcohol could easily become a crutch for painful emotions.
The psychosocial and environmental influences have a profound impact on a human being’s life. One of the areas which exploits this is advertising. Numerous ad agencies now hire psychologists as an integral part of their staff when designing ads and creating copy. Knowing what makes people tick is the difference between a successful advertising campaign and a flop. Advertising influences how we dress (look at designer labels’ popularity), where we go, how we eat, who we date (who looks the best), what we buy, how we think, styles of haircuts, body shapes, fitness trends, fashionable colors, and even the way our pets should look. Toddlers may not be able to read but they can certainly hum a jingle, recognize Micky D’s, want Addidas, and convince mom to buy Cocoa Puffs. Advertising cleverly uses the psychosocial dynamics and environmental influences to change the way we think.
Alcohol ads are some of the most popular in the country. In 1989, the TV ads voted the most popular by men were 1) Miller Lite, 2) Pepsi, 3) Bud Light, 4) McDonalds, 5) California Raisins, 6) Isuzu, and 7) Budweiser.
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Women’s favorites included Pepsi, McDonalds, California Raisins, Coke, Kodak, Michelin Tires, and Friskies Cat Food.
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(Note: No Alcohol Ads:) By the age of 18, a child will have seen 100,000 beer commercials.
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And yet, according to Reginald Smart in his article “Does Alcohol Advertising Affect Overall Consumption? A review of Empirical Studies”, the amount of advertisements seen does not influence one’s consumption. When advertising bans on alcohol took place, alcohol sales were not reduced.
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3) The third cause of alcoholism is
predisposition
. Predisposition is having a tendency toward something. Many scientists feel that alcoholism is a trait that is inherited. Traits can be the color of your hair, the color of your skin, the shape of your nose, or your height. How can someone inherit his “father’s hair” or “mother’s body type”? The answer is in the nucleus of the cells. We are made up of thousands of cells. In each cell, there is a nucleus that contains a blueprint or direction guide which determines the size, shape, number of new cells and repairs for each cell. Inside the nucleus are threadlike parts called chromosomes which, in turn, are made up of genes (our actual blueprint or map). The study of genes is called
genetics
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A child receives genetic information from each parent. During meiosis, the process in which chromosomes in a cell’s nucleus are separated, each egg and sperm cell receives 23 chromosomes or one-half of the genetic material needed to create a new organism. A normal child receives 23 chromosomes from each parent, a total of 46 chromosomes. The father passes some of his traits to the offspring as does the mother. For instance, a mother may pass a gene for skin color to her child while the dad passes on his gene for skin color. The pairing of these two genes, called alleles, is the new genetic creation for the child (genotype). Genes define who we are.
Credit for much of this information goes to a great scientist. In 1865, a botanist Austrian monk named Gregor Mendel presented his theories of genetics to a group of scientists. Unfortunately, they dismissed his ideas and it wasn’t until later that he was recognized. Through much laborious work, Mendel discovered that specific traits were passed from one generation to the next in a predictable, mathematical pattern. Through his research and study of plant growth and seed shape, Mendel deduced the following two laws of genetics:.
1. Mendel’s First Law—A simple genetic trait is determined by a pair of separate factors (called alleles of a gene). An offspring will receive on allele from each parent.
2. Mendel’s Law of Segregation—Paired alleles of parents segregate during the formation of egg and sperm cells so that only one of the two alleles is included in each egg or sperm.
He worked with garden peas and discovered specific, predictable information. He found that some pea plants grow tall, other short. Mendel observed that when both pea plant parents were tall, the offspring was tall and, conversely, when both are short, the offsprings were short. He then mixed a tall plant and a short plant (hybrid). They produced tall plants because tall was a dominant (stronger) trait. Shortness didn’t show up (a recessive trait). Then Mendel crossed two hybrid tall plants. They produced mainly tall plants (one out of four was short).
People and pea plants are different, yet similar. Their differences are obvious: one’s a plant, the other a human being. Pea’s grow from seeds that are planted in the ground. People grow from a female egg and a male sperm joining to form a single cell, the beginning of all human life. But pea plants and people are similar because they pass on traits to their offspring. As the pea plant passed on tallness in Mendel’s experiment, a father can pass on tallness to his children.
Alcoholism, many believe, can be generational. Perhaps it’s on the father’s side. A child may have a greater chance of becoming alcoholic than someone who doesn’t have a parent who’s alcoholic. If that child never drinks, he will never have a problem, but if he does, the likelihood is greater than the child with no known history in his family. The next section of this project will look at those findings.