Essay about Alcoholism

Individual tolerance vary upon their ability to metabolize alcohol. Genetics has been proven to influence the metabolic rate of alcohol in the liver. Furthermore, this affects the metabolism of alcohol depending on

*Sex: If a woman drinks the same amount as a man, she will tend to have a higher BAC.
* Body mass: Alcohol becomes more concentrated if people have a larger body mass. This means their blood alcohol concentration will be lower as a result.
* Body fat: People a higher body fat percentage are usually prone to having a higher BAC. This is because fat cannot absorb alcohol like other types of tissue.
Low blood alcohol concentration: The effects of low blood concentration can be felt at a BAC of about 0.03-0.05% and may include light-headedness, relaxation, and a release of inhibitions.Most drinkers experience mild euphoria and become more social.

     ?Alcohol?s effects are progressively more noticeable as the blood alcohol concentration increases. At a BAC of .02 to .05 percent the effects are almost entirely pleasurable. The drinker feels relaxed and sociable. There may also be some modest impairment of reasoning or memory and general reduction in caution. A BAC of .05 to .07 produces a state of excitement. The drinker begins to suffer from what may be a slight but nonetheless noticeable impairment of balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing. Judgement and self-control are also effected. The driver?s behavior is apt to become more aggressive. In general, the drinker feels stimulated and highly capable. In reality his or her ability to safely perform tasks such as driving that require quick reactions, concentration, and good judgement has been significantly reduced.

The continuous or excessive use of alcohol (ethanol) with associated pathologic results. Alcoholism is characterized by constant or periodic intoxication, although the pattern of consumption varies markedly. Individuals admitted for the first time to an alcoholism treatment center typically have been consuming 3–4 oz (80–100 g) of pure alcohol per day, corresponding to seven to nine drinks or bottles of beer or glasses of wine. Studies have shown that problem drinking in these populations starts at about 2 oz/day (60 g/day), that is, four to five drinks per day, and that these are consumed in rapid succession, leading to intoxication on three or more days per week. Individuals who consume these levels of alcohol have a greater-than-average

Most alcoholics won’t admit to having a dependence on alcohol. Due to their reluctance to acknowledge they may have a problem, it could be tricky to diagnose and treat them. So it’s usually up to the people around them to be able to see the signs of alcoholism. Even the most heavily addicted drinker is unlikely to show every sign and symptom, and not every alcoholic will display the same ones.

Why some people become alcoholics remains a mystery, although most scientists now agree that a combination of genetic and environmental factors increases a person's vulnerability.

A myth that many college age users like to believe is that there are numerous ways we can speed up the process of becoming sober. These commonly believed methods include, drinking coffee, taking a cold shower or exercising. There is only one way that a drinker can sober up and that is to let the liver breakdown the alcohol. This process can differ in people depending on their individual rate of metabolism, but overall this is a slow process that requires a significant amount of time and cannot be sped up by outside means. Another commonly accepted myth and one that is often encouraged is that drinking hard liquor will get you drunk faster than drinking beer. In fact, the amount of alcohol in one beer is equal to the amount of alcohol in one shot of hard liquor, (U.S. Department of Health, 1977). Although many of these myths would be beneficial to our drinking experiences, they are all in fact false and users of alcohol must be aware of them.

Students will learn that one 12oz beer has the same amount of alcohol as a 5oz glass of wine. The type of alcoholic beverage isn't what effects the body, but the amount of alcohol consumed.

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

Alcohol is a drug that is classified as a central nervous system depressant. There are three forms of alcohol, beer, wine and distilled spirits. Alcohol is one of the most commonly used drugs in the United States and has more adverse effects that most other drugs combined. There are many aspects to consider when thinking about alcohol as a drug. There are many myths surrounding alcohol, including who uses it, what its effects are on users, social and sexual situations and the amounts people drink. The vast majority of the American population uses alcohol and in many various ways and this also causes different effects. Alcohol is also has a great causation in crimes committed by users, social, medical, and educational problems as a

Some may have more food in their stomach than others.(Langone, Book 45) Food becomes a big factor when you are drinking. (Langone, Book, 45) If you have a lot of food in your stomach to absorb the alcohol, instead of it being absorbed into your blood stream, then you won't be intoxicated as fast. (Langone, Book, 45) Weight can also determine your tolerance and speed of intoxication(Langone, Book 45) Since our bodies are 70% water, alcohol is diluted some. A small person has less water for the alcohol to dilute in than someone who is bigger. (Langone, Book 45) A single drink may even be all it takes to impair judgment. (www.alcolimit.com November 27) Some people believe that by becoming a "seasoned" drinker they are more tolerant to the alcohol they put into their bodies.(Langone, Book, 85) However being a seasoned drinker does not make you use to alcohol because you can become seriously impair by even the smallest quantities.(Langone, Book, 85) The effects of alcohol is different among all people depending on size, weight, time and amount of alcohol consumed.

Additionally, like many other drug abusers, alcoholics often drink hoping to "drown' anxious or depressed feelings. Some alcoholics drink to reduce strong inhibitions or guilt about expressing negative feelings.

Long-term alcohol abuse produces physiological changes in the brain such as tolerance and physical dependence. Such brain chemistry changes maintain the alcoholic's compulsive inability to stop drinking and result in alcohol withdrawal syndrome upon discontinuation of alcohol consumption. Alcohol damages almost every organ in the body, including the brain; because of the cumulative toxic effects of chronic alcohol abuse, the alcoholic risks suffering a range of medical and psychiatric disorders. Alcoholism has profound social consequences for alcoholics and the people of their lives. Becoming addicted to alcohol is a gradual process that happens as alcohol changes the level of chemicals in your brain, especially gamma-amino butyric acid or GABA (which stops you from being impulsive) and dopamine (which is linked with pleasurable feelings). As the levels of these chemicals change, you crave alcohol to make yourself feel good again.

Alcohol is very popular among people who are looking for a good time, but it is also a very addicting and evil thing. Most people try alcohol for the first time in their teen years even though it is against the law. Most of the time people try it because their friends drink. People who are weak minded are easily influenced by their friends to try out bad habits like alcohol, and at the end the only one it affects is that one person. That person will become dependant on alcohol and build a tolerance to it. Every week they drink more and more it will never be enough because they will always need a bigger amount of alcohol to satisfy them every time. That is how people become alcoholics. Alcoholics lose everything they have and own. Alcohol becomes everything they can ever think about, it takes over their life and in some cases it also takes their life.

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.