Alcohol and Drinking - Alcoholism :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Alcohol and imbibe When people hear the word drug, they usually commemorate of an illegal substance such as cocaine, heroin, marijuana, or any other drug that can be found on the street. Most people neer consider the fact that consuming inebriant can be just as harmful as illegal drugs, not only on the body, plainly on the mind and spirit as well (1). If constantly ab used, alcohol can be even worse for one than taking illegal drugs (5) tyrannical drawing can destroy a persons life as well as the lives of those around them. When people baffle both naturally and psychologically attached to alcohol, they become an alcoholic and suffer from a disease called alcoholism. One denotation of this term is a diseased condition of the system, brought about by the continued use of alcoholic liquors (Websters Dictionary, 37). Another definition of this term, given to me by my English professor, Janet Gould who is in fact, a recovering alcoholic, is that alcoholism is a mental dependen ce and a physical allergy (3). Alcoholism somehow affects us all through a parent, sibling, friend, or even personal encounters with a stranger. In fact alcoholics may become angry and argumentative, quiet and withdrawn, or depressed. They may also feel more anxious, sad, tense, and confused. They then seek relief by drinking more (Gitlow 175). Alcohol and Alcoholism is a big part in our society, which should be recognized and dealt with. In addition about 7% of all adults who consume alcohol in the tie in States today are considered alcoholics, or have suffered from some sort of drinking problem in their lives (Secretary of health viii). Although there is no indication of how the alcoholism of families members is linked ... through genetics, studies show that about 50 to 80 percent of all alcoholics have had a close relative that was an alcoholic (Caplan 266). Many times alcoholism starts during a persons high school and college years however some teenagers and young adults fre quently abuse alcohol and never think about the physical, mental, and emotional toll that alcohol can have on a persons life (3). Alcoholism usually begins with social drinking then a person will find excuses to drink more often (Burgess 13). When alcohol is made more readily available to an individual, such as in a college environment, it increases the risk that person will drink excessively (Ewing 173) (5).