Alcohol Over Time Essay

Our first topic for class is alcohol. Alcohol is defined as “Chemically, a compound characterized by the presence of a hydroxyl group; in common usage, a beverage made from fermented fruits, vegetables, or grains and containing ethanol.” (From the book pg GL-1) Ethanol is defined as “A specific alcohol compound (C2H5OH) formed from the fermentation of dietary carbohydrates and used in a variety of alcoholic beverages.” (From the book pg GL-4) Definition of proof is “A measure of the alcohol content of a liquid; 100-proof liquor is 50% alcohol by volume; 80-proof liquor is 40% alcohol by volume and so on.” (From the book pg GL-11)Alcohol is metabolized by few ways, which involves two enzymes. They are alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). First, ADH metabolizes alcohol to acetaldehyde, a highly toxic substance and known carcinogen. Then, acetaldehyde is further metabolized down to byproduct called acetate. Which then is broken down into water and carbon dioxide.

It’s no secret that alcoholism is an epidemic. Anyone can fall prisoner to its call. Alcoholism knows no gender, no age, and no race. Alcoholism is an addiction to alcohol. This addiction is not a joke, or a reason to shame others. Its effects on people can be fatal.

Alcoholism is a baffling and powerful disease. It affects all people from all walks of life. It has been medically proven and recognized by most of society as a disease. However, for some people who either have not been affected or just do not have any knowledge of the disease, it is considered more as a weakness of character. Alcoholism has many effects, on the alcoholic them self, towards their family and friends, and on their health, on their spouse and children, mentally and physically, but the good thing is there is help out there for all of these people.

“Each year in the U.S., nearly 80,000 people die from alcohol-related causes, making it the third leading preventable cause of death in our country” (Alcohol Facts 1). Alcoholism is a major controversy in the United States, and many debate whether alcoholism is a disease or choice. Accordingly, based on scientific evidence, alcoholism is a disease because it has major long-term effects on the brain, it is an addiction, and it is treated medically.

In 1849, Swedish physician, Dr. Magnus Huss coined the term “alcoholism” to describe a diseased condition caused by excessive consumption of alcohol. Also in 1849, a French doctoral candidate, M.Gabriel, first used the term in its modern sense, as a disease which causes one to lose control over his/her intake of alcohol, leading to excessive use of alcohol, what we now call addiction ( Keller & Doria,1991).

Alcoholism is a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. Alcoholism is a complex disease with physical, social and psychological consequences, but it can be treated through detoxification and anti-anxiety drugs. What will be explained in this essay is basically the history of alcohol, signs of one possibly being an alcoholic, possibilities to why one becomes an alcoholic, and treatments for it.

Alcoholism has been a major problem in the world for hundreds of years. Most people that deal with alcoholism became alcoholics because they needed a quick and easy way to de-stress. After long days at work or arguments with family and friends, the first thing they do is start drinking to make their stress go away. No one wakes up and decides, “I’m going to become an alcoholic today.” No one wants to be an alcoholic but bad things happen. If you are not careful with alcohol then you can easily become an alcoholic.

Alcohol use disorder can be caused by a number of factors, such as biological and environmental. People who drink alcohol often are at risk to alcohol dependence as the brain becomes reliant on the chemicals in alcoholic beverages. This makes it difficult for them to stop or quit the habit, a symptom of withdrawal.

Alcohol is a substance that has numerous diverse affects on the body-both positive and negative. Alcohol not only kills brain cells, but when taken in profusion it has almost no constructive affects. Sure it can make one overlook his/her problems, but the consequences of drinking in excess far outweigh the benefits. It is not a crime to get drunk, however alcohol will almost always cause one to conduct them self in a way he or she would not normally behave. For instance, a sober man will not usually drive ninety-five mph down I-95, however, after consuming a good amount of alcohol, his eyesight, judgement, reflexes and abilities are hindered to the point that he feels

More than likely it was fruit that was put up in a jar or bowl and left there rotting(fermenting.) Some think that it was a by-product of bread making. No matter how it came about, these beverages have been around for thousands of years. The first documented evidence of alcohol comes from the chemical analysis of a pottery jar from China between 7000-6600 B.C. The drink was a mix of fermented honey, rice, and fruit. In 1500 B.C the Greeks worshiped a god named Dionysus. He was the god of the vine, grape harvest, winemaking, wine ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. In India, they made a rice fermented beverage between 3000-2000 B.C. Even Native Americans had fermented beverages dating back before Christopher Columbus. There is evidence of alcohol production from all over the world using all types of crops dating back to the beginning of

Most people drink to feel relaxed and calm down. But for some people, they like the affect of what alcohol does to them and so they start to drink more and more to where they start to become an alcoholic.

Alcoholism is a prominent substance abuse issue in Western society. The treatment method of controlled drinking as opposed to abstinence is a continuing cause of controversy in alcohol research to this day. The US is different from Europe in its acceptance of controlled drinking as a goal of treatment: “in the US alcohol dependence is typically depicted as a ‘recurring disease’ and the ‘successful abstainer’ as a ‘recovering’ though never ‘recovered’ alcoholic” (Coldwell, 2005). Depending on the alcohol abuse patient’s individual characteristics, either controlled drinking or abstinence is chosen as a treatment.

Legislation reforms changing New Zealand 's alcohol laws in December 2012 and December 2013 (New Zealand Government, 1989, 1999, 2012, 2013) were aimed at improving New Zealand 's drinking culture and reducing the harm caused by excessive drinking, however alcohol has become more readily available in more places over the years.

Alcoholism has been a major problem in society for a number of years. In fact, alcoholism should be compared to a virus. This is because a person can never be completely cured from alcoholism; they can only fight the battle, day to day, hoping not to relapse. When it comes to the etiologies, or causes, of alcoholism, there seems to be three distinct origins of alcoholism. These causes are genetic factors, dependency caused by brain chemical imbalances after long-term use, and social and emotional factors.