Alchoholism

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorCollege, Undergraduate February 2008

download word file, 12 pages 0.0

Alcoholism and Drug abuse are two very powerful things. It all starts out when you?re just having some fun with a few friends, maybe drinking a 6-pack or smoking a few joints every weekend. Then it can progress to a couple times a week. Before long your doing it every day as a routine. But it is still all in good fun right? You can quit anytime you want to right? Most likely if you have a daily routine of drinking and drugging quitting may seem impossible without help. In the following paragraphs I will discuss what alcoholism and drug abuse are, adolescent alcoholism/drug abuse, the scientific approach, and the solution if it is being sought.

Alcoholism is a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by continuous or periodic: impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking, most notably denial.

Addiction can only be understood in experimental terms. People are addicted when they pursue activities relentlessly and sacrifice other things in life for this pursuit, and when they cannot face life without this involvement. We know people are addicted by their behavior and experience: nothing else defines addiction. There are four characteristics of an addictive experience: 1. It is powerful and all encompassing; 2. It inspires a sense of well-being, such as through conveying an artificial sense of power or control; 3. The experience is valued because of its predictability and therefore its safety; 4. It creates negative consequences that diminish the addict?s concern for and ability to relate to the rest of life.

When people in any given life situation cannot gain a necessary sense of power, control, safety assurance,