Alcoholism-The Need for Improvement of Alcohol Treatment Programs

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, seventy six million Americans have been exposed to alcoholism in the family. That means one out of four families is affected by an alcoholic, making alcoholism responsible for more family problems than any other single cause (Parsons). Alcoholism is a disease that not only affects the individual, but also everyone around the alcoholic. Alcoholics can make irrational decisions that are harmful not only to themselves but also to the people around them. These irrational decisions can cause financial instability for the household which, in turn, contributes to neglect.

Alcohol abuse has become one of the principal causes of mortality and morbidity in the United States causing more than 200,000 deaths every year (Hendey, Dery, Barnes, Snowden, &

Alcoholism is a chronic and progressive disorder (“Alcoholism”) affecting more than twenty-two million Americans in the United States today (Wholey 18). Alcoholics are prone to dramatic and

Individuals plagued with alcohol and other substance-abuse problems face numerous barriers along the way to their recovery (Cunningham, Sobell, Sobell, Agrawal & Toneatte, 1993). At the micro-level, some of the primary barriers relate to the potential threat to their employment and income as a result of acknowledging their problems. They include the financial risks associated with disclosure of the problem to employers. At the macro-level, there are relatively few high-quality opportunities for community-funded programs, particularly for middle and upper-middle-class working individuals. Those barriers include the relative unavailability of publicly-funded programs that are well-regulated and staffed by professionals with licenses in substance abuse fields. At the psychosocial level, there are significant barriers in the form of societal behavioral norms that pose barriers of different types based substantially on gender (Beckman & Amaro, 1986). They include general societal behavioral norms that promote alcoholism and substance abuse and particular psychosocial interpersonal dynamics at work and in the home that present different types of barriers to effective treatment based largely on gender (Beckman & Amaro, 1986; Jessup, Humphreys, Brindis & Lee, 2003).

Alcoholism is the third leading lifestyle that causes death across the nation. It doesn’t just affects you but also affects your family, friends, relationships, and your career. Alcoholism can also cause depression, social problems, and numerous of health problems. These are three countries that I choose to talk about alcoholism in: U.S.A, Canada, and Ireland.

The addiction of alcohol is one of the biggest underlying problems in the United States of America. It is legally allowed that a person over 21 can consume alcoholic beverages. On the other hand, the government provides no rehabilitation for those who become addicted to this substance and abuse it. In order to get help it costs a tremendous amount of money and most insurance plans do not provide coverage in this area. Majority of americans who abuse alcohol or can be classified under alcoholics do not have the disposable income to spend on rehabilitation centers. Alcoholic drinks are a household item, it is sold in mass quantities. Every grocery store in America sells the substance yet we have no free coverage and support for those who abuse it.

23.1% of all Americans have some alcohol use disorder, also known as AUDs, and 5% of those are children. Alcohol abuse is defined by the repeated drinking of alcohol to the point that it interferes with day to day activities, such as work. Also if you drink more than 7 drinks per week, for women, or 14 per week, for men, then you are considered to have a drinking problem. Alcoholism has dastardly effects on the people themselves and around them. We need to put an end to the emotional, physical, and economic problems caused by the abuse of alcohol.

In today's modern society alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse has become one of the most complex, life-threatening issues. Most depressed individuals usually indulge themselves in bars or pubs with their alcohols to escape from their stressful life. It has become increasingly alarming how alcohol does not only attract the adults, but also teenagers these days. "Research has shown that approximately 14 million Americans (7.4%) of the population meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or alcoholism" ("Facts about Alcohol"). Alcohol addicts may encounter social impact such as loss of respect from others who may see the problem as self- inflictive and easily avoided. Repeated use of alcohol over a period of time can result in

Alcoholism is a disease, like cancer. Alcoholism is not a lifestyle choice for alcoholics. It is a disease, like cancer, where intervention, treatment, and follow up are needed to recover. As with cancer, remission and a cure cannot be guaranteed. Alcohol causes a wide range of negative effects in the lives of alcoholics and those who know and love them. Insurance companies need to be aware of this disease and provide coverage and ongoing support for treatment. We need to find a way for those in need to more easily access the help they need and make it easier to work with insurance for coverage. As a society, we need to more to prevent the marketing of alcohol to our youth that are underage. By looking at how our youth are targeted by alcohol marketing and working to reduce this, maybe we can help to reduce the number of young people that start drinking and then become alcoholics.

According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), “Up to 40% of all hospital beds in the United States (except for those being used by maternity and intensive care patients) are being used to treat health conditions that are related to alcohol consumption.” To the majority of Americans, this statistic is almost unbelievably shocking. Often, America’s excessive consumption of alcohol is downplayed and normalized. Regardless of one’s opinion, America has an alcohol problem. The only thing that can change that is first admitting that the problem exists.

One of the largest causes of death today is drinking and driving, also known as impaired driving. Alcohol related deaths are increasing daily due to people not knowing what their limits are and there are irresponsible impaired drivers that get behind the wheel of a car and do not think about others on the road. Alcohol usage is being abused and misused, and it must be put to an end. Families everyday are losing loved one in drunk driving accidents that could have been prevented. Alcohol is extremely addictive, and some people can monitor their consumptions, but others fail to do so, and that can result to alcohol taking over their lives.

According to Niaa.nih.gov, adults ages 18 & up; over 16.3 million adults have had an AUD in 2015,which includes 10.6 million men and 5.7 million women. Alcohol has affected plenty of relationships that led to domestic violence. Overall, the main reason why people drink is to either to drink away the pain of something that they are going through or because they are just addicted to that feeling that they have when their drinking. Alcohol abuse have even led to serious brain and body issues in the long run for people in their 40’s & their 60’s. The alcohol is a major problem and it should be solved, but the world is full of alcohol an it's making money everyday due to the people who cannot stop drinking and the people who buy them for occasions;

Growing up, I watched a lot of my family members drink, whether that be at parties, at home, driving, etc. It did not seem like a problem to me until my aunt started seeing signs of abuse from my uncle. Alcoholism, or alcohol abuse, runs in my family, and many of my family members do have this disease. Alcoholism does not only kill people, but it also ruins families, it is a disease that affects the entire family.

Alcohol problems don’t just hurt the drinker. According to NIAAA, more than half of Americans have at least one close relative with a drinking problem. Spouses and children of heavy drinkers are more likely to face family violence; children are more likely to suffer physical and sexual abuse and neglect and to develop psychological problems. Women who drink during pregnancy run a serious risk of damaging their fetuses. Relatives and friends can be killed or injured in alcohol-related accidents and assaults (Association, 2007).

However, the alcoholics are not the only ones suffering, "Each year Alcohol abuse costs our country a whopping $185 billion a year in everything from lost workdays to drunken driving accidents. Out of that $185