Alcoholism - No Easy Solution Essay example

When I saw the Alcoholics Anonymous assignment on our syllabus earlier this semester I thought, "Oh my god, I have to go to some stupid AA meeting." In the weeks prior to attending the meeting, I was very nervous about attending it because I did not know what to expect. Some of the questions going through my mind were: "Was everyone expected to talk at the meeting?" and "Was I going to be criticized as the outsider wanting to know what AA was all about?" Those were my two main concerns.

In the story of “Old Doc Rivers,” readers learn Doctor Rivers, an alcoholic who is surprisingly able to do his job in impeccable fashion. Physicians require a tremendous amount of coordination and attention, thus seeing a physician that is consistently intoxicated is concerning. Like Morphine, Dr. Rivers appears to use the alcohol as a coping mechanism, thus generally improving his work. Physicians are not exempt from suffering from illness and addictions. Dr. Rivers, “always had a jug of it behind his desk,” an indication of his embrace of addiction. Though dangerous, Dr. Rivers generally does a satisfactory job, leaving his patients with no reason to complain about his addiction. Do physicians that suffer from deadly addictions have to be barred from practicing? Dr. Rivers brings this debate to light. Physicians should be able to practice as long as they are not harming their patients. Though physicians do have a high responsibility in their career, they cannot be treated as outcasts for dealing with problems other people face on a regular basis. Physicians deal with human problems and patients must be aware of that. The social pressures put on Dr. Rivers to address his addiction ultimately led to his decline as a physician. He was a mediocre physician while sober, but a great physician while under the influence of his alcohol or dope. As Dr. Rivers comes to terms with his addiction, he starts messing up more, indicative of the mental battles some physicians face. He epitomized the saying, “doctors make the worst patients,” creating a dangerous situation for himself as he began to decline further into his addiction

Overcoming alcoholism is not something that can be accomplished over night by simply gaining further knowledge regarding the disposition an alcoholic has put another person in. Alcoholics should be required to go through rehabilitation before and/or during the waiting process for a transplant. Their mistakes and sometimes inability to completely change should not make them any less of a human being with a right to life through

The full alcoholism definition is an addiction to the consumption of alcoholic liquor or the mental illness and compulsive behavior resulting from alcohol dependency (webster). It’s saying that alcoholism is something that can not just be stopped anytime it wants the person with it would need the support of their loved ones to help them get through their addiction. If someone does not know if they have alcoholism they can test themselves by asking some questions to themselves and answer them honestly. Some examples of the questions that could be asked would be, does the person need more to drink in order to feel the effects of alcohol, do they feel guilty after drinking, these questions would help someone find out if they have alcoholism or not (healthline). However, if that person wants a professional opinion they could go to their doctor and he or she would ask similar questions, but more toward the person’s everyday life such as do they drink and drive, have they experienced blackouts while drinking, have they ever tried to quit drinking before these questions could also help determine if that person has alcoholism (healthline). Doctors may also use a survey to give to the patient and it will diagnose the person to how severe their alcoholism is (healthline).

First of all, any person with an alcohol issue, no matter how large their issue is, will deny it. Denial protects the alcoholic from dealing with the problem that they have. According to "Addiction and Denial”, "Those who are addicted to alcohol or drugs can have little insight into their own condition as a result of denial" (1). This means they are avoiding the problem for a reason, and they will not and can not make the step to admitting their problem to themselves and others. Admitting to an issue is very important though, because admitting to the issue is the only way and the first step to regaining a normal life and defeating the disease of alcoholism. Detox facilities cannot force any person to go into treatment, so the person needs to have admitted their problem and signed into a treatment center while sober if they want to get better. This is very controversial because many alcoholics use many different excuses about their problem and will not admit it. Some

Alcohol abuse is a serious health problem when it comes to college students. "The average amount of binge drinkers on college campuses is 50% of men and 39% of women" (<a href="http://www.oregoncounseling.org/ArticlesPapers/">http://www.oregoncounseling.org/ArticlesPapers/</a>). There are various reasons why students drink and serious short and long term effects on the body and mind. Alcoholism is a serious problem for college students and there are many actions being taken to try to lessen the problem among colleges throughout the country.

The point at which the client’s symptoms were most extreme was towards the end of her alcoholism, which was in her early thirties. She used humor, felt incomplete and fragile, oversensitive to other’s reactions of her, felt the need to hide from people whether it was through work or through drinking, and was aware of her drinking problem. She also presented with anxiety, excessive exercising and healthy eating, and denial of drinking in excess.

The concept of alcoholism as a disease originated in the 19th century with Dr. Benjamin Rush. This doctor advanced radical ideas claiming that those who overindulged in alcohol had a disease. However he was mostly discredited because of his assertions that being black and political dissentions were also to be regarded as diseases. Before 1891 the word alcoholic had not been used to refer to a person who took alcohol uncontrollably. Drunkenness was however not acceptable in this era. Since the 19th century it has been widely accepted that alcoholism is a disease and it requires compassion and treatment just like any other disease. Room (1983) stipulates that in 1951, the World Health Organization identified alcoholism as a disease and this was also done in 1956 by the American Medical Association.

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.

Have you ever thought alcoholism is a serious disease and thousands of people die each year due to excessive use of alcohol. Alcoholism is a chronic disease characterized by uncontrolled drinking or inability to manage drinking habits. It is also commonly referred as an alcohol use disorder. An estimated 88,000 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women) die from alcohol-related problems, Annually, making the alcohol third leading preventable cause of death in the united states(National institute of alcohol abuse and alcoholism). Alcoholism

Alcoholism is perhaps the most common form of drug abuse in North America today. Scientists report that the reason alcohol is so popular to people is because it is pleasant, relaxing, and is considered a "social beverage." But what individuals often do not take in to consideration is the fact that alcohol dulls the brain and confuses physical reactions. This can lead to numerous injuries, accidents, and death. Alcohol affects every part of an alcoholic's life: their body, their mind and their family life. The body has a natural chemical that gives a feeling of a "natural high". It happens in the presence of a life-endangering situation. This chemical is adrenaline, which is meant to prepare the body for defense in

Numerous treatment methods are constantly being discovered and developed to help start alcohol and drug abusers down the path of sobriety. There are many different methods available to help addicts who need help or to help addicts who want help. Our system is diverting from a punishing approach to a treatment approach. This paper will examine the most popular inpatient and outpatient options available throughout the nation. The types of addicts who normally file into these types of settings will be exam e, and The Way of Life. May I do your will always” (Alcoholics). These prayers are recited by the addict and must be experienced as well as nurtured to successfully break your addiction and never go back once you have completed the twelve

There are several different ways to describe substance abuse. So many people think that substance abuse only pertains to alcoholism. There is several other substances that may cause someone to be diagnosed with substance abuse disorder. Some of those things include: marijuana, alcohol, stimulants(cocaine and amphetamines), Hallucinogens, Inhalants, sedatives, and even nicotine. Even though some people may not see some of these things as things that may become addicting they are. More and more people are becoming addicted to the smallest things such as alcohol. For hundreds and thousands of American citizens alcoholism is become far too common. Alcoholism is a disease that affects many people in the United States today. It not

Alcoholism is a very serious disease, which can cause illness, death, injuries, schooling problems, family breakups, and crime. It is a proven fact the alcohol kills more people than any other illegal drugs combined. However, alcohol courses freely through American society, from college bars to corporate lunches. In a recent journal article by The Scientist, it is stated, "Technology shows alcohol abuse changes brain's molecular programming and circuitry? (Scientist). Thus revealing that alcohol is a quick fix that will hurt us all in the long run.

Alcohol is the number one drug problem among America’s youth. More senior high school students use alcohol than any other psychoactive drug. Family doctors, pediatricians, schoolteachers, and parents know that alcohol is overwhelmingly the drug of choice among today’s youth, although trendier substances such as cocaine are often given more attention in the headlines (Carla Felsted, p. vii). Furthermore, it is widely acknowledged that drinking alcohol is a part of the youth culture in America; it may also be understood as a culturally conditioned and socially controlled behavior.