Professional Documents
Culture Documents
3/12/19
Research Paper
Prof. Stubee
The excessive consumption of alcohol is an epidemic that consumes the lives the lives of
people every day. According to the WHO, approximately 2.5 million people die each year from
the harmful consumption of alcohol (2009, Frey, R. J., Schonbeck, J., & Atkins (2013)). Alcohol
has been around for centuries now, and it has been in use for means of entertainment, stress
relief, depression relief, and for the most part in social places as a gateway to a more enjoyable
experience. However, many people become quickly dependent on the use of alcohol because of
the effects that come with it. Alcoholism can be defined as a “chronic physical, psychological,
consumption of alcohol” (Frey, R. J., Schonbeck, J., & Atkins (2013). It has taken the lives of
loved ones, changed the course of people’s careers, and devasted the lives of even those who
don’t abuse alcohol. Family members of alcohol users suffer as well, where in many situations
they sit back and knowingly watch the abuser tamper their wellbeing. Alcohol has become a
staple in our society, and every day people are still being harmed by the effects of it.
Alcoholism not only affects the user of alcohol, but also dramatically affects the situation
for those around the abuser. I grew up with an alcoholic parent, and at times it was very difficult
to deal with. My brothers and I experienced an assortment of mood swings, stories of disaster,
and endless nights filled with sadness. Over the years of living with an alcoholic parent, it
became apparent to me that my own personality had shifted from a carefree individual to one
who takes life with a grain of salt. In my personal example, I can confidently say that living with
an alcoholic parent has changed the content of my character. Besides my story, studies from
“Stress and coping among children of alcoholic parents through the young adult transition” have
shown that children with alcoholic parents have a much harder time transitioning safely into an
adult life. They state that young adults may experience situations such as lower work status, job
problems, lower degree attainment, unemployment, and even divorce. All stemming from
parents who have abused alcohol. Furthermore, increased stress in the homes caused by alcoholic
parents influences the child’s mental health, and they can adapt issues themselves such as stress
and depression. Along with the effects of stress, as the children begin to age, they are at a higher
risk of also abusing drugs or alcohol as coping mechanisms. This issue is none to scoff at, and
millions of people who don’t even abuse alcohol are at risk every day.
The disorder of alcoholism comes in many forms. Alcohol users can be classified as
social drinkers, situational drinkers, binge drinkers, problem drinkers, and alcoholic drinkers. For
the sake of this argument, we will be focusing solely on the effects of alcoholic drinkers, because
that section of alcoholism is the most dangerous and the most common type of abuse that leads
to death. Alcoholism can stem from many different sources, such as age, ethnicity, religion,
personal experiences, family history, gender, and even mental health. It is not uncommon for
alcoholics to find themselves in situations that are harmful and contradict the social standards of
a normal life. It’s easy to assume that all alcoholic people have a dependency on drinking
because of the circumstances that they are in. In recent studies, it has been found that all the
users dependent on alcohol had a situation that had caused them in the direction of drinking.
There are four main causes for one to turn to alcohol, which are “fateful/catastrophic events,
child maltreatment, common adult stressful life events in interpersonal, occupational, financial
and legal domains, and minority stress” (Keyes, 2011). At times, it is difficult to know if a
person is abusing alcohol or not. I’ve met people who have been closet alcoholics for years, and
members if the family don’t even know about it. Symptoms that someone may be abusing
alcohol are tolerance to alcohol, withdrawals when not intoxicated, neglect of an individual's
normal social, occupational, or recreational tasks, or continued use of alcohol despite physical
and psychological problems of the user (Esther Gwinnel, Christine Adamec 2016). Those who
abuse alcohol sometimes have a difficult time coming to terms with their situation, and even
more trouble trying to get out of it. And with that struggle to face their inner selves, it transpires
into their personal lives and begins spilling over into the live of members of the family. It is not
uncommon for a child of an alcoholic parent to actually become alcohol dependent themselves,
along with numerous other side effects from living with an alcoholic parent.
The excessive use of that drinking behavior can lead a person to many different things.
For starters, it brings stress relief, enjoyment, and the ability to express yourself without any
social barriers. But it can also lead to hair loss, tooth decay, irreversible damage to several the
problems (Frey, R. J., Schonbeck, J., & Atkins, W. A. (2013). Alcohol dependency over a
considerable amount of time has severe effects on the functionality of the brain, such as memory
loss, stress, and slowness to react. The excessive use of alcohol basically disrupts every part of
your body in at least one way or another. This includes infectious diseases, cancer, diabetes,
neuropsychiatric diseases (including alcohol use disorders), cardiovascular disease, liver and
pancreas disease, and unintentional and intentional injury (Rehm, Jürgen, PHD 2011). Each of
these possible issues all yield the same thing – pain. Whether it may take the life of an alcoholic
or not, these people suffer every day in the lifestyle that they’ve grown accustomed to.
The effects of alcoholism go beyond that of the abuser, but also affects the wellbeing of
those around. Family members especially are at high risk of abuse and potentially adapting a
dependence on drugs in the future. Furthermore, as previously mentioned alcoholics face a long
list of different health issues such as liver disease, tooth decay, heart failure, and the list never
run short of problems. The more a person depends on alcohol, the more likely they are to inherit
diseases and life-threatening illnesses. However, society doesn’t see alcohol as a major issue, and
it’s safe to say that people use it carelessly without understanding the consequences of it. As sad
as it may be, the lack of knowledge for the common person is below average. People continue to
abuse this drug, and it eventually will reap consequences if we don’t take a stand now.
Alcoholism is a major problem that our world still faces to this day, and hopefully in the future
-Rehm, J. (2011). The Risks Associated With Alcohol Use and Alcoholism. Alcohol Research &
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=70561483&site=ehost-live
-Hussong, Andrea M; Chassin, Laurie. Development and Psychopathology; Cambridge Vol. 16,
-Gwinnell, E., & Adamec, C. (2016). alcoholism. In E. Gwinnel, & C. Adamec, Facts on File
library of health and living: The encyclopedia of addictions and addictive behaviors (2nd ed.).
http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/fofaaab/alco
holism/0?institutionId=1125
Keyes, K. M., Hatzenbuehler, M. L., & Hasin, D. S. (2011). Stressful life experiences, alcohol
consumption, and alcohol use disorders: The epidemiologic evidence for four main types of