Category: Alcohol

Introduction

Drug abuse and illegal drug trade have become common vices in society. In the USA, the issue of alcohol abuse has been a major societal challenge. This paper focuses on the effects of alcohol among high school students. Alcohol misuse has been a main concern in most schools because of its pernicious effects on the well-being and educational performance of learners.

For Instance, in the US, statics reveal that one out of four individuals in the age bracket of twelve to twenty years consume alcohol at least once every month.

The situation is worse among high school learners because most of them are within this age cluster and ingest more than five bottles of alcohol in a row at least twice a month. There is strong correlation between alcohol consumption and academic performance among students.

For instance, a student who wakes up in a trance after a heavy drinking spree can boycott lessons or fail to accomplish and turn in course work assignments on time. Apart from its direct outcomes on the years of learning or school completion, premature drinking could negatively affect the number and quality of college enrolment and work quality.

In examining the outcome of teenage alcohol misuse on quality of students academic grades, the author of this article applied a fixed-impact estimation model in assessing the grade point average (GPA) derived from various high schools.

The study utilized data from first and second Waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of teenage health. In-home interviews in the first and second waves were carried out when the academic year ended. Information derived from each respondent was linked with GPA data matching with the academic year during which the participant was registered or had just completed when the survey took place.

This study is therefore superior to the previously conducted ones because it correlates alcohol misuse with educational performance among teenage learners in high school.

The second strength of this survey is the fact that it is based on objective GPA information derived from school transcripts, mitigating the possibility of methodical biases. Finally, the study explored several variables, which could underlie a harmful impact of alcohol misuse on performance.

Apart from examining intermediaries associated with exposure to learning (day of learning missed); the study has also interrogated the outcome of alcohol misuse on students capacity to concentrate on meeting learning objectives. The interviews generated elaborate information on the leaners social environment, risk-taking habits, and other individual traits.

Conclusion

The above analysis shows that alcohol has pernicious effects on students academic profile. The survey demonstrates that misuse of alcohol among teenage high school learners has a minimal negative impact on GPA. However, these effects have some gender specific variations.

The findings revealed few negative impacts on GPA of male students that are caused by truancy and difficulties in coping with learning activities. On the other hand, there were no substantial negative outcomes on GPA of female students since most of them did not abuse alcohol, but those who did had high chances of having trouble.

Lastly, the outcome of drinking on completion of high school studies among male students is small and non-significant among females. Nonetheless, this does not suggest that female students are invulnerable to the destructive effects associated with drinking.

Why it can Prevent Excessive Consumption

The governments intention to set the minimum price for alcohol products is based on the concept of price floors. Under this concept, the minimum selling price is set above the equilibrium prices (Frank, Bernanke & Kaufman 2007, p. 71). For example, equilibrium price for Grants whisky was 11 pounds before the proposal. However, it will rise to 11.42 after implementing the proposal.

The increase in equilibrium price leads to a reduction in quantity demand. This is illustrated in figure 1 below. P 1 and Q1 represent the initial equilibrium price and quantity respectively. However, the equilibrium price will rise to P 2 after implementing the governments proposal. When the price increases to P 2, the quantity demand will reduce from Q 1 to Q 2.

This is because consumers will find alcohol products more expensive than they were initially (Frank, Bernanke & Kaufman 2007, p. 73). This implies that raising the minimum price above the market equilibrium will reduce the consumption of alcohol.

Figure 1: price floor

P: price

Q: quantity

E: equilibrium

S: supply curve

D: demand curv

Why the Proposal will not succeed in this Case

Influencing the consumption of alcohol through price control depends on the price elasticity of its demand (Frank, Bernanke & Kaufman 2007, p. 94). The demand for alcoholic drinks such as beer tends to be relatively inelastic due to the following reasons. First, the prices of alcoholic drinks in UK are very low due to the promotions run by supermarkets.

For example, the price of a bottle of wine is as little as 2.03 pounds. This means that the price represents only a small percentage of consumers income. Thus the demand for alcohol will be inelastic since the consumers will not be sensitive to price changes (Frank, Bernanke & Kaufman 2007, p. 95). Second, alcohol is a necessity to those who are addicted to it.

Thus unless its price is significantly increased, consumers will still purchase it. Finally, loyalty to particular brands of alcohol will encourage consumers to maintain their level of consumption even if the prices are raised (Frank, Bernanke & Kaufman 2007, p. 97). These trends indicate that the price of alcohol must be increased significantly in order to reduce its consumption.

Thus the governments proposal will fail because its new price proposals are not significantly high. It is for this reason that earlier proposals fixed the minimum price at 50p instead of 38p as proposed by the government.

Importance of the Concept of Scarcity and Opportunity Cost

Scarcity implies that that the available resources can not satisfy all the needs of a country or a business (Pindyck & Robinfeld 2009, p. 22). Scarce resources are only spent on projects associated with the highest levels of benefits. Thus scarcity leads to trade-offs when allocating resources. Trade-offs in this case means that some projects must be forgone due to lack of adequate resources.

Such trade-offs are associated with opportunity costs which represent the next best alternative (Pindyck & Robinfeld 2009, p. 23). Scarcity helps governments to realize the fact that they have limited resources. Opportunity cost on the other hand helps governments to asses the costs and benefits associated with their decisions in regard to resources allocation (Pindyck & Robinfeld 2009, p. 23).

Thus the main importance of the concept of scarcity and opportunity cost is that they help governments to make informed decisions on the use of their resources. This helps in maximizing the benefits resulting from efficient resource allocation. This can be illustrated by the alcohol market in UK.

Scarcity in this case is represented by the fact that the government does not have enough resources to prevent the side-effects of alcohol consumption such as increased crime rate. The government must deicide on whether to promote consumption of alcohol in order to increase its GDP or reduce alcohol availability in order to protect the health of the citizens.

This represents the trade-off that the government must make. Since the government has decided to reduce alcohol availability, the opportunity cost is represented by the revenue lost due to reduction in alcohol consumption. Thus the two concepts have helped the government to determine the level of alcohol production that is both beneficial to the producers and the citizens.

Taxation of Alcohol, Cigarette and Petrol

The above goods are taxed for two reasons. First, they are taxed in order to generate revenue for supporting government operations (Pindyck & Robinfeld 2009, p. 54). For example, the revenues are used to provide services such as education. Second, they are taxed to prevent market failure. Market failure occurs when the free market can not allocate resources efficiently (Pindyck & Robinfeld 2009, p. 55).

The above goods lead to market failure since their consumption is associated with negative externalities. A negative externality is a cost not transmitted through prices, incurred by a party who did not agree to the activity causing the cost (Pindyck & Robinfeld 2009, p. 56). Air pollution is one of the negative externalities associated with the consumption of petrol and cigarette.

Increase in crime rate and road accidents are the negative externalities associated with alcohol consumption. Prevention of market failure through taxation is illustrated by figure 2 below. When the market equilibrium is at point E, the marginal cost associated with the private sector is less than that associated with public sector.

This means that increasing the production of the good will be less beneficial. Thus in order to achieve the ideal equilibrium, pint D, the price must be raised to P 2. This is achieved through taxation in order to increase the price of the product.

Figure 2: negative externality

P: price

Q: quantity

E: actual equilibrium

D: ideal equilibrium

Reducing the Incidence for Alcohol Consumption

Education

Consumption of alcohol can be reduced if the public is educated on the effects of its consumption. As the citizens realize the side-effects of alcohol such as health risks, increased crime rate and road accidents, they will reduce alcohol consumption (Pindyck & Robinfeld 2009, p. 66). This can be illustrated by figure 3 below. D 1 represents the demand for alcohol before introducing the education programs.

At this level, the equilibrium price and quantity are P 1 and Q 1 respectively. After the education program, the demand curve will shift to D 2. Thus the quantity demanded at the same price, P 1, will reduce from Q 1 to Q 3.

Following the reduction in demand, alcohol producers are likely to reduce the prices in order to encourage consumption. Consequently, the new equilibrium price and quantity will be P 2 and Q 2. The overall effect of education is that the quantity demanded will reduce from Q 1 to Q 2.

Figure 3: demand-supply model

P: price

Q: quantity

D: demand curve

Taxation

Taxation increases the price of alcohol. According to the law of demand, an increase in price translates into a reduction in the quantity demanded (Pindyck & Robinfeld 2009, p. 67). Thus imposing taxes on alcohol will make it more expensive hence discouraging its consumption. This can be illustrated by figure 4 below. Before imposing the tax, the equilibrium price and quantity will be P1 and Q 1 respectively.

After imposing the tax, the price paid by buyers will increase to P2 while that received by sellers will reduce to P 3. Thus the quantity demanded will reduce from Q 1 to Q 2. Following the reduction in demand, the producers of alcohol will reduce the supply level. Thus the overall effect of taxation will be a reduction in the quantity demanded due to an increase in the price of alcohol.

Figure 4: incidence of taxation

P: price

Q: quantity

The Energy Market in UK

In 2007, the government of UK introduced price control in the energy market (National-grid 2007). This involved lowering the prices of both electricity and gas. To achieve this objective, the government subsidized the production of both gas and electricity (National-grid 2007). The main goal of the price control was to lower the prices of gas and electricity so that many citizens can afford to use them.

Besides, the use of electricity and gas causes less air pollution. Thus the government intended to promote the use of the above sources of energy in order to conserve the environment (National-grid 2007). The success of this strategy can be illustrated by figure 5 below. Before introducing the subsidy, the equilibrium price was P 1 while the equilibrium quantity was Q 1.

However, the price paid by the buyers reduced to P 2 after the introduction of the subsidy. The price received by the sellers increased to P 2+ Z, where Z represents the amount of subsidy per unit. Since P 2+ Z is higher than the initial equilibrium price, the sellers increased the quantity supplied from Q 1 to Q 2. The overall effect of the subsidy was a reduction in the price of electricity and gas as well as an increase in their demand.

Figure 5: subsidy

P: price

Q: quantity

S: supply

Z: subsidy

References

Frank, R, Bernanke, B & Kaufman, R 2007, Principles of economics, McGraw-Hill, New York.

National-grid 2007, The use gas and electricity distribution price control, <https://www.nationalgrid.com/>.

Pindyck, R & Robinfeld, D 2009, Microeconomics, Pearson, New York.

The history of different addictive substances such as alcohol has been riddled with numerous events, ideas, beliefs, and notions. For many centuries, human beings have used alcoholic beverages and substances for various reasons or functions. For instance, some have consumed alcohol as a source of vital nutrients for the body. Some groups believe that alcoholic beverages had powerful analgesic and medicinal properties. The most remarkable fact is that alcohol has remained an important drink that dictates the way people or groups engage in various religious activities and practices. This research paper focuses on the issue of religion to understand the true history of alcoholic beverages. These three periods have been taken into consideration to come up with meaningful arguments: Ancient, Early Christian, and the Middle Ages.

Importance of Religion in Understanding the History of Alcohol

Human beings have worshiped deities for many years. They have also established numerous faiths and religious groups that tend to dictate their behaviors, norms, values, and social practices. According to many historians, the exact period when the first alcoholic beverage was brewed is not known or documented. However, some historians and archeologists have argued that it must have resulted from an accident several centuries ago. The Bible has been referenced by many analysts and historians since it uses the word vineyard in the book of Genesis. This occurs when Noah plants the first vineyard tree on Mount Ararat. This means that wine was a common alcoholic beverage during this period described in the Old Testament (as indicated in the Bible). From this kind of analysis, it is quite clear that a detailed examination of the Ancient Period can present meaningful insights in an attempt to reveal the historical developments revolving around alcoholic beverages.

Ancient Period

Documented evidence has indicated that alcohol was a common substance during this period. To begin with, anthropologists have confirmed that beer was used in many ancient civilizations before bread became staple nutrition. During this age, the Egyptians believed that beer was holy and capable of supporting their goals. As a result, they invented a deity by the name Osiris. This god of beer was worshipped by many people across this country. According to them, Osiris was the one who had invented and blessed this alcoholic drink. Those who drank it believed that they would lead quality lives and achieve their potential. Egyptians also offered wine and beer to most of their gods. This is a clear indication that the historical use of alcohol in ancient Egypt was influenced by the power of religion.

Similar practices were also recorded in Babylon. Historians indicate that the people of this society had a goddess of wine by the year 2,700 BC. They also had several deities who received offerings such as wine and beer. A code is known as the Hammurabi of 1,750 BC also encouraged people to devote their attention to beer. During this period, individuals who consumed alcoholic beverages could not be punished since they had established a positive connection with the gods.

In prehistoric China, alcohol had a religious and social relevance to different people. They believed that the alcoholic beverage would reconnect them with their deities. During ancient times, the Chinese were also observed to offer beer as a sacrifice to their gods. They would do so before going to war or after emerging victorious. They would also offer beer to different deities during ceremonies such as reunions, birth, and marriage. According to them, moderate use of this substance was prescribed or permitted by their gods. This shows that alcohol continued to dictate or influence the nature of religious practice in China.

In ancient Greece, the mead was a common substance that was made from fermented water and honey. The people of this land used this drink whenever engaging in religious celebrations. It was also popularized as an important medical substance. Consequently, the Greeks continued to drink mead every day. They also indicated that the gods only permitted them to drink alcohol in moderation whenever they were tired or stressed.

The Hebrews (followers of Judaism) are also believed to have used alcohol for many years during this period. This alcoholic drink was embraced during religious festivals and even outside the temple. Although there was no direct connection between alcohol use and worship at the time, many people believed that the practice was suitable since it was good for their health. Around 525 BC, the Hebrews made drinking part of their religious practices. For instance, the concept of Sabbath would be supported or recited over a mug of alcohol, such as wine. Consequently, the consumption of alcohol became a common practice inside and outside the temples.

The Romans became powerful between 150 and 140 BC. During this period, many people in Rome embraced drinking more than any other civilization. By 133 BC, most of the virtues and values that had existed for years, such as frugality and temperance, declined. During the same period, many Romans began to drink heavily. This is the reason why the use of addictive beverages such as alcohol had gained the attention of many people. Consequently, the consumption of alcohol for religious purposes declined significantly. Every individual who embraced this practice made it a way of life.

Early Christian Period

After the birth of Jesus (according to the Bible), Christianity emerged as a strong force that continued to replace existing civilizations and their religious values. As described in the New Testament, Jesus Christ used wine and encouraged people to drink it because it was good for their bodies. However, He guided them to consume it in moderation. At the same time, He was against drinking because it was wrong to follow the values and teachings of Christianity.

As more people continued to embrace this new religion during the time of Jesus Christ, alcohol use became a sacred practice. Some believed that wine was created by the Supreme Being. This means that alcoholic beverages were appropriate and good for them. The Bible also dictates that people were required to abstain from heavy drinking. After the establishment of Christianity across Europe, new groups (such as the Heretical Sects) went a step further to reject the use of alcohol. According to them, drinking was against the teachings of Jesus Christ.

By the end of the 4th century, a new wave had emerged in Europe whereby the Church began to attack the ideas publicized by these heretical sects. The leaders of Christianity during the time indicated that wine was one of the best gifts from God. This means that human beings needed to drink it. The Church went a step further to encourage more followers to consume alcohol in moderation. They asserted that it was inappropriate and sinful for a man to abuse wine. This was the reason why those who could not drink responsibly were encouraged or required to abstain.

After Judaism realized that Christianity was changing the rules regarding the use of alcohol, it responded with guidelines that would later become the Talmudic rules. These were unique rules and guidelines that dictated how the Hebrews could embrace the use of wine. They were encouraged to drink small quantities of wine on the Sabbath. They were also guided not to engage in idolatry. They needed to behave responsibly after drinking wine. Those who abused this alcoholic beverage were condemned.

In Rome, many people appeared to overuse alcohol than ever before. With wine becoming a common alcoholic beverage in the civilization, more people had access to it. Most of the emperors of Rome from 37 to 69 AD were observed to drink heavily. During the same period, Christianity continued to encourage its followers to drink in moderation. These conflicting forces resulted in a scenario whereby more people continued to interpret the scriptures for themselves, thereby embracing the consumption of wine and other fermented beverages.

This is a clear indication that the Early Christian period played a significant role in dictating the number of people who consumed alcohol. Similarly, emerging guidelines from the Roman Empire and Judaism encouraged more people to drink wine. The practice continued to attract the attention of many people across the region. This behavior would be informed by existing religious teachings and rules. The Hebrews would relate the use of alcohol to religious practices such as worship. This analysis reveals that religion was a crucial force that continued to reshape the historical development of drinking across Europe and beyond.

Middle Ages

Past studies have indicated that this period lasted for around 1,000 years. The era emerged after the collapse of Rome. During this time, new developments that dictated the behaviors of many people in different parts of the world emerged. One of the practices that were influenced significantly was that of alcohol use or drinking. With new agricultural ideas and knowledge in place, grapevines became common in different parts of Europe. In countries such as Italy, France, and Spain, wine was embraced as the common beverage.

Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, Christianity became popular in Italy and across Europe. The emergence of monasteries led to new technology in winemaking and brewing. This was the case because Catholicism appeared to embrace the use of wine as prescribed in the Bible. Leaders and monks continued to guard the secret and knowledge used to produce wine. During the period, monasteries became the centers (and origins) of high-quality beer. This is the reason why many people appreciated the alcoholic drinks obtained from such places throughout the 12th century. By the 13th century, hops had become common in different parts of Europe. Such flavors would be used to make quality beer. These roles undertaken by monasteries and monks transformed the way alcohol was being brewed in Europe. Many people in the surrounding regions were able to embrace these flavors and use them to make their beverages for domestic consumption.

The use of wine to celebrate mass by the teachings of Jesus Christ encouraged more people to embrace alcohol. By the year 1400, many festivities and celebrations (both religious and non-religious) were characterized by the consumption of alcoholic beverages. This practice led to the establishment of the first brewing industry in England. The people of this nation were pleased since quality wine had become available to them. This development can, therefore, be attributed to the roles undertaken by the Catholic Church and other religious groups during this era. As more people continued to follow different religious teachings, the practice of alcohol use evolved significantly across the European continent.

The occurrence of different disasters and events in Europe led to a new understanding regarding the relationship between mankind and his creator. A good example that has been presented by many scholars is the infamous Black Death. The occurrence of this catastrophic plague in Europe during the mid-fourteenth century forced many religious leaders and scholars to analyze it from a critical perspective. Since this pestilence claimed the lives of many people, different leaders encouraged their followers to change their lifestyles. It was also the right time for them to restore their relationships with the cosmos.

With no idea or knowledge regarding the nature of this occurrence, over 82 percent of all citizens in different communities perished. As a result, many individuals became desperate and unaware of the best way forward. According to some preachers, this plague had emerged as a punishment since many people had begun to drink recklessly. They argued that the malpractice was against Gods teachings. According to the Bible, it was appropriate for human beings to drink wine in moderation and use it for religious pursuits. However, the era of brewing and alcohol consumption encouraged more individuals to go against this law.

Many analysts and researchers argue that the occurrence of this pestilence was regarded by many as a sign of Gods wrath. This was the case because many people had failed to obey His teachings. In some other regions, people consumed alcohol more than ever before. They asserted that the alcoholic beverage would protect them from this deadly disease. Another group of people believed that the consumption of alcohol and wine in moderation would save them from this mysterious illness. The nature of this disease encouraged many people in different parts of Europe (and beyond) to think deeper and focus on the commandments given by God. The ultimate goal was for them to be protected from every disease. This occurrence transformed how different regions embraced the consumption of alcohol.

Conclusion

This discussion has shown that alcohol consumption is a practice that has existed in the world for many centuries. Although it emerged in specific ancient civilizations, the alcoholic drink gained a unique religious significance from the Ancient Period to the Middle Ages. The emerging religious teachings dictated the way people used alcohol. As religious beliefs continued to evolve over the years, the production, availability, and consumption of alcohol changed significantly. In conclusion, individuals who want to have a clear understanding of the historical development of wine and alcohol should focus on it its connection with religion. This is the case because numerous practices and beliefs embraced by different groups informed brewing procedures, alcohol use and consumption, and human behaviors during each of the three periods described above.

Treatments

To achieve the best results, it is vital to incorporate methods effective against a specific type of addiction. Reportedly, medical treatment is the most effective in combating alcoholism (Anderson Redal, Thomas, Sim, & Campbell, 2019). The second and third best treatments are Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and non-medical outpatient care (Anderson et al., 2019). Therefore, each of these methods could be part of the individual strategy to treat alcohol addiction with consideration of the patients biological, psychological, and interpersonal dynamics. In addition to that, there are alternative treatments and techniques aimed at reducing alcohol addiction. Some of them, however, are either costly or damaging, while the effectiveness of others is under-researched.

Biopsychologic Model of Alcohol Consumption 5

Generally, alcoholic beverages contain at least 0,5% of alcohol, in most cases, though the percentage is higher than that.

Drinking is culturally acceptable, yet it can cause a series of problematic effects. These include harmful drinking, alcohol dependence, and alcohol addiction. Moreover, alcohol abuse is damaging for health despite the positive short-term impact of liquor on the human psyche.

Alcohol use

Alcohol use is widespread among people of various age groups. Within the biopsychological model, there are three factors determining predisposition to alcohol consumption and addiction: biological, psychological, and interpersonal ones (Lehman, David, & Gruber, 2017).

From a biological perspective, one could develop an addiction, which would further stimulate alcohol consumption. In addition to that, chronically ill people, children, pregnant women, and those genetically predisposed to cardiovascular diseases will likely experience harsher repercussions of alcohol use.

As for the psychological dimension, people who continuously experience stress or depression might self-medicate with alcohol (Müller et al., 2017). Therefore, insufficient mental wellbeing could encourage alcohol consumption and abuse. The interpersonal dynamics include both the immediate social circle and broader social tendencies. Thus, a person can resort to drinking either by copying family members and acquaintances or being frustrated with interpersonal relations. Moreover, a more extensive system of perceived connections with online friends, media personalities, and even companies can influence personal choices and behaviors.

Media Influence

Modern-day digital media is effective in encouraging alcohol consumption. It can boost the sales of a new alcoholic beverage (Lobstein, Landon, Thornton, & Jernigan, 2016). It also allows brands to launch multiple campaigns targeting specific audiences in personalized and convincing ways. The most susceptible to such marketing are teenagers, who copy behavior they observe via both traditional media and social media (Moreno, DAngelo, & Whitehill, 2016). Even though to limit alcohol consumption, most states either regulate or limit offline advertising, digital media continues to stimulate the use of alcohol.

Risks and Benefits

Alcohol consumption produces some positive effects, but, more importantly, entails significant health risks as well. On the one hand, voluntary alcohol use may selectively alleviate depression (Müller et al., 2017). In contrast, excessive drinking and alcohol abuse can intensify depressive states (Müller et al., 2017). What is more, regularly drinking alcohol harms the liver, and can lead to brain damage and cardiovascular diseases. Thus, there is a thin line between improving and worsening ones mental condition by consuming alcohol and a high chance of developing an addiction, brain pathology, liver disease, or a heart condition.

References

Anderson, S. E., Redal, M., Thomas, L. A., Sim, G., & Campbell, B. (2019). Comparative expected value analysis study on programs, treatments, medications and products reducing the prevalence of smoking, alcoholism, depression and obesity in the United States. Account and Financial Management Journal, 4(12), 2048-2053.

Lehman, B. J., David, D. M., & Gruber, J. A. (2017). Rethinking the biopsychosocial model of health: Understanding health as a dynamic system. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 11(8). 

Lobstein, T., Landon, J., Thornton, N., & Jernigan, D. (2017). The commercial use of digital media to market alcohol products: A narrative review. Addiction, 112(1), 21-27.

Moreno, M. A., DAngelo, J., & Whitehill, J. (2016). Social media and alcohol: Summary of research, intervention ideas and future study directions. Media and Communication, 4(3), 50-59.

Müller, C. P., Kalinichenko, L. S., Tiesel, J., Witt, M., Stöckl, T., Sprenger, E.,& & Amato, D. (2017). Paradoxical antidepressant effects of alcohol are related to acid sphingomyelinase and its control of sphingolipid homeostasis. Acta Neuropathologica, 133(3), 463-483.

Introduction

Alcohol abuse is a public health issue, given that it is the most common cause of substance abuse disorder. According to Arya et al. (2017), it is associated with at least 200 diseases; in 2013, it was linked to 6% of deaths globally. Related findings have also been recorded by Caneva et al. (2020), who state that excessive consumption of liquor is attributed to 5.1% of the global disease burden and 5.9% of all mortalities. There are other negative implications for adult users social and economic outcomes as their dependence level gradually grows. Challenges caused by addiction significantly lower the persons quality of life (QoL), which is measured through the level of satisfaction and wellbeing of an individual. There are three primaries focusses of health that are of interest to health professionals, including the clinical condition, addiction to specific issues, and general function of the patient (Arya et al., 2017). This paper aims to provide a book report on the disease of alcoholism based on u
ek Trifkovi
et al. (2020) research paper, followed by a comparison and contrast with three other scientific studies.

Summary of the Paper

In recent years, QoL has received significant attention as it enhances a persons wellness and fulfillment in life. The feeling of satisfaction is subjective since an individual makes the decision based on factors such as work, health, and relationships. Alcohol disease is one of the most significant causes of low QoL as it has detrimental implications on almost all facets of a persons life. Specifically, addiction causes psychological consequences, making the adult susceptible to other mental and physical disorders and destroying relationships with significant others.

The epidemiology of alcohol disease varies based on country of residence, age and period of use, underlying disorder, family history, and sex. For instance, u
ek Trifkovi
et al. (2020) notes that the prevalence of alcohol abuse is higher in adult men compared to women. Older adults tend to have greater alcohol consumption and are more susceptible to the consequences because their bodies cannot withstand similar amounts of beer that younger people can cope with within a specific period. The burden of this disease is higher in European countries. In Slovenia, alcohol addiction is responsible for absenteeism, amounting to 3.64 million loss yearly (u
ek Trifkovi
, 2020). This trend is bound to increase if measures are not taken to prevent alcohol addiction.

The objective of the paper was to determine the difference in the perception of the quality of life between alcohol-dependent and nonalcohol dependent individuals (u
ek Trifkovi
et al., 2020, p. 206). There were 502 participants aged 20 and 64 years comprising 72.3 % men and 27.7 % women (u
ek Trifkovi
et al., 2020, p.207). A mixed-method approach was used in which data was collected both qualitatively and quantitatively. The main instruments for gathering information were the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q) and focus group interviews.

Factors for quality of life included physical health, subjective feelings, leisure time activities, work, and social relations. These facets were measured against different variables, including age, gender, and education. The researchers examined the sample at three stages, namely before, during, and after the treatment. At each of the stages, alcohol-addicted individuals had different needs and want. The QoL scores increased as the people received interventions such that during management, the average rating was 5.3, and after healing, 9.4 out of a possible 10 (u
ek Trifkovi
, 2020). Findings also indicated a statistically significant (p = 0.008) of subjective feelings between dependent people and sober ones (u
ek Trifkovi
, 2020). There was also a significant difference (p = 0.001) with regard to leisure (u
ek Trifkovi
, 2020). The non-dependent adults had, on average, a higher satisfaction, wellbeing, and leisure.

This scientific finding implies that alcohol disease makes people live in displeasure. Alcohol addiction is a chronic mental disorder that progresses over years of abuse. Most people who consume liquor in large amounts never realize that they have a problem. In this study, the addicts did not include health and freedom from substance dependence as crucial in determining the quality of life. This perception changed after treatment as the participants realized that having good physical and psychological wellness was critical in having a fulfilled life. Healthcare professionals need to use the biopsychosocial perspective in assessing the QoL for patients with liquor dependence. It is also important to understand that in most cases, such clients will undermine the level of their alcohol use.

Comparison of Scientific Understanding of AUD

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) reduces the quality of life by severely impairing the mental health of a person. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) has several measurement scales used to determine the severity of liquor disease among adults. u
ek Trifkovi
(2020) states that the severity of the psychiatric disorder is associated with low quality of life. Similarly, Caneva et al. (2020) established that more than 31.7% of individuals suffering from AUD had cognitive impairment when measured using the global score scale. The study also revealed that about 70.7% of the alcohol users had at least one impairment in the Neuropsychological Examination 2 test (Caneva et al., 2020). In their research study, Arya et al. (2017) also found that 32% of the population with AUD suffer from psychiatric conditions; mostly, anxiety disorder and depression.

These findings are a clear indication that addiction to liquor results in mental health challenges, which may express through psychiatric issues such as hallucinations and illusions. In severe cases, the person loses their orientation and may not be able to function correctly in society. For example, the person may no longer be competent in their work duties leading to job losses. The ability to plan is also impaired, which can make the individual bankrupt and homeless. Mental health conditions can also have somatic symptoms such as body pains and headaches, especially during withdrawal; thus, compromising the level of wellness and satisfaction with life.

Physical health is a significant facet that alcohol disease interferes with. u
ek Trifkovi
(2020) found that women with AUD recorded very low QoL on their physical health (p = 0.001). These findings are consistent with that of Arya et al. (2017), which shows that people with liquor disease complain of low satisfaction with the body (42.12 vs. 57.78, P = 0.001). Both studies also indicated that when treatment commenced, the physical state worsened due to withdrawal symptoms such as pain, shivering, among others. Also, the addicts have little regard for self-care practices such as eating a balanced diet and maintaining hygiene.

Social and relationship issues are also common among people who excessively use liquor. The addict may start stealing from people so that they can satisfy their urges. The result is that family members and friends may start distancing from the AUD person. Yet, according to u
ek Trifkovi
(2020), alcoholics tend to rely on close members such that when the relationship ties are not there, the QoL is reduced, they experience negative implications. The connections for these patients, according to Paille and Aubin (2016), can be rated based on daily activities and engagement in risky situations. When an individual is no longer able to spend time with significant others (such as family members) and is constantly endangering their lives and that of others, they become aversive to the community. As a result, the people who abuse beer are isolated from those who are sober, causing reduced QoL. Notably, humans are created with a desire for acceptance and belongingness; hence when rejected; it generates negative moves and dissatisfaction with life

Contrasting Scientific Understanding on AUD

Although more studies identify alcoholism as a disease that affects mental, physical, and social health, a few findings are showing some benefits of its consumption. This creates incongruences, which can only be resolved through further studies to establish the efficacy of each statement. In the main study, u
ek Trifkovi
et al. (2020) found that the alcohol dependence group was the lowest for the physical health factor and the highest for work satisfaction (p. 207). The findings seem to disaffirm because the wellbeing of the body determines the capabilities of an individual to perform a task. People who are sick may be sluggish in other activities that require energy and thinking.

Health-related quality of life is important for people with alcohol addiction. Often, dependence on liquor makes a person prone to accidents due to staggering and getting other bodily infections. There are contradictions on whether the moderate consumption of alcohol can offer protection against other diseases. In their research study, Østby et al. (2016) found that people who abstained from the consumption of liquor reported fewer sick leaves than moderate drinkers. The results, however, have time limitations as the sample was only measured within 14 days. This is evident from opposing findings of Caneva et al. (2020), whose research revealed that abstainers at admission performed better in Prose memory and other activities (p. 1710). The mental health of people who do not take alcohol is better compared to those who take some liquor. Beer is an addictive substance such that a person feels the need to consume more as the body becomes tolerant of low doses. As the volume of liquor consumed per day increases the QoL also diminishes.

Some scientific findings record that detoxification improves the physical and mental health of addicts. For instance, upon completion of acute detoxification, 93% of participants were clinically impaired (Caneva et al., 2020). A different study showed that the addicts who were undergoing treatment gauged their quality of life to be 5.3 out of 10 (u
ek Trifkovi
et al., 2020). Afterwards, they recognized that freedom from alcohol was one of the essential goals in enhancing the quality of life. The role of detoxification in healing persons with alcohol disease and its impact on the standard of life is, therefore, not apparent.

Conclusion

One of the most prevalent causes of comorbid disorders and death globally is AUD. Alcohol addicts tend to have a low quality of life both before and during treatment. In the primary source for the book report, the authors have revealed how liquor affects wellness and satisfaction with life at different stages of treatment. There is consensus in scientific research that AUD patients are likely to have cognitive disorders and bodily diseases, especially when their consumption increases. In other aspects of this alcohol disease, scholarly evidence has revealed contradicting results. One of the areas of contradictions is whether the moderate consumption of liquor has some health benefits. There are also incongruences on detoxification and its role in QoL. Therefore, more studies should be conducted with a larger sample to determine the efficacy of such information.

References

Arya, S., Singh, P., & Gupta, R. (2017). Psychiatric comorbidity and quality of life in patients with alcohol dependence syndrome. Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry, 33(4), 336-34. Web.

Caneva, S., Ottonello, M., Torselli, E., Pistarini, C., Spigno, P., & Fiabane, E. (2020). Cognitive impairments in early-detoxified alcohol-dependent inpatients and their associations with sociodemographic, clinical and psychological factors: An exploratory study. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 16, 1705-1716. Web.

u
ek Trifkovi
, K., Kores Plesni
ar, B., Kobolt, A., Denny, M., Denieffe, S. & Cilar, L. (2020). Quality of life of alcohol-dependent adults: a mixed-methods study. Slovenian Nursing Review, 54(3), 204-213. Web.

Østby, K. M., Czajkowski, N., Knudsen, G. P., Ystrøm, E., Gjerde, L. C., Kendler, K. S., Ørstavik, R.,E., & Reichborn-Kjennerud, T. (2016). Does low alcohol use increase the risk of sickness absence? A discordant twin study. BMC Public Health, 16. Web.

Introduction

An alcoholic brew is consumed by several individuals to calm down or rest and exists as a collective icebreaker. It is a technique used by individuals to adjust their disposition by lessening embarrassment. Alcohol consumption is generally acknowledged and is routinely assumed to be offering the foundation of social assembly and partying. Beside cigarettes, scores of teenagers correlate the utility of alcohol as a ritual course to maturity. Although its consumption is rampant and tolerable in the culture, it must not be perceived as a shock that tribulations crop up in the utilization of alcohol and the presentation of protection-allied actions. These troubles are made horrific by the frequent idea that calamity ensues to other natives but not to addicts. Alcohol is debatably the most illustrious and the strongest of sadistic actions.

Approximates of the number of aggressive delinquents inebriated at the time of misdemeanor, vary from 57% to 85%. Substantiation through research points out that individuals who consume alcohol are often more prone to getting involved in brutality. Tentative examinations specify that alcohol intake has a contributory outcome, though the system is not patent. The modern investigation scrutinized whether alcohol consumption is a larger threatening issue for various kinds of cruelty than for other categories. Distinctively, surveys have been conducted to observe whether intoxication is a bigger threat for assaults performed by friendly cohorts, friends, or outsiders and whether it plays a more significant role in substantial attacks or sexual felony. This essay therefore cross-examines the outcomes of alcohol consumption. The paper achieves its objective through carrying out research with specific methodology.

Physical Assault

The distinctive event relating to alcohol and brutality is considered the intoxicated and fierce husband or the inebriated man initiating a battle with another person in a drinking place. Such labels or paradigms figure our judgment regarding the scenery and grounds of brutality and assist to abridge multifarious trends. Conversely, the descriptions may perhaps be ambiguous. For instance, it is not obvious whether people who attack their wives are more or less expected to be inebriated as compared to other sadistic delinquents. Conceivably, the drunken partner reflection replicates the relationship between alcohol and entire varieties of aggressive felonies. The illustration of the drunken spouse means that men who attack their womanly cohorts are mainly prone to alcohol consumption. Kantor and Straus (1987) disputed what they entitle the drunken bum hypothesis that founded upon verification that several husbands are abstemious when they get involved in cruelty.

A few hypotheses assert that the enthusiasm of cruel husbands entail a less significant role of alcohol. The dispute that brutal husbands characteristically have a control intention suggests a prospective point of reference. Alternatively, alcohol has been commonly linked to a current course, sloppy judgment, and spontaneous actions. One could also foretell that alcohol takes a more vital position in assaults to outsiders as opposed to inhabitants who discern each other. Guests do not have as much to wrestle as regards to natives who identify with each other. Consequently, groups are less expected to attack a foreigner except when they are consuming alcohol. Conversely, people are much more liable to have a stern grumble and an account of divergence with somebody they recognize while they are abstemious. Consequently, alcohol can intensify a controversial condition; however, natives who discern each other could find themselves into aggressive quarrels without alcohol intake.

Sexual Assault

Precedent investigations suggest that delinquents who commit sexual injustices are more probable to be employing alcohol at the instance of the felony than reprobates who obligate corporal attack. Roizen (1997) analyzed facts from available readings and found out that 60% of sexual criminals are consuming alcohol at some point in the felony, compared with 37% of bodily assault by crooks. Information from the national agency in charge of crimes also postulated that offenders who obligate sexual crimes are more probably to be drinking than delinquents who commit corporeal assault. An analogous outline is accounted for adolescents (Elliott, Huizinga & Menard, 1989). Nevertheless, these disparities may possibly once more be root on gender discrepancies in drinking. Nearly all sexual assault criminals are males, while barely a best part of corporal assault reprobates is males. Besides, the majority sufferers of sexual assault are women, but nearly all victims of corporal battering are males. Alcohol can take an unusual part in brutality against men in contrast to cruelty against women (Pernanen, 1991).

It is thus imperative to manage gender when evaluating alcoholism throughout sexual and corporeal attack. An individual may anticipate that alcohol takes a bigger part in relationship rape (sexual crimes concerning non-outsiders). Debates of this category of sadism frequently accentuate the role of alcohol (Abbey, et al. 1996). Conversely, two researches founded on critical examinations do not expose this model. Brecklin & Ullman (2001) established that criminals more often consume alcohol in sexual attack on outsiders unlike sexual on non-outsiders. Besides, a research on university undergraduates established that males who sexually attack foreigners, comrades, and informal rendezvous were further expected to be drinking as opposed to men who sexually attacked victims they discerned such as engaging friends and spouses (Abbey, et al., 1996).

Methodology

The findings of this essay are supported by statistics unruffled in 1995 and 1996 from a countrywide representative sample of 8,000 females and 8,000 males aged 18 and above (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000). A computer-aided phone interrogation was performed with the entire interviewees that incorporated data with reference to their familiarity to aggression. Interviewees in the survey were questioned on the subject of the occasion of corporal assault throughout maturity and sexual assaults since infancy. For corporal assaults, interviewees were questioned whether any person had: terrified them with anything that harmful, hard-pressed, seized, jostled or dragged their tresses; struck or thumped them; thrashed or marveled them; strangled or tried to sink them; punched them with several items (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000, p. 109). The survey went further to ask respondents whether any one had ever hammered them; exposed them to a gun; endangered them with a blade or other bludgeon other than a firearm; utilized a gun on them; employed a dagger or other arms on them other than a gun. For sexual assaults, interviewees were questioned about whether a male or teenager had forever enticed or endeavored to force them to accept sex by employing vigor or frightening to injure them or somebody near them; had any person, a man or a woman, continually encouraged or attempted to force them undertake oral sex by applying energy or risk of injury. The questionnaire concluded by asking the respondents whether: a person still urged or attempted to force them have anal sex by applying power or warning them of mischief; had any person, a man or a woman, constantly placed fingers or items in their vagina or anus without their permission by force or pressure.

Questions were posed to interviewees pertaining to the most current event such as accounting up to six episodes of attack and six occurrences of sexual crime. Scrutinizes were narrowed to the first three corporal attacks and the first three sexual offenses accounted for by the interviewee (99.4% of the events). These episodes happened most lately and they had a lot less misplaced facts. Errors across interpretations are expected to be sullied because of the supposition of autonomy that is why hierarchal linear replica was applied to approximate these questions (Raudenbush & Bryk, 2002). The first stage in the multilevel blueprint comprises of event distinctiveness, and the next stage consists of sufferer individuality.

Conclusion

Largely, the outline of consuming alcohol for delinquents is contradictory to what has been accounted for sufferers with this information (Felson & Burchfield, 2004). In hostility relating to outsiders, delinquents are more often to be taking alcohol, but fatalities are more likely to be abstemious. In cruelty between natives who discern each other, predominantly cohorts, sufferers are more likely to be drinking, while delinquents are more often to be restrained. Actually, inebriated sufferers greatly aggravate natives they identify with. Investigation on fatality precipitation pertaining to this information is unswerving with this theory (Felson & Cares, 2005). It portrays that fatalities are more often to be the earliest to employ brutality in events relating groups who discern each other as compared to occurrences concerning outsiders. Offenders could possibility hit back or illicit sanctions when assaulting outsiders. The model is more reliable on the quarrel dispute: stern clashes between citizens who discern each other are less possible to call for alcohol to turn out to be aggressive. Classically, corporal assaults stanch from clashes, but sexual felonies are not.

References

Abbey, A. et al. (1996). Alcohol and dating risk factors for sexual assault among college women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 20, 147-169.

Brecklin, L.R. & Ullman, S.E. (2001). The role of offender alcohol use in rape attacks: An analysis of National Crime Survey data. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 16, 3-21.

Elliott, D., Huizinga, D. & Menard, S. (1989). Multiple problem youth. New York: Springer Verlag.

Felson, R. B., & Burchfield, K. B. (2004). Alcohol and the risk of physical and sexual assault victimization. Criminology, 42, 837-860.

Felson, R. B., & Cares, A. C. (2005). Gender and the seriousness of assaults on intimate partners and other victims. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67, 1182-1195.

Kantor, G. K., & Straus, M. A. (1987). The drunken bum theory of wife beating. Social Problems, 34, 213-231.

Pernanen, K. (1991). Alcohol in human violence. New York: Guilford.

Raudenbush, S. W., & Bryk, A. S. (2002). Hierarchical linear models: Applications and data analysis methods, 2 Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Roizen, J. (1997). Epidemiological issues in alcohol-related violence. In M. Galanter (Ed.), Recent developments on alcoholism:Vol. 13. Alcohol and violence (pp. 7-40). New York: Plenum.

Tjaden, P., & Thoennes, N. (2000). Full report of the prevalence, incidence and consequences of violence against women: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey (Publication No. 183781). Washington, DC: U.S. Department

Introduction

In the age-old debate regarding the relative merits of alcohol, one of the most difficult issues has been the determination of what exactly causes some people to drink to such excess that they lose their reputations, their careers, their families and even their lives in their devotion to the substance. A number of theories have been brought forward over the years, many of which tend to place the blame for alcoholism on the weak will of the individual.

Alcoholics are widely accepted, even among the alcoholics themselves, as having some deep form of psychological issue that they are not able to deal with. As a result, they seek to drown these issues in an alcoholic fog. However, more recent science has suggested there is another, deeper cause to alcoholism that can only be found in the genes. In the book Beyond the Influence by Katherine Ketchum and William Asbury, the authors present their proof that the disease of alcoholism is a physiological disease rather than a psychological disorder.

The psychological disorders typically associated with the disease, they contend, are the effects of alcoholism on the brain rather than the other way around. The authors use scientific data to prove that alcohol affects different people differently based upon their unique genetic make-up by illustrating how it affects the alcoholic as opposed to how it affects the non-alcoholic.

Rather than attempting to provide the alcoholic with an excuse for his or her behavior, though, the focus of the book is on understanding the process of the illness and the various ways in which it might manifest itself in different individuals. In presenting this material, they enable individuals such as myself who have had some difficulties with alcoholism understand why it has the strong effect it does and provides some help in learning more about how to return to a more normal life pattern.

Main Body

The book begins by attempting to debunk some of the more common myths associated with alcohol. In relating the story of Terry McGovern, they seem to be attempting to point out They point out that each human body responds to different substances differently and alcohol is no exception to the rule. They call it a selectively addictive drug and insist that alcoholics have basically the same psychological problems as non-alcoholics before they start drinking, but these problems are aggravated (and new disturbances are created) by addiction to alcohol (5).

Because of the unique effect alcohol has on the brains of those who are genetically susceptible to it, people who are otherwise very strong-willed and responsible can easily fall into its trap and, once the susceptibility has been discovered, can never return to drinking again without restarting their brains addiction to it. Though this brief introduction into their material doesnt seem to provide much proof for such strong refutation of long-standing myth, the rest of the book goes into an exhaustive study of just how the chemical alcohol affects the body, both in the non-susceptible individual and in the susceptible one.

There are, of course, a number of factors that determine how alcohol will affect the individual regardless of genetic susceptibility. These factors include a persons weight and percentage of body fat. Weight has a strong effect upon a persons ability to handle alcohol because higher blood volume helps to dilute the alcoholic content. However, it seems body fat has more to do with it as fat does not absorb alcohol as quickly. Fat & is nonpolar, and alcohol has a difficult time getting into fatty tissues; & As a result, the greater the amount of body fat you have, the higher your BAC will be (16). This has a number of effects.

First, body fat leaves alcohol alone, allowing it to collect in the bloodstream rather than processing it through the rest of the body. Women tend to have more body fat by proportion than men and are also affected by their menstrual cycles making it difficult to assess her capacity for alcohol at different times of the month. Older people gain more body fat and other body defenses grow less capable, affecting their ability to handle alcohol. Other important factors that contribute to a persons ability to handle alcohol include their nutritional status, the health of their stomach and intestines, their emotional state, the drink strength, any mixers or food taken with the drink and the presence of carbonation.

The authors provide a long and often complicated explanation of how alcohol affects the body system on a chemical level, although one gets the sense that theyve simplified the explanation tremendously. This discussion includes information about chemicals such as ADH and NAD+ that help the body to break down alcohol in the liver and the steps that are taken in this process. It also includes information about something called the microsomal enzyme oxidizing system, which is described as a backup system, somewhat like an emergency generator that can be used when the normal circuits are overloaded (24).

The basic message of this segment of the book is that it takes a number of different enzymes to process alcohol through the body and these enzymes are different in each individual body. Thus, everyone experiences alcohol differently. Because it is something experienced differently by different bodies, there are a number of effects that can be felt depending on the body, how much of what kind of drink is consumed over how long of a period of time and whether or not food was consumed with it. Alcohol can act as a stimulant and as a sedative, but it is not an effective tranquilizer, anesthetic or health boost. It is at this point in the book that I began to finally link the content to my own experience.

I have always known alcohol as a stimulant. It is what I rely on to help me loosen up for an evening on the town because it helps me to relax all those important social restrictions that I have to follow during my day. I always seem to have more fun when Im out drinking and a night on the town seems to be missing something if we havent thrown back a few first. One of the things that make this particularly attractive to me is that I am able to drink much more than many of my friends even though I am not the biggest of the bunch.

Everyone expects me to be a lightweight, but Im often the last one standing. Like many of the people mentioned in the book, I have always considered this element of my makeup a matter of pride, but the information presented in the book has made me reconsider this position. As the book got deeper into defining the characteristics of alcoholism, I found myself reassessing my drinking experiences and attitudes, wondering if perhaps this is something I need to watch out for.

The authors define alcoholism as a progressive neurological disease strongly influenced by genetic vulnerability. Inherited or acquired abnormalities in brain chemistry create an altered response to alcohol which is turn causes a wide array of physical, psychological, and behavioral problems (46). In providing this definition, they make a strong statement regarding the nature of the disease as something that progresses from a stage or stages that are almost never recognized to a much more serious stage at which it is finally recognized by the common definition.

I never would have considered myself as a possible alcoholic when just considering the normal definition because I dont need to drink to feel happy, I havent lost any social status because of my drinking and I am still in control of whether I drink or not. The authors then go on to describe the stages of alcoholism that they recognize and it is this information that began to cause real concern for me.

The first stage of alcoholism described by the authors seems very harmless, but some of the things they describe can be applied to my situation. They indicate four main characteristics to this stage. These are intense pleasure associated with drinking; lower-intensity reaction; acquired tolerance; and preoccupation with alcohol (54). Assessing my own reactions to alcohol, I dont really believe that I experience more pleasure than my friends seem to, but how would I know for sure? I know I have a really good time when Im drinking and so do my friends, but is it the same? I just cant answer that and that bothers me.

In terms of the lower intensity reaction, Ive already noticed that I can consume a lot more alcohol and still function compared to my friends. If your metabolism is speeded up, you get rid of alcohol faster, which means that alcohol does not build up in your bloodstream as quickly, which in turn means you will not feel as intoxicated as someone with a slower metabolic capability (56). It is perhaps because I dont really feel the effects of it so much anymore that I thought I was okay to drive the night I got my DUI. Everyone had been drinking that night and there really wasnt anyone scheduled to be a designated driver.

We needed some more beer and I was just sure I was okay. Id felt drunker before. I wasnt sure how much Id already had to drink. Honestly, Id lost count, but I was just sure I could function fine. Obviously, I was wrong, but why didnt I know better? The final characteristic identifying the early stage of alcoholism is a preoccupation with alcohol. My immediate response seeing this was relief since this, at least, was something that didnt match my drinking habits.

Upon further reflection, though, I realize that there are some ways in which this is true. For instance, when I go out on the weekends, I am always concerned about how much beer we have on hand, whether this will be enough and spend a good deal of my evening trying to make sure there will be enough for me. Although this is only a concern to me when Im going out instead of an all-the-time thing, the argument could be made that this constitutes a preoccupation.

Conclusion

To be honest, discovering that I identified so closely with these early stages of alcoholism disturbed me enough that I mostly skimmed through much of what the authors had to say about the middle and late stages to find out what the solutions might be. I did take note of the symptoms of these stages to make sure I wasnt there yet, but I have never experienced a blackout and I have not noticed any personality disintegration, signs of withdrawal or denial.

Having recognized me at least a little bit in the early stage was sufficient for me to begin looking for a way to stop this process. Even after going through all the material provided in the book, I am unable to determine unquestionably whether I am or am not in the early stages of alcoholism. However, I am now much more aware of the dangers facing me if I continue to drink and have determined to find out whether or not I can really have a good time without drinking. I have also decided to learn more about alcoholism, work through this book a little more and begin to develop a healthier form of entertainment.

Works Cited

Ketcham, Katherine & William F. Asbury. Beyond the Influence. New York: Bantam Books, 2000.

Introduction

Societal awareness regarding problems related to alcoholism has increased due to increased research and studies in the area. A lot of attention has been paid to the long-term effect of alcoholic parents on offspring. Studies have indicated that such children grow up with unique emotional patterns and problems (Goleman, 1992). One such problem evident is the constant feeling of seclusion of the rest and the feeling of otherness that develops in the children as adults. Thus, they usually put up a garb of pretence and falsehood and are usually reluctant to stand up for themselves. Research on children of alcoholic parents has greatly shown signs of social dysfunctionality, depression, and other psychological problems. The reason behind such disorder among adult children of alcoholics (ACOA) may be reasoned for the failure of the parents to provide parental warmth, respectful treatment of the child and absence of any clearly defined limits. Research on children of alcoholics has shown that they have a low self-esteem, suffer from depression, and high degree of anxiety (Kashubeck, 1994). ACOA are a population, which shows different behavior from non-ACOA. This essay aims to understand the affects of alcoholic parents on adult children. The thesis statement for the essay is  while effects of being raised by alcoholics in adult children may vary, fear of failure, desire to control, and developing compulsive behaviors are prevalent characteristics.

Effects of Alcoholic Parents

There has been a plethora of research in the area of ACOA and various research have been provided which show the effects that may be caused due to living with alcoholic parents. I believe that all these reasons can be combined together and formed into three main reasons, which are fear of failure, desire to control, and developing compulsive behaviors.

Fear of Failure

Research reports that the ACOA population has a very low self-esteem. Self-esteem indicates the confidence level in individuals. The ACOAs have a negative self-image. This is a result of their constant belief that they are the root cause of their dysfunctional family system and alcoholism in parents. As a child, the ACOA constantly feels that if he/she had been perfect, the problems facing the family would have been solved. As an adult, this grows into an all or nothing mentality. Thus, he/she craves for perfection, and if this is not achieved, he/she believed himself/herself to be a failure.

ACOAs face the problem of constantly being unable to accept themselves as imperfect human beings (Kashubeck, 1994). The acceptance of imperfection in oneself is key to gain self-esteem, achievement of goals, and feel the fruit of success. The self-acknowledgment of talents and abilities severely lack in ACOAs. This results in a negative self-image that they portray of themselves (About.com, 2009). This indicates that they often lower their value and thus lower their self-esteem. Therefore, a low self-esteem makes them feel that they will fail in whatever they do.

Another reason for the lack of self-esteem in ACOAs is deprivation of love in childhood. The childhood of ACOAs is full of images of parents who had never bestowed love or affection to the children. The alcoholic parent under the influence of the alcohol and the non-alcoholic parent because of frustration of the situation. This has resulted in the development of the lack of love among the children, which later grows into a feeling of being dejected. ACOAs seek love in others, however when they get love, they dismiss it as invalid due to the presence of negative self image which they harbor in their mind. Thus, external validation of self becomes important for ACOAs as they lack the capability of seeing his/her own worth.

There is a lack of self-confidence among ACOAs. Lack of trust in ones own abilities constantly increases the fear of failure from which ACOAs constantly suffer. Therefore, feedback to compliment small achievements can help them overcome this fear and give them more confidence to try to achieve something more. The lack of focus on the present moment, which must be increased in order and prediction of future success or failure, will decrease the anxiety of failure, which constantly thrive in the mind of ACOAs. Further, this will help them accept negative feedback and make them realize that it is not an indication of self-worth.

Therefore, the essential condition for ACOAs to forego the fear of failure is to achieve higher degree of self-esteem and remove the negative self-image from his/her mind. The focus must, therefore, be on achieving present goals rather than fear future failures.

Desire to Control

Children growing up in an environment of alcohol addiction learn a few survival skills. However, as adults these skills do not help them a lot. Usually ACOAs feel that they must be in possession of control of their own behavior all the time (Seefeldt & Lyon, 1992; Glover, 1994). This desire to control is an outcome of growing up a chaos where active alcoholism dwells. This desire to be in control all the time arises due to the generation of fear, which had been grounded in their mind since childhood.

The reason behind this may be explained from the point of view of a dominating alcoholic. An alcoholic has an obsessive desire master through humiliation and threats to have family members who are actually the victims to maintain his quality of life i.e. to satisfy his narcissist desires. The ACOAs due to facing such behaviors become obsessed with the desire to control the inappropriate behavior of their parent and to dysfunctional environment of the family environment. One can say it is due to facing such extreme sadism in hand of parents that ACOAs grow up to become control addicts over another as this gives him/her as it makes him/her feel important.

Here too the deprivation that causes such action is love and affection from the parent. If the alcoholic adopts a behavior, which is frightening, illogical, or humiliating, in other words, sadistic, the children develop a feeling that they must do something. This is a feeling of false competence that develops in them.

In many cases this desire to control among ACOAs are expressed through suicide. Hostile environment at home makes them look for a place of safety. Suicide sometimes provides that safe place to them. As ACOAs always have the desire to control over their fate, they desire to control the hostile environment at home. Inability to do so is expressed through suicidal tendencies. As they feel through suicide, they are willingly controlling the environment, which otherwise, they cannot escape or control through avoidance or physical will.

As they grow as adults the aspects of life under their control reduces, making this desire worse. This increases the feeling of hopelessness among ACOAs. ACOAs are often perfectionists and have a strong desire to control their environment, which is because they have lived in a chaotic family. Usually these people are very dedicated employees, but their strong desire to control can be seen through their conflict with other employees who resent ACOAs effort to control their behavior.

Developing Compulsive Behaviors

A compulsive behavior is a tendency to certain kind of addiction or obsession towards something. Usually an ACOA, being parented by an addict, takes to some kind of addiction. Alcohol maybe a common addiction found among ACOAs. Others may be gambling, drug abuse, eating disorder, or addictive relationships. Others may include excessive religious attitude, chronic illness, workaholism, bulimia, anorexia, etc. Research has shown that female ACOAs were more inclined towards compulsive caregiving (Jaeger, Hahn, & Weinraub, 2000). The research shows that female ACOAs have a more insecure attachment towards organizations than non-ACOAs. This inclines them towards care that is more compulsive giving.

Compulsive behavior that is mostly observable among ACOAs is addiction of certain kind. Research has shown that there have been many cases of ACOAs who have adopted alcohol (Hill, Nord, & Blow, 1992). Research suggests the excessive dependence on alcohol of a biological parent increases the risk of dependence on alcohol in a young adult. Further, it has also been proven that there are clear indications of ACOAs being addicted to some form of nicotine intake (Cuijpers & Smit, 2002).

Punishments given to ACOAs are considered by them as challenges which forces them to emit same punishment producing behavior as they believe that their persistent behavior will be helpful. Rather this becomes an obsession for them in a later life. Thus, punishment condition as a child affects ACOAs in two different ways: (1) those that generate low responses like lack of motivation, crying, disorganization, noncompliance, etc, and (2) avoidance of the punishment, which is achieved through caretaking, obsessive desire to do everything right, etc.

The compulsive behavior is a method of controlling themselves and an extension of their desire to control behavior. This behavior presents short-term relief from unhappiness, which are instilled deeper and bad feelings. However, this affects them in the longer term. As ACOAs are mostly unable to express themselves emotionally, they become addicts of certain behavior, which works as an emotional outlet for them. Further, their inability to identify also raises their compulsive behavior as they are constantly craving to associate themselves with others.

Conclusion

Research has found numerous effects on ACOAs however; there are a few areas, which come out as the primary outcomes of growing up in a dysfunctional environment. As a child an ACOA grows up in an environment of chaos unloved and uncared by parents. This creates a feeling of loneliness and low self-esteem among them. They start blaming themselves for the plight of their family and feel that somehow they might be able to control the situation. As they grow up, these desires are seldom fulfilled, and they, as adults, become more fearful of failure as they had faced it as a child, are keener on controlling as they failed to do it as a child, and addicts of compulsive behavior, which becomes an outlet of the things they observe, or fear or rebel against.

Reference

About.com. (2009). Characteristics of Adult Children of Alcoholics. Web.

Cuijpers, P., & Smit, F. (2002). Nicotine Dependence And Regular Nicotine Use In Adult Children Of Alcoholics. Addiction Research & Theory 10(1) , 69-81.

Glover, G. J. (1994). The hero child in the alcoholic home: Recommendations for counselors. School Counselor 41(3) , 185.

Goleman, D. (1992). Wisdom on Alcoholics Child Called Stuff of Fortune Cookies. Web.

Hill, E. M., Nord, J. L., & Blow, F. C. (1992). Young-adult children of alcoholic parents: protective effects of positive family functioning. British Journal of Addiction 87(12) , 1677-1690.

Jaeger, E., Hahn, N. B., & Weinraub, M. (2000). Attachment in adult daughters of alcoholic fathers. Addiction 95(2) , 267-276.

Kashubeck, S. (1994). Adult Children of Achoholics and Psychological disorder. Journal of Counseling and Development 72 , 538-543.

Seefeldt, R., & Lyon, M. (1992). Personality Characteristics of Adult Children of Alcoholics. Journal of Counseling & Development 70(5) , 588.

Alcohol is a form of drink that when taken in excess, its contents in the blood increase causing the drinker to behave strangely. Based on this, excessive consumption of alcohol decreases ones concentration and slows reaction speed. In connection to this, obsessive and irrepressible consumption of alcohol is referred to as alcoholism or alcohol addiction. It should be noted that, alcoholism has unconstructive effects on the consumers wellbeing, relationships and social standing. Studies have shown that, alcohol abuse leads to health complications whereby; the abusers develop digestive, psychological, mental and physical problems (American Government, 2005).

As it was revealed by the American government in the year 2005, alcoholism had led to the death of 75,000 Americans while at the same time shortening the lifespan of the abusers by an average of thirty years. According to the U.S. governments report in the year 2005, alcohol abuse had become the third leading cause of unnecessary deaths in the country after tobacco and nutritional imbalance. In this case, a good example is shown in the report published by the CDCP in the year 2001. Based on this report, 34,833 Americans died from diseases related to consumption of alcohol like liver diseases and cancer. In relation to this, most of the road accidents that had occurred were caused by drivers driving under the influence of alcohol. It is of importance to note that, any person who takes more than two bottles of beer per day is an excessive drinker (Milhom, 2003).

Importantly, men are known to abuse alcohol more than women and hence they accounted for a larger percentage of deaths caused by excessive alcohol consumption in the U.S.A in the year 2005. In order to reduce these deaths, effective strategies must be put in place to minimize excessive drinking. On this basis, the government should increase the money paid for alcohol removal from the body and for the screening of alcohol abuse in hospitals. It is worth noting that, moderate drinking is beneficial to ones health while excessive drinking leads to cases of high blood pressure, heart complications, cancer and liver cirrhosis. On the other hand, excessive drinking increases risks of road accidents and therefore alcohol consumption among drivers should be regulated. As a result of this, the American government aimed at reducing the rate of alcohol related deaths to four deaths per ten thousand people by the year 2010. It should also be noted that, alcohol should not be sold to or consumed by persons below eighteen years of age and excessive consumption of alcohol should be prohibited (Peacock, 1999).

It has been shown by the American government that, raising the money paid for alcohol removal in the body for the screening of alcohol abuse in hospitals would reduce its consumption. Additionally, the American government aimed at decreasing deaths caused by road accidents as a result of reckless driving resulting from excessive drinking. In this case, the argument against these measures is that; even though alcohol removal taxes are increased, there are some people who can afford them hence continuing with excessive drinking habits. In order to prevent this, no one should be sold an average of two beers per day or four beers and above per occasion (Woititz, 1990).

It has been revealed from the American governments article on alcohol that, excessive drinking leads to diseases like liver cirrhosis, cancer and even deaths. In connection to this, excessive drinking should be regulated among drivers in order to reduce the number of deaths occurring as a result of road accidents. On this basis, the effective strategies put in place by the American government would help in reducing excessive alcohol consumption. On the other hand, these strategies did not consider the fact that some alcohol abusers would be rich enough to afford the increased alcohol excise taxes imposed (American Government, 2005).

To wind up, excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to ones health, relationship and social standing hence should be avoided. By reducing rates of alcohol consumption among drivers, the number of deaths caused by reckless driving would reduce.

Reference list

American Government. (2005). Alcohol Linked to 75,000 U.S. Deaths a Year. Druid Hills: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.

Milhom, H. (2003). Drug And Alcohol Abuse: The Authoritative Guide For Parents, Teachers, And Counselors. Cambridge: Da Capo Press.

Peacock, N. (1999). Drowning Our Sorrows: Psychological Effects of Alcohol Abuse. Canada: Chelsea House Publications.

Woititz, J. (1990). Adult Children of Alcoholics. Kansas: HCI Publications.

Definition of the Problem

Alcoholism is a broad term used to define the consumption of alcohol that leads to problems. According to the American National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, more than 70% of Americans drink alcohol regularly, but at low-risk levels (NIAAA, 2015). Independents studies reveal that 86.8% of Americans have drank alcohol at least once in their lifetime (such studies only sampled the view of respondents who were aged 18 years and above) (CDC, 2015). The CDC (2015) says that 28% of Americans engage in excessive consumption of alcohol, which increases their risk of alcohol dependence. Similarly, a 2013 survey found out that 25% of Americans engage in binge drinking. The same survey showed that 6.8% of this population participates in heavy drinking (NIAAA, 2015).

Justification of the Problem

Alcohol consumption is not a health problem if it is moderate. However, binge drinking and the consumption of alcohol for long periods could result in serious health and socioeconomic problems. Such kinds of problems affect millions of Americans who suffer from alcoholism. Some of the known health problems associated with alcoholism include brain damage, increased predisposition to certain types of cancers, liver disease, hypertension, lung disease, and kidney problems (among others) (NIAAA, 2015). According to Gifford (2009), there are more than 88,000 alcohol-related deaths in America, annually. This statistic elevates alcohol-related deaths to be among the leading causes of preventable deaths in America. Since alcoholism also affects the cognitive function of its victims, alcohol consumption has also caused many cases of accidents and fatalities. According to 2013 statistics on drug and alcohol abuse, alcoholism accounts for more than 10,000 deaths annually (NIAAA, 2015). Alcoholism also has an economic burden to the American society because statistics show that it costs the country more than $200 billion annually (Gifford, 2009). Alcoholism also affects a persons relationship with those around them. Some of the long-term effects of alcoholism on the society include crime, accidents and drunk driving, most of which could cause death or injuries. Based on the social, economic and health problems of alcoholism, it is pertinent to adopt effective ways of minimizing its incidence on the society.

Resolving the Issue

Many international and national organizations have developed policies to discourage alcohol consumption and alcoholism (CDC, 2015). Some of these policies have focused on preventing the sale of alcohol to underage buyers and increasing tax to discourage alcohol purchases. However, most of these interventions have not resulted in significant gains in the fight to tackle alcoholism. Based on this background, this paper proposes that public health workers could best tackle the problem by focusing on the socioeconomic factors that fuel the vice. For example, experts should support the creation of a social support system for helping recovering alcoholics to overcome their alcohol addiction. Continued therapy and positive motivation are also key initiatives that could help in the reduction of alcoholism in the society. The efficacy of these interventions stems from decades of research, which suggest that without these interventions, alcoholics could easily relapse in their journey to recovery (Gifford, 2009).

References

CDC. (2015). Preventing Excessive Alcohol Use. Web.

Gifford, M. (2009). Alcoholism. New York, NY: ABC-CLIO.

NIAAA. (2015). Alcohol Facts and Statistics. Web.