Understanding Alcoholism

Understanding Alcoholism

When I was about four years old, my little sister and I were in our pajamas getting ready to go to bed. My dad had several friends over and they were playing poker in our garage. Just as we were about to go kiss Dad goodnight, three of his friends came through the back door, carrying him, unconscious, covered in vomit, his pants hanging at his ankles. My little sister, who I believe was three at the time started crying and said “Oh, poor my daddy is sick”. My response to her was “He’s not sick, he’s drunk.” Looking back, I realize we were both right. Many people believe that alcoholism, the compulsion to drink even when you don(’)t want to and know you shouldn’t is a choice. They are wrong! Alcoholism a disease; it doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, educated or ignorant, male or female, if left untreated it can and will destroy your life, your health, and your family.

Alcoholism is a chemical/biological disease that is progressive, chronic and fatal. It is characterized by an obsession to drink and an allergy to alcohol. It is a chemical disease because it breaks down differently in the stomach and has an entirely different effect on the brain of the alcoholic than on the non-alcoholic. It is biological in the sense that the chemical predisposition is inherited (Dick, 2008). No one knows for sure what causes problems with alcohol. Health experts think that it may be a combination of a person’s genes, their environment, and psychology, such as being impulsive or having low self-esteem. Many alcoholics suffer from a variety of emotional and social problems, due largely to the fact that emotional and personal growth typically stops when abusive patterns of alcohol usage begins (Gold, 2010).

An alcoholic can be compared to someone who is extremely allergic to peanuts. Most people, like normal drinkers, can eat peanuts no problems. On the other hand, like an alcoholic, there is a certain small percentage of people who are allergic to peanuts. They break out in hives, itch, sometimes get sick at their stomachs, or in extreme cases, experience anaphylaxis. For an alcoholic though, despite the negative effects caused by alcohol, they will continue to drink again and again. The reason for this is alcohol effects an alcoholic than it affects normal drinkers. It gives them a feeling of joy, this feeling is so strong that they spend the rest of their lives trying to get back to it. They develop an obsession to drink that nothing can overcome. It is stronger than any other desire, so strong in fact that they unconsciously forget the negative consequences caused by previous drinking experiences.

There are many risks and problems associated with alcoholism, like strong cravings for alcohol, needing increasingly more alcohol to feel drunk, continued use despite repeated physical, psychological, or interpersonal problems, an inability to limit drinking