Sabrina Ambra (FGCU): Alcoholism in America

Alcoholism is defined by Webster.com as a chronic disorder marked by excessive and usually compulsive drinking of alcohol leading to psychological and physical dependence or addiction. Out of the 22 million people in the United States that have a dependence/abuse problem (2006), 14 million Americans are suffering from alcohol use disorders. More than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. are caused by excessive alcohol consumption (myaddiction.com).  Clearly, this is a major problem affecting many people today.

Not only does alcoholism affect the individual, but it can also affect an alcoholic’s family and friends. According to Robertperkinson.com, more than 40% of separated or divorced women were married to or lived with a problem drinker. Also, more than three fourths of female victims of nonfatal, domestic violence reported that their assailant had been drinking or using drugs. Within the home, families can feel what is called “Intoxicant Emotions” which include shame, guilt, resentment, self-pity, and worry (firststepgardner.com). Alcoholism breaks down a family and the longer it continues, the harder it is undoing. However, it is not impossible.

There are hundreds of programs that reach out to help alcoholics get over their addiction. Programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous use counseling and support groups to help the addict. They provide systems to help alcoholics rebuild their lives and the support groups provide the emotional and spiritual help they need to continue their lives without alcohol. There are also many programs for families of alcoholics such as Al-Anon and Alateen, which help the families by sharing their story with others like them. The members help one another to deal with the alcoholism and find happiness with or without the stopping of drinking from the alcoholic.

Alcoholism will always be a major problem not only in the United States, but all over the world. It is important that we take this addiction seriously, even in college. There is a difference between partying hard and alcoholism, but the older you get and the more you drink, the smaller the difference is. It is important to be aware of alcoholism that may be present in our friends and family and to help as much as possible if this is the case. Alcoholism is impossible to cure, but through the efforts of everyone, it is a problem that can be reduced.

Sources: http://www.firststepgarner.com/alcoholanddrugaddiction.htm

http://www.robertperkinson.com/alcoholism_statistics.htm

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alcoholism

http://www.myaddiction.com/education/articles/alcohol_statistics.html

This entry was posted on 17. November 2009 at 07:30 and is filed under Social Problems. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.