Millions of people every year are affected by alcoholism. Both those suffering from alcoholism, and their family members. Out of the millions effected, only a fraction of them seek help in taking control of their addiction. There are many similarities between individual cases of alcoholism, and countless resources to help those who wish to stop drinking, and rekindle their relationships with their families.
Statistics
In 2014 in the United States 87.6% of people age 18 and older have reported drinking at some point in their lifetime. 24.7% of these people reported binge drinking within the past month, and 6.7% heavily drank in the past month.Overall 10.6 million men and 5.7 million women were reported to have an alcohol use disorder. Out of these 16.3 million individuals only 1.5 million actually received treatment for their disorders. That means only 9% of the people with an alcohol use disorder actually received professional help in 2014. (Alcohol Facts and Statistics)
Interview
The following interview was conducted in an attempt to learn firsthand the effects that alcoholism has on other members of the family unit. The Individual interviewed is a 21 year old Female.
Interviewer: “It is my understanding that someone in your family has been struggling with alcoholism, is this correct?”
Respondent: “Yes, My father has been effected by alcoholism since before I was born, and continues to struggle with it today.”
Interviewer: “How would you describe your relationship
Everyday, more and more people are being claimed by alcoholism. The most important message AA makes is that there is help available, and there are people who want to help you, just as other helped them. Louis, a 79 year old AA member reciprocates his AA experience by “try[ing] to help the younger people find sobriety and happiness the way I have. I tell them, “If I can do it, so can you” (AA pamphlet). This is just one of many stories AA members have to offer an observer.
The prevalence of alcohol abuse/substance abuse is on the rise today. One of the biggest challenges facing our society today is dealing with the effects of alcohol/substance abuse in families. One can ascertain that alcohol/substance abuse can destroy not only an individual, but a whole family and even a whole community in general. This is a dangerous phenomenon that has made its way into many homes, leaving families shattered, hurt and left with nothing but anger.
Bailey (2004) used the Substance abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], and the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to gain access to records and reports on how many Americans were binge drinkers and drug users. It was concluded that an estimated 14 million Americans (in 2004) met the diagnostic criteria for alcohol/drug abuse (Bailey, 2004). She used this information to compile the data used on the first page of her report to explain that alcoholism and addiction are devastating problems that many people/families deal with daily.
Presenting Problem: Mr. Thomas is a married 38 year old Caucasian suffering from Alcohol Use Disorder. Although married, he and his wife constantly argues about his drinking, and she has even stopped sleeping with him when he drinks. He was recently arrested for drinking and driving (DUI/DWI), and was advised by his attorney to quit drinking and enter treatment.
Katie has been referred by her company’s human resource department after being arrested for drinking and driving. Katie is a 42-year-old, divorced woman who works for a successful accounting firm. She lives with her ten-year-old daughter, Laura, in a prominent neighborhood. Katie divorced Laura’s father due to his infidelities. Laura sees her father on birthdays and holidays. Katie’s mother is a reliable support system. She lives close by and helps to take care of her granddaughter. Katie grew up in a “normal” middle-class family. Her mother was a housewife, and her father was a high school biology teacher. He worked as a teacher for 36 years, and passed away shortly after retirement due to a heart attack. Her father drank every day for as far back as she can remember. She never saw it as a problem because he had an excellent work history, was involved in the community and loved throwing parties in their home. Katie admits that she has always found drinking to be normal. Laura is very open and honest about the events that have brought her to therapy.
Alcoholism which is known as the family disease has been affecting families for decades. This disease is not just affecting the one suffering from it, but the family in its entirety. A child growing up an in alcoholic family is four times more likely to abuse alcohol in the future. (“Children Of Alcoholics”). It begins with children seeing drinking as an everyday phenomenon, and beginning to perceive this as the norm (“Children of Alcoholics”). It starts to increase their expectation and reality of drinking at an early age and begins the process of accumulating an obsessive behavior, but that does not come from just anywhere. There are two components that go along with becoming an alcoholic and they are a physiological aspect and
This case study of about a 66 year old male named Robert, who presents with long term alcohol abuse. Robert is married to Colleen for the last 44 years during which time they had two daughters. Robert is also a grandfather, brother and friend. His oldest daughter Harriet sought intervention
This writer asked Ms. Allen about her own drinking. Ms. Allen stated that she drinks occasionally at social events. She denied childhood abuse and neglect and mental health. Ms. Allen was asked about discipline techniques in the home and she stated that she takes away toys and gives him a time out. She denied the use of physical
Alcoholism, in some way or another, affects everyone, as it is ever-present in nearly every aspect of American culture. Although there are numerous different opinions on the true main influence that causes alcoholism in an individual, it is an undeniable fact that alcoholism is an addiction, which is a disease of the mind. Alcoholism cannot be fought and cured in just a few days, it takes support from loved ones, willpower, and a competent treatment center. Alcoholism is not a game to be toyed with, is is a very serious issue, which affects many individuals and their families like mine throughout the U.S. I hope that you, whoever reads this essay, learned the biological factors that influence alcoholism, as well as the social and biographical
Alcohol abuse is a wide spread, important issue. Almost 88,000 people die from alcohol-related causes annually. This makes alcohol the fourth leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. Drinking and driving caused 9,967 deaths in 2014. In 2014, 24.7% of people over the age of 18 admitted that they had binge drank in the past month. All ages have this problem, even underage people who commit a crime by drinking. In 2014, it was estimated that 1.3 million 12-20 year olds were heavy drinkers and the majority of them were young boys. This activity had detrimental effects on family. In 2012, 10% of U.S. children lived with a parent who suffered from alcohol abuse (Alcohol Facts and Statistics). This specific reason is why this topic is so
Alcoholism not only affects the individual who drinks, but it also affects members of the their families (McGoldrick et al., 2016). It goes beyond the nuclear family, meaning not just the mother and father, it can affect generations after generations. Each family member takes on a different role and conflict arises out of resentment along with other feelings that are present in this situation. Some sociocultural factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, age, and socioeconomic status can shape the onset and progression of alcoholism (McGoldrick et al., 2016). There are factors that are present within an unhealthy family that will bring on the development of alcoholism, for example, when you have adolescents in the home, when they are dealing
“Alcohol abuse and alcoholism can affect all aspects of a person’s life.” Even though it is legal for anybody at least age twenty-one and over, alcohol is commonly abused among adults. When people think about alcohol abuse, they usually only focus on the one person who is drinking in excess, but what if that person has a family or is a parent? How does alcoholism affect their children or loved ones? The majority of people would suggest that binge drinking only mainly affects the one person doing it, they do not realize that it affects their children and families as a whole. In general, children and families are affected in a negative way when combated with the issue of a parent or very close relative being an alcoholic. First, I will
Alcohol is a harmful drug consumed by many including young people ranging from the ages 15 to 29. Meanwhile alcohol does have some benefits when drank in moderation as an adult, when it comes to young people there is only negative impacts both psychically and mentally resulting in dangerous and life altering outcomes. What many seem to forget is that not only does alcohol effect the individual but also has a negative impact on their family, loved ones and community.
I am writing to you about my concern of teen alcoholism. Alcoholism is a disease of the family, if only one family member has a drinking problem it still affects the rest of the family. Many relationships have ended because of the husband’s or wife's drinking problem. Families play a big role in recovering from alcoholism, if the family helps a lot it increases the better chances of recovering alcoholism.
It’s hard to understand alcoholism when your parents can have a glass of wine with dinner without finishing the whole bottle. Or if they can have a beer when they go out with friends and stop themself so they can actually drive home at the end of the night. My mom has struggled with alcoholism her entire life. Once a drop of alcohol touches her tongue, she doesn’t stop until she’s on the floor. She’d quit, and a month later drink again: the theory of an alcoholic. There was nothing I could do, I was eight years old; innocent. I believed her when she said she’d never drink again. I never realized it was a disease, a sickness, an addiction. I wasn’t aware that it was going to take more than her word for the drinking to stop. Alcoholism affects the drinker’s body, but more emotionally, it affects every single person around him or her.