AA Meeting Summary And Analysis

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

Think About how long thirty minutes is. How many thirty minutes are in a day, quite a few, twenty six to be exact. On average one person dies every 30 minutes due to an automobile accident caused by alcohol. Not only does alcohol kill, it clouds decisions, and is involved in a large percent of crime. Alcohol doesn’t stop there it negatively effects our youth. Alcohol is the worst drug problem in the U.S.

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.

Usually, the symptoms of a cold consist of a runny nose, sneezing, congestion, or a fever. So, if people have one or more of these symptoms they fall under the category of sick. Today, alcoholism is viewed in much the same way colds are viewed. Either people are sick or they are not. They are an alcoholic or they are not. An alcoholic is commonly defined as someone that heavily consumes alcohol, or even relies on it. In other words, an alcoholic is an addict. Like how people with colds are labeled as sick, people addicted to alcohol are labeled alcoholics. But, while it often does not make too much of a difference if people have a runny nose or a sore throat when they are sick, whether someone is a moderate addict or a hardcore addict might. “An estimated 17 million Americans have an alcohol-use disorder; nearly 4 million have a dependence, and yet only 1 million are in treatment… ‘Excessive alcohol use is the fourth leading preventable cause of death in the United States,’” yet only a small fraction of people with an alcohol-use disorder seek help (Andrey-Smith). Because alcoholism is viewed in the same way as the cold, one would assume that they would also be treated the same way—most people can do nothing and they will recover on their own. However, alcoholism and the cold are two entirely separate things, so naturally they should be treated like they are, too.

During the time marijuana was being prohibited, so was alcohol. The government lost the war of prohibiting alcohol even though they knew the dangers it caused. Albert Einstein said, “For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced” (John Vigorito 225). He then went on to say that the dangerous increase in crime is closely connected to alcohol and that it is no secret to the government. There were 3.3 million deaths in 2012 from consuming alcohol and scientific reports have found that it is “114 times more deadly than marijuana” (25). The standard amount of alcohol according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is 1.2 tablespoons of pure alcohol. Any more than the standard amount is considered binge drinking. Alcohol has benefits but also short-term and long-term effects. Alcohols short-term effects are loss of balance, impaired memory and effects emotions. It puts people at a risk for “car accidents, violence, alcohol poisoning, miscarriage or still birth” (Barney Warf 24). The long-term effects are a risk for “chronic disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, liver disease, cancer, dementia, depression, and anxiety” (Warf, 25). However, there are also benefits of drinking alcohol in moderation. It can improve your health by “lowering risk of heart failure” and “improves the immune system”, and studies have shown that it can make a person more “creative and insightful” (25).

I feel as if these questions will be of great use to show how alcohol can affect students throughout their lives, especially when they start to drink at a young age.

The consumption of alcohol in the college environment has been growing in popularity for as long as it has been available. College students, whether freshman or upperclassmen, spend the entire week yearning for the weekend where they are free from the responsibilities that keep them sober. New students desire to be accepted by their peers, and consuming what is offered to them provides them a with a one-way ticket to social adoption, or so it seems. But what if students are not drinking solely for social purposes? What if alcohol and drunkenness offered the student a method to forget about the papers that are due on Monday, their professors, and their grades and

However, “long-term control over drinking frequently cannot be achieved without other significant changes in the patient and his situation, including a reduction of tensions and distress” (Plaut, 35). In addition, “the quality of the patient”s life, his interpersonal relations and his social and psychological functioning, must all come within the focus of treatment” (Plaut, 35). The most popular and widely advocated treatment for alcoholism is Alcoholics Anonymous. “In 1938 it was estimated that over one million people belong to A.A. There are about forty-eight thousand chapters of the organization in one hundred and ten countries” (Mendelson and Mellow, 337). These chapters range in size from “six to four hundred persons” (Mendelson and Mellow, 337). Many people all around the USA receive help from Alcoholics Anonymous. “A.A. stresses that alcoholism is a disease and the persons suffering from it have lost their ability to control their drinking” (Plaut, 62). The frequent meetings “consist principally of the study of A.A. principles, and of members giving personal reports on their own successful struggles in dealing with alcoholism” (Plaut, 63). In addition, “the clearly stated principles of A.A. have been a help to many problem drinkers, although serving as a barrier for some others” (Plaut, 63). Alcoholics Anonymous is a wonderful sel-help group but it is not the cure for all problem drinking.

Growing up as a child, I personally suffered physical and mental abuse from my own father. He became alcoholic by drinking at a young age. Throughout our younger years, it is very common for us to make decisions without thinking. What many of us fail to understand is that with some of those decisions come risk and consequence that may follow us for our entire life. Alcohol has been a major influence on college students. Many of these students are unaware of the damage that is being caused by its abuse and what effects it can have on others. Drinking can have harmful effects on the development of the brain, which has a major impact on the student as they age and this development does not finish until they reach adulthood and can be very addictive. The effects of their decisions can even follow them into adulthood, just like in my father’s case and it can be detrimental to others. The question that comes to my mind is: are those who drink alcohol fully aware of the effects it has on their body and mind? And if so, why do some people continue to drink anyways? There are many reasons why college students drink and a majority of the reasons they do come from their own background.

My research proves that alcoholism harmfully affects our society in many ways. One way is through the number of traffic fatalities that occur every year as a result of alcohol abuse and addiction. According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia; there are approximately 105,000 alcohol related deaths annually due to drunken drivers and alcohol related injuries and diseases. The damage caused by alcohol impaired drivers is identical to a Boeing 747 which contained over 500 passengers that crashes every eight days, killing everyone. Moreover, young drivers under the age of 21 represent approximately 10 percent of licensed drivers; yet, they are liable for nearly 17 percent of fatal alcohol-related crashes. Alcohol-related car

Alcohol has been a big part of the society. It is how people socialize whether they are a business meeting, a party, a bar, and many more places and events. They tend to consume alcohol without knowing and questioning how much they have had. A huge amount of the population have not asked themselves this question, “Do I know what a standard drink is?” According to National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s (NIAAA) booklet Rethinking Drinking, “Many people are surprised to learn what counts as a drink.” It is really scary to hear that fact because in theory, people are supposed to be educated about it, but in reality, very few people are actually aware. The question is answered in CSUN’s video Not Anymore and the Rethinking Drinking as follows, “A standard drink is any drink that contains around half an ounce to 0.6 ounce pure alcohol. It is equivalent in twelve ounces of a beer bottle, four ounces of a glass of wine, or one and a half ounces of shot of eighty proof liquor.” That is a safe limit a person should drink in order to avoid getting drunk. With that being said, when someone has drunk over that limit, what are the consequences that go with it? The explanations will give clearer understandings to why some characters act the way they acted in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. The book is about an Indian teenager, Junior, who has disabilities and tries escaping poverty to have a better life. Along his journey, he encounters several tragedies

It all starts as a nice, breezy night on the beautiful beachside of Florida. You’re with your best buds having a good time drinking without a care in the world. The moon and stars vibrantly shine in the night sky and everything seems to be going fine. You’re just a bunch of innocent underage kids trying to live the life and have some harmless fun, right? Wrong. The perils of drinking under the age can not only put you behind bars, but also potentially even dictate or end your life. There are many negative effects drinking does to your brain and if you’re going to be drinking illegally, be prepared for the storm and aftermath of it all.

“Let’s cheers for…” Evanian belched and was raising her cans of beer at the same time. Before I drink beer, I’ve heard lots about how people think the taste of beer. Some people say beer is no taste like water. Some say beer is the worst alcoholic drink. The best way to know the answer is taste it by yourself. If you never ever drink beer, you won’t know exactly what it tastes. Lots of things in our life are same, you will never know if you do not try.

On college campuses across America, the use of alcohol has been an topic in need of explanation for many years. The concept will be explaned with emphise on the negative effects of hooch. Alcohol in cardio-sport athletes is especially harmful. But at any rate the negative concepts apply to all student. Besides the fact that a large number of students are underage when they drink, alcohol can put students in dangerous situations and give them a headache long after the hangover is gone. The short and long term effects alcohol has can impair students physically and mentally, impacting their education and health.

Alcoholism is a disease that affects millions of people all around the world. Everyday people die from alcoholism, families are split, children and wives are abused, jobs are lost and good people seem more and more hopeless. According to Mayoclinic.org, an online medical dictionary, alcoholism can be described as a pattern of heavy drinking which involves trouble of controlling the intake of alcohol, still drinking after problems flourish that are caused by our drinking, having to drink more and more every time to get to the same buzz and having alcohol withdrawals when you stop or drink less. These are symptoms of a life threatening disease. Many might say that alcoholism is mind state and could simply be dominated with a strong will power, this is not the case. A true alcoholic cannot stop drinking on his own and live a happy and normal life. Alcohol takes control of the mind , the body and the spirit, quitting seems nearly impossible. According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, (NCADD), this year in the United states it was calculated that around 17.6 Million people drink alcohol in an abusive way. It also mentions that 88,000 deaths are due an excessive use of alcohol and 40% of patients in hospitals are being treated for conditions caused by a heavy drinking lifestyle. It is clear and evident that there is a huge problem, a problem that is ignored by many who do not see this disease as dangerous as it really is.