Alcoholism Research Paper

Alcoholism (sometimes called Alcohol Use Disorder in the technical literature) is, essentially, defined as a dependency on alcohol for an individual to function in his/her daily life. The condition is related to but distinct from "alcohol abuse". In the latter case, an individual may be said to have a drinking problem, but s/he is not dependent on alcohol, i.e. alcohol is not a required part of that person 's life. This is an important distinction to make as often

Many people don't know how to drink responsibly so that could lead to binge drinking. If you drink a lot you will do things you don't want to do, like drink and drive which could possibly kill someone including you. Drinking irresponsibly can lead to violent behavior which could put others at risk. Also for violent behavior and drinking+driving could get you in jail.

Alcohol consumption affects every aspect of the human body, specifically the brain, liver, central nervous system, pancreas, stomach, and increased cancer risks.

To begin, research of genetics has shown some information on how genes support alcoholism being a disease. Genetics and the brain are connected as other organs, such as the heart and genetics are connected (Nurnberger). People can inherit heart diseases from their parents through their genes. There is no difference with alcohol. Alcohol damages the brain cells and can increase the chances of a child to become more dependent on alcohol. According to Nurnberger, “For alcohol dependence, about 50 percent is related to genetic factors and the other half to environmental factors, such as availability of alcohol and cultural factors” (Nurnberger). Although environmental factors play a high role in alcohol consumption, genetics, as shown, have played half the role. People become dependent on alcohol, and not only can it be hereditary to pass the gene to increase the chances of becoming an alcoholic, but alcoholism can even cause a change to other genes to possibly cause depression and anxiety problems (Nurnberger). Saying that alcoholism is not a disease when it can be passed through genes and alter other genes would be like saying autism is not a disease or disorder. The reason is because the brain is genetically altered, like alcoholism, and it can change other

One of the growing epidemics of young adults in the United States is the dependence and/or abuse of alcohol, which is commonly referred to as alcoholism. The condition is described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V, as an alcohol use disorder (AUD), a type of substance abuse disorder, which encompasses both alcohol abuse and dependence. More specifically AUD is defined as, “medical conditions that doctors can diagnose when a patient’s drinking causes distress or harm (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2007).” When the reliance or use of alcohol interferes with daily functioning, or causes greater harm to the one’s self, it can then be looked at as a disorder. According to the DSM-V, patients

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.

The APA manual distinguishes between alcoholism and alcohol abuse. The latter is a less severe problem; unlike alcoholics, alcohol abusers do not develop physical withdrawal or compulsive alcohol use. However, like alcoholics, their drinking has negative health, economic and social effects. Both alcoholics and alcohol abusers need treatment, although the goals differ. In most cases of alcohol abuse, the goal is to limit drinking, while for alcoholism, it is to stop drinking altogether.

Commonly referred to as alcohol use disorder, alcoholism is the most severe form of alcohol abuse. It involves the inability to manage drinking habits (Galbicsek, 2016). Individuals who suffer from alcoholism feel as if they cannot live without consuming alcohol. Signs of alcoholism may include craving alcohol whenever you are not consuming, feeling the need to keep drinking more, and putting alcohol above responsibilities. Alcoholism comes with short term and long term effects. Short-term effects may include reduced brain activity and slow reaction time. Long term effects may include liver disease and bone loss (Galbicsek, 2016).

Drinking is often a social situation for many people, one that can create a light and fun atmosphere. Unfortunately, too many people transform social drinking into an opportunity for binge drinking. And this is a major problem: people who regularly binge drink are at a much higher risk for developing alcoholism. Understanding this problematic behavior can help you understand whether or not you are at risk of developing a true alcohol addiction.

Many individuals abuse alcohol because it is a learned behavior. It is also a way for someone to avoid having to deal emotions so they use alcohol to mask how they really feel. The more an individual consumes alcohol the more they are at risk of becoming an alcoholic which leads to having severe health problems which later can lead to death. Excessive drinking increases a person to have a high blood pressure. Cancer in the “pharynx, liver, kidney, pulmonary” and also the brain is damaged.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD), otherwise known as alcoholism, is the continual use of alcohol that eventually leads to becoming both physically and psychologically dependent. It is a chronic brain disease that occurs due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors (Delis et al., 2013). It has been proven that early exposure to alcohol increases the risk of alcohol dependence: those who started drinking before the age of fifteen are 1.4 times more likely to become dependent on alcohol than their counterparts who began drinking at a later age (Dawson, Goldstein, Chou, Ruan, & Grant, 2008). Exposure to alcoholics in the family also contributes to the likelihood of being dependent on alcohol. Nearly 1 in 4 adolescents are exposed

Alcoholism is defined as a disorder characterized by the excessive consumption of and dependence on alcoholic beverages, leading to physical and psychological harm, impaired social, and vocational functioning (dictionary.com). Alcohol is the number one drug problem in the

There are some long-term effects on the body due to the abuse of alcohol. You can end up with brain damage, and dementia. Common disease resulting from excessive alcohol consumption are pancreatitis, gastritis, hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and heart disease. Alcoholics are also at risk for developing cancer in the mouth, throat, esophagus and even the liver. You can also develop psychiatric problems such as depression and anxiety which may lead to suicide. Woman who are pregnant shouldn’t drink alcohol because it will cause damage to the fetus.

While drinking might make you feel good now, if you abuse that alcohol it may lead to serious complications later. Heavy drinking is defined as consuming four or more drinks in a day for women and five or more drinks in a day for men (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). Alcohol is considered a depressant, so it is only seen fit that one of the chief effects of alcohol on the brain is to depress central nervous system functioning. In turn it may be why major depressive disorders occur in those who abuse alcohol. If the alcohol abuse continues over a period it intensifies into an alcohol dependency. Alcohol has effects on the body both mentally and physically. After a certain limit alcohol will slur your speech, increase your reaction time, and make you lose co-ordination. Alcohol consumption, particularly long-term alcohol dependence has many physiological ricks to consider, such as permanent damage to the brain, alcoholic liver disease, pancreatitis, alcohol poisoning

Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive and potentially fatal disorder which leads to physical and psychological harm, and impaired social and vocational functioning. It is characterized by tolerance, physical dependence and/or pathological organ changes, all of which are the direct/indirect consequence of the alcohol ingested (Light 5). Alcoholism, also known as "alcohol dependence," can be recognized by four obvious symptoms.