ALCOHOLISM
Alcoholism is defined as the consistent uptake of alcohol and alcohol related liquor that stems from an unending desire to consume more alcohol in trying to reach a certain climax or ‘heaven’ of some sort as perceived by the partakers of this activity. Alcoholism is a social problem and is triggered by various reasons known to man. Numerous research has been made on the causes of such behavior and the causes are infinite based on different levels of perceptions by individuals in the world.
CAUSES
Many people drink alcohol to try and avoid stress or severe mental pressure that they think they cannot handle instead taking the lead in alcohol therefore only postponing the stress and problems they have thus a recurrent trend.
In other people alcoholism is a culture known to them from birth. People are initiated in some societies into various rites and rituals with alcohol as the main beverage occasioning an event. For instance some communities associate celebrations whether birth, death, marriage or initiation into certain subgroups important occasions that are hallmarked in history all dressed with alcohol as the beverage.This is a direct cause of alcoholism.
Social background also contributes to alcoholism as ones upbringing in a home where alcoholics coexist focuses or reveals to the child that there is no harm in engaging in such an activity. Children whose parents partake in alcohol heavily in front of them are more likely to absorb such characters and end up as alcoholics thus the occurrence of the stigma in society. This is more prevalent in urban communities as the more liberal k.ind of lifestyle is the order of the day
The company people harbor also determine the kind of traits people develop. People who hang out with friends or people who are alcoholics have a high chance of becoming alcoholics themselves as a result of exposure, peer pressure and an induced want to be at the same level or category with their friends at large.
Urban communities have a predisposed behavior of having celebrations during times of success occasioned by bottles of liquor and wine (generally alcohol), for instance people open a bottle of champagne when celebrating a party or a get together
Symptoms can be based on behaviors and physical outcomes
Alcoholics may engage in the following behaviors:
- drinking alone
- drinking more to feel the effects of alcohol (having a high tolerance)
- becoming violent or hostile when asked about drinking
- neglecting to eat or eating poorly
- neglecting personal hygiene
- missing work or school because of drinking
- being unable to control alcohol intake
- making excuses to drink
- continuing to drink even when legal, social, or economic problems develop
The following physical symptoms may also be observed:
- alcohol cravings
- withdrawal symptoms if drinking is stopped, including shaking, nausea, and vomiting
- tremors in the morning after drinking
- lapses in memory (blacking out) after a night of drinking
- illnesses, such as alcoholic ketoacidosis (includes dehydration-type symptoms) or cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver
EFFECTS OF ALCOHOLISM
-Liver cirrhosis is a diseases common with most alcoholics as it damages the liver of a person thereby causing many malfunctions of the liver and subsequent diseases as well. This automatically shortens the lifespan of an individual.
- Bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. This may be due to corrosion of the intestinal walls by the acidity occasioned by alcoholic drinks
- damage to brain cells as the part of the brain characterized by memory and mental stability and speech is impaired and becomes weaker for the individual to co-ordinate
- Cancer in the GI tract may be as a result of the constant pumping of chemicals in the alcohol inside the gastrointestinal tract therefore being a dangerous move.
- Dementia (memory loss) occasioned by the part of the medulla that controls memory therefore people not knowing the activities done after a drinking spree.
- Depression is a common condition characterized by alcoholics both as a cause and an underlined consequence as people tend to venture into their innate circles of despair and doom with no hope of positivity.
- High blood pressure occurs as a result of the rate of stimulation brought about by alcoholism. This makes the heart beat go faster than normal therefore causing the blood supply in the body going at a fast and high pressured rate thus being a threat to people’s lives.
- inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis);this may be due to the sugar levels contained in alcohol that overwork the pancreas in its role in regulating the blood sugar level therefore causing the swelling.
- Nerve damage also occurs as an alcoholic tends to be less responsive to changes that the body normally respond to for instance pain which alcoholics tend to develop a tolerance to. This impairs normal body function and creates a problem in normal body functioning.
- changes in mental status and a degenerative brain disease that causes symptoms such as mental confusion, vision impairment, amnesia, or even coma
TREATMENT
Alcoholism may be treated and patients suffering from alcoholism may receive medical assistance to try and reduce if not completely solve alcoholism problems. According to a publication by Chad Emrick (1975) article on alcoholism, most treated alcoholics did better than no treated alcoholics suggesting formal treatment was the way to go.
Treatment may include a number of measures such as:
- Detoxification or withdrawal from alcoholism, this may be an innate decision or a medical suggestion by the doctors to an alcoholic patient.
- Rehabilitation to learn new coping skills and behaviors in order to cope and relate better with a different approach to society.
- Counseling to counter emotional problems that may prompt you to drink; counseling guides one not to backslide back to the old guy that was an alcoholic slave and instead gives one a new purpose to move on into a new life.
- 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous may be a good move to help one counter the alcoholism problem
- medical treatment is a major step /debut in solving an alcoholic problem
- Medications to help control addiction as administered by a trained physician or medical therapist on such matters may be a plus in an alcoholic’s life.
Business opinions
Most businesses require clarity and attractiveness which is healthy for the business therefore for any business to succeed one needs to detach the characters associated with alcoholism and alcoholism itself in entirety. As an opinion, the dynamics of the current world necessitate soberness and people to be at ‘ad idem’ which is Latin for meeting of minds /agreement. This can only be achieved without any alcohol or very strictly moderated alcohol uptake.
Clergy opinions
It is of utmost importance to the clergy men that alcohol be shunned out of people’s lives therefore pointing to the evils of alcoholism. A social and religious perspective places alcoholics on the wrong side of things.
Societal perceptions
People in society perceive alcoholism as social entertainment activity which is correct. However too much is not the idea here as it paints a paradoxical image of a misjudged person therefore calling for consideration and moderation that is responsible drinking.
Proposal
Alcohol should be taken wisely and moderately as an enjoyment rather than a factor that contributes to decadence and misjudged tendencies in society. If this end is hardly achievable then it would be better to curse the uptake of alcohol and prohibit its use for purposes of the greater good of man-kind. This would be an alternative and a better decision to ensure proper co-existence and development of people’s livelihoods.
RFEFRENCE
Emrick.C(1975),’ A Review of Psychologically Oriented Treatment of Alcoholism. II. The Relative Effectiveness of Different Treatment Approaches and the Effectiveness of Treatment versus No Treatment’
Boler.K(2004) ,’A Drinking Companion: Alcohol and Writers' Lives’ Publisher :Cardoza
http://www.ncadd.org/index.php/learn-about-alcohol/alcohol-abuse-self-test and http://www.alcoholscreening.org/
