The Controversy Between Controlled Drinking And Abstinence

The third chapter of the Alcoholics Anonymous book develops the idea of what alcoholism involves and how people with alcoholism differ from normal people. This chapter elaborates on the idea that there is no such thing as making a normal drinker out of an alcoholic, meaning an alcoholic will never be able to have a few drinks and then stop. It is also believed within the alcoholics’ anonymous community that at in the early stages of their drinking careers, they could have stopped drinking. The first step in recovery is to acknowledge that there is a problem, the book describes different ways a person can be an alcoholic. Not every alcoholic is going to drink a long time nor take large quantities, but the inability to stop makes the alcoholic. The chapter explains how an alcoholic is still unable to stop on the basis of self-knowledge and will power. In order to protect against taking that first drink again, there must be a higher power. Chapter three outlines that there is more than one option of what

Many people have been misguided about whether or not alcoholism is “disease” that attacks a person’s good health. A key suggestion of those that believe alcoholism is a disease is that a disease is uncontrolled. This is not so. When people develop an addiction to alcohol they tend to push everything of importance out of their lives: family, friends, and sometimes even jobs. People with addiction to alcohol throw

With the possibility of drugs capable of suppressing the urge to consume alcohol in addicts, many people who normally would not be helped by a simple 12 step program, could use such drugs in combination with standard treatment in the future to help combat their addiction.

According to the NIAAA (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism), about how many previously diagnosable alcoholics matured out of their dependence? A. none B. only a fraction C. one third D. most ANS:C PG39 19. According to Hester and Miller’s empirical research, the highest treatment effectiveness scores were obtained for A. harsh confrontational techniques B. motivational enhancement. C psychoanalytical treatment D. treatment that focused on the underlying cause of the drinking or drug use. ANS:B PG39

Alcohol is the most abused licit psychoactive drugs that affect one 's ability to think rationally and distorts their judgement if consumed excessively. Alcohol addiction is an illness arising from prolonged and excessive intake of alcoholic drinks. An alcoholic is a person suffering from alcohol addiction. Prolonged excessive use of large quantities can eventually lead to chronic health diseases like cirrhosis of the liver, anaemia, cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression seizures, gout and alcohol related accidents and crime. Statistics show that 9 million people in England drink more than the recommended daily intake while an estimated 8.697 died of alcohol-related deaths in 2014. According to the WHO worldwide alcohol causes 1.8 million deaths (3.2% of total) and 58.3 million (4% of total) of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Alcohol beverages with varied percentage content are consumed globally during religious, social, cultural events, festivals and other occasions. The use of alcoholic beverages has been an integral part of many cultures for thousands of years (McGovern, 2009). Over the centuries, there have been ongoing measures, research, interventions and policies which are aimed at promoting the moderate use of alcohol with a particular emphasis on preventing or reducing undesired outcomes. This essay will outline the key components of brief interventions in alcohol, the difference in approach with traditional methods of treatment and in conclusion, the

Today, one out of every thirteen adults abuse alcohol or are alcoholics. That means nearly thirteen million Americans have a drinking problem. (www.niaaa.nih.gov) This topic offers a broad range of ideas to be researched within the psychological field. For this particular project, the topic of alcoholism and the psychological effects on people best fit the criteria. Alcoholism is defined as a disorder characterized by the excessive consumption of and dependence on alcoholic beverages, leading to physical and psychological harm and impaired social and vocational functioning. (www.dictionary.com) Through this project, the most important information regarding personal experiences

Alcoholism is a problem experienced in many societies and covers issues associated with intake of alcohol (Schneider, 1978). In most cases, it is used to refer to addictive and uncontrolled use or abuse of alcohol such that the health, relationships and social status of a person is eroded. Due to its negative effects on users, it is considered as a bad practice in the society. Alcoholism is contributed by many social issues concerning users as well as society and is largely accepted as a social deviance behavior. However, according to Schneider (1992), deviant drinking has been

Webster’s New World Dictionary defines alcoholism as a chronic condition which is mainly characterized by excessive and compulsive consumption of and dependence on alcohol as well as nutritional and mental disorders. This definition depicts alcoholism as a disease that is beyond one’s control. It has however been argued in some circles that alcoholism is a choice and the idea of alcoholism as a disease is a myth. Since it is an individual choice to take alcohol, alcoholism is a consequence of free will. Both sides of the debate are discussed in this paper and it is my conclusion that there is strong evidence that suggests that alcoholism is a disease that needs treatment.

The term “alcoholism” describes a drinker who is mentally and physically dependent on alcohol, and who would most likely have withdrawal symptoms upon trying to quit. This dependence prevents most alcoholics from being able to control when they drink and how much they drink. For that reason, alcoholics usually drink to excess despite the consequences. Alcoholism, like any addiction, is a chronic disorder which involves continued use despite negative consequences and requires ongoing treatment and management. This research paper will cover many aspects of alcoholism including the causes and effects of drinking and different treatment approaches.

Alcohol-dependent people are often unable to stop drinking once they start as alcohol dependence is characterized by tolerance or the need to drink more to achieve the same "high", in addition, serious withdrawal symptoms if drinking is stopped suddenly. The sooner that the individual begins to receive help for the treatment of their alcoholism means that, the shorter period that they will be able to stop use. Individuals who receive treatment

The cognitive behavioural therapy and relapse prevention aim at improving social skills and self-control and are repeatedly found effective in reducing drinking, therefore making them ideal for treatment of alcohol abuse (79, 1090, 1092–1094). Cognitive behavioural therapy treatment, comprising of behavioural self-control training (including self-monitoring, goal setting, goal achievement rewards, analysis of drinking triggers and learning to cope with those triggers) and stress management interventions have produced better results than that of control treatments in fifty percent of studies (79, 1090, 1095–1097). Follow up studies also show better outcomes for the individuals who display improved self-efficacy at the conclusion of treatment (184, 1098–1100) as well as for those who used mastery or problem solving as a coping mechanism instead of avoiding triggering situations (43, 265, 959, 1101).

Moderation-oriented treatment (controlled-drinking) is frowned upon in the United States as a treatment to alcoholism. I feel this program has strength because for someone who is an alcoholic their life has been dedicated to alcoholism and cutting alcohol out completely, in my opinion, is more difficult to stay sober without relapsing. Unfortunately, alcohol is everywhere and it for someone who has an issue it is difficult living a sober life when alcohol surrounds you. I also believe that controlled-drinking is the middle step between alcoholism and abstinent. According to a study, men who are known as heavy drinkers participated in a study of moderation treatment. The study resulted in majority of the men raised their abstinence days, reduced their BAC by 50% and reduced the issues that accompanied drinking (Jaffe, 2011, para. 8 and

Alcoholism is a prominent substance abuse issue in Western society. The treatment method of controlled drinking as opposed to abstinence is a continuing cause of controversy in alcohol research to this day. The US is different from Europe in its acceptance of controlled drinking as a goal of treatment: “in the US alcohol dependence is typically depicted as a ‘recurring disease’ and the ‘successful abstainer’ as a ‘recovering’ though never ‘recovered’ alcoholic” (Coldwell, 2005). Depending on the alcohol abuse patient’s individual characteristics, either controlled drinking or abstinence is chosen as a treatment.

Medicine and self-control training can minimize an alcoholic addiction. Treatment of Alcoholism—Part II, from the Harvard

Before one can begin the process of remaining abstinent from alcohol, the individual must first accept that there is a problem stemming from drinking alcohol. Admitting that there is something wrong about consuming too much alcohol, enables the individual to take action. Although the alcohol abusers peers may highlight the problem to the user as well, he or she is more likely to commit to quitting if the problem is acknowledged by the individual. First, the alcohol users assess his or her situation regarding alcohol abuse. Next, the individual will need to take steps to ensure his or her peers are aware and supportive of the situation. If the users, peers all abuse alcohol it may be difficult or embarrassing to acknowledge your plan to change. Now that the alcohol user has acknowledged the substance abuse problem, it’s