Cion Conerly March 25, 2014 Ms.

Verdun Eng IV Research Paper

Alcohol Issues

Conerly 1 One of the top ways people cope with stress and issues with in their lives, is drinking alcohol. Alcohol may make problems of the day go away, but they also make problems from the past relevant. Over use of alcohol can cause abuse of the substance, or alcoholism. It breaks you down mentally, physically, affects mood, behaviors, and is life threatening as well. People have issues all of the time, some choose alcohol to rid them of the issues in life, not realizing it has become another one. In earlier time when alcohol was being made in the sun from fruits and waters it was used to cleanse and treat infections. (Drugs and Controlled Substances) As time evolved it got another use and meaning, alcohol was soon used for relaxation techniques. A small dosage can send your mind to a place of utopia. Kicking your feet up and letting go of the stress of the day sounds nice, even nicer to know it is possible. With alcohol equaling relaxation, even people who werent drinkers would drink on occasions, such as parties, wedding, gathering and social events as a whole. One the other hand we also have your moderate drinkers. A moderate drinker is someone who consumes 7 to 14 beverages in a single week. (Dr. Reid Hester) It isnt an issue just yet, but it should still be monitored. The problem or addition can come in when a person is taking in more than the average amount of drinks per day, which is 1 for women and 2 for men. (Dr. Reid Hester) This is what can drive someone to alcohol issues, commonly called alcohol abuse or alcoholism. Alcohol is and addictive beverage that cause people to do and say the unexplainable. Alcohol comes from natural resources such as, grain, and fruits. The word alcohol stems from a

Conerly 2 combination of many different things, one atom of oxygen, two atoms of carbon, and six atoms of hydrogen. (Drugs and Controlled Substances) Early when alcohol was discovered it was simple to create. Water and fruit in the hot sun created what we call, alcohol. Other names for this drug are, booze, juice, shine, swish, hard stuff, and brew. Different types of alcohols would be wine, beer, light liquor, and dark liquor (whiskies). (Drugs and Controlled Substances) Alcoholism is a condition where someone feels the need to always have an alcoholic beverage. (Alcoholism) Alcoholism does not come in any shape, size, race, or age. Though alcoholics are not placed in a specific gender or race, your background and environment play a major role in it. From the way you were raised to the social crowd you choose to hang with. A person has a greater chance at becoming an alcoholic if their parents or guardians were. By being exposed to it at a young age it becomes second nature when growing older. Becoming an alcoholic through the social scene is also an issue. It boils down to peer pressure and wanting to fit it, not realizing youre getting sucked in. (Alcoholism) When someone becomes an alcoholic they dont always know it. They may think theyre having an occasional drink here and there. Soon everyday becomes an occasion. Exact signs and symptoms of an alcoholic or alcoholism is not something you see with the naked eye. The most you will see are common situations such as, over drinking and a hangover, which are both dangerous to yourself and the people around you. (Alcoholism) Another drinking condition is alcohol abuse. Alcohol abusers are people who drink a lot of alcohol but, they can also have a set limit to the amount of alcohol they can drink. (Alcoholism & Alcohol Abuse) Its like controlling yourself when you do drink, knowing you dont have to

Conerly 3 drink in the first place; abusers have a tendency to harm themselves and other with their excessive drinking, just as well as alcoholics do. Just like alcoholics, abusers neglect their day to day responsibilities and routines. Although alcohol abusers are not alcoholics, they still may begin drinking the same way. Most people began drinking to relax and de-stress. Like I stated earlier, alcohol is a way to relax and sooth yourself after a rough day. (Alcoholism & Alcohol Abuse) Both alcoholism and alcohol abuse effect your body drastically. Alcohol, well too much of it, can basically destroy every organ inside of you; from your brain, to your heart, pancreas, liver, esophagus, even stomach inflammation. By this toxic beverage destroying all of your organs slowly, you become more at risk of various cancers. Over use of your alcohol consumption can cause someone to have hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, even death. Alcohol ultimately weakens your immune system, causing you to be susceptible to many infections. For women, it can lower your ability to reproduce. For men, it can lower your sperm count, and effect or sexual drive. (Alcohol) While alcohol affects all of the organs internally it weighs heavy externally too; it can demolish the biggest organ you have, your skin. Alcohol tends to dehydrate. Every time a dosage is absorbed youre dehydrating your body, including skin. (Alcohol) Drinking deprives the body of nutrients it needs to function properly. A skin disorder called, Rosacea can soon form. Rosacea is a disorder that makes the skin appear red and acnes like, it may also cause swelling and skin sores. (Skin Problems & Treatments Heath Center)

Conerly 4 All in all, this toxic drink can lead to disfiguration of the facial tissues. Physically, drinking can mess you up, thats a fact, but mentally is another situation; drinking can affect your mood as well. The feeling of going from happy to sad, and vice versa, is common in most drinkers. In a lot of cases it can be mistaken for bipolar disorder. Drinking can cause one mood in general, such as pain, and happiness. Painful feelings would be: fear, sadness, hurt, embarrassment, jealously, guilt, loneliness, and shame. Happy feelings include: excitement, delightfulness, belonging, high self-esteem, confidence etc. drinking can alter a persons entire life, mood wise. You may find it strange but, a lot of alcoholics and alcohol abusers over indulge to feel those exact moods. Someone who is feeling pain may drink, and soon be overjoyed. A person who is in a neutral or happy state of mind, may have something weighing heavy on them. Drinking will release those thoughts. Its a combination of moods, thoughts, and feeling that can lead someone to drink. Having the wrong thought process can cause serious consequences. (Alcoholism & Alcohol Abuse) Alcohol is extremely risky. It impairs judgment causing you to do things that you normally wouldnt do if you were sober. Being under the influence can lead to car accidents, crimes, (whether youre committing the crime or playing victim) abuse, homicide, violence, and even suicide. About 6o people every hours, on the hour get into car accidents associated with drinking and driving. 25,000 people actually die every year due to drunk driving. (Impaired Driving: Get the Facts)

Conerly 5 About 30 people every day in the United States die do to drinking and driving. That totals to about 1 death every 48 minutes. (Impaired Driving: Get the Facts) Just to think something like this can lead to the end of a life; whether it is 1 drink at a party, or 50 drinks in your own home. Getting behide the wheel of a vehicle with knowledge you have been drinking, or intentions or doing so, is extremely dangerous. Before the worst happens, if you or someone you know has an issue with alcohol, you should seek help, or suggest the person does the same. Helping someone who is an alcoholic or suffers from alcohol abuse is a tricky situation. All types of problems can occur, they may want help, and they may not want help. If this is the case, you should never punish them for their addiction. Nine times out of ten, they know they have a problem. They may not want to face it. Punishing someone for their addition whether it is drinking, drugs, etc, can lead to further addition. It can leave them feeling lonely, one of the many reasons people drink in the first place. Another thing you should never do is force the abuser to get help. Ultimately, the decision is theirs to make. (Alcohol & Alcohol Abuse) As a friend or family member, the most you can do is, be there for them, let them know that they have support, and theyre not alone. This makes the process so much easier. For an alcoholic or abuser, admitting to their alcohol issue may be one of the hardest things they do at first. Soon it will have become one of the easiest; the hardest part is getting sober and staying that way. There are many ways to getting the proper help you need. Depending on the person may depend on how they choose to destroy the monster thats destroying them. They have many different options for treatment such as, inpatient programs, outpatient programs,

Conerly 6 residential programs, group session programs, and individual therapy programs. (Drug Rehab Treatment Information) Just like an alcoholic or alcohol abuser has to take the first steps in their treatment plan, it is up to you to take the first steps in prevention. Over indulging in alcohol whether it is because youre happy, sad, lonely, or hurt can lead to something that wasnt planned. Something that can destroy someone deep within, and destroy their physical appearance; leavening a person feeling emotional all of the time, or just the opposite, causing them to do dangerous stunts leading to death. Alcohol not only hurts the abuser, but it hurts the family, and friends. A person should think twice, is that relaxing drink after a long day really worth the risk of a possible alcohol issues.

Conerly 7 Work Cited Alcohol, distilling of. UXL Science. U*X*L, 2008. Student Resources in Context. Web. 9 Feb. 2014. Alcohol. Drugs and Controlled Substances: Information for Students. Ed. Stacey L. Blachford and Kristine Krapp. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Student Resources in Context. Web. 9 Feb. 2014. Alcohol use and abuse. World of Health. Gale, 2007. Student Resources in Context. Web. 9 Feb. 2014. Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse. : Signs, Symptoms, and Help for Alcoholism and Alcohol Use Problems. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2014. Drug Rehab Treatment Information. Substance Abuse Treatment Information How Does Recovery Work? N.p., 2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. Healthwise Staff. Rosacea Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention of Rosacea from WebMD. WebMD. WebMD, 28 Jan. 0000. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. Hester, Dr. Reid. Moderate Drinking Defined. Moderate Drinking Defined. N.p., 2009-2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. Iskander, John, and Howard Spivak. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 Apr. 2013. Web. 21 Mar. 2014. Prevention Tips. NCADD. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.

Conerly 8 Siegel, Kathryn. "Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse." : Signs, Symptoms, and Help for Alcoholism and Alcohol Use Problems. N.p., 18 Oct. 2012. Web. 07 Feb. 2014. Smith, Melinda, M.A, Lawrence Robinson, and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. "Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse." : Signs, Symptoms, and Help for Alcoholism and Alcohol Use Problems. N.p., Aug. 2013. Web. 07 Feb. 2014.