Alcoholism: A Costly Addiction With Dire Consequences - Essay Sample

Introduction

When an alcoholic individual builds drug tolerance in her or his system, the alcohol costs increase. Alcoholism makes one keep on spending money until it reaches a point where there is no more money neither do they have a life around them nor able to stop the addiction (Diclemente, Carbonari, Montgomery & Hughes, 1994). As a result, it becomes difficult to stop the habit as they are way extremely addicted to it now. Alcoholic person easily involves himself in a road accident and this not only causes a mechanical damage but also in worst case it can lead to death to innocent people. Unfortunately, these consequences tear apart the alcoholic person and some instantly might collapse and prefer to commit suicide. The following paper will explore on how my alcoholism experience will assist me in understanding or even working with people who are chemically dependent.

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My Growth in Understanding Myself

When my alcohol consumption got out of control, I found myself on a dangerous path towards addiction. However, if I had known signs and symptoms of each stage, it could have aided me in seeking for help before my problem turned into dependence and addiction. That is why it is very beneficial to keep in mind that alcoholism is not created overnight but rather emerges out of a long term abuse of alcohol.

Consuming large alcohol amounts at a go is dangerous to a point where it can lead to coma or premature death (Ramirez, Hinman, Sterling, Weisner & Campbell, 2012). Besides, one may become dependent due to the feeling got from consuming making episodes of alcohol increase in frequency. Alcoholism made me clearly understand that regular use of alcohol is different from drinking moderately since it creates an emotional attachment that is higher.

Additionally, an alcoholic drinker who is moderate might decide to pair a glass full of wine with a meal. While a regular drinker, on the other hand, uses alcohol in order to feel generally good. As these increased drinking amounts continue, they make one become more dependent on alcohol at the same time increase the chances of developing alcoholism.

My growth in alcohol made me understand that alcohol is an example of a terrible disease that not only affects my own mental health and body but also impacts everybody within my surroundings. My frequent uncontrolled abuse of alcohol eventually led to drinking problem. It made me become more and more anxious and depressed to appoint where I lost my sleep. Despite these effects I still enjoyed its effects too much to a pint I cared the less. Alcohol is amidst many other things that I have escaped. Truly, it is an escape I sought in the past, one that has not worked in me very well. Nowadays it is not that difficult on me to go weeks without a sip of alcohol and I do not require it in order to get through.

Moreover, these facts for a long time hid reality that my alcohol relationship was problematic. During weekends I sometimes drank excess and I always turned to alcohol when I did not want to face any life reality. Despite these hurdles, the moment I became sober from my drinking, the things that I had ran away from were still there waiting for me. This is when I came to my right senses and identified that drinking is a problematic behavior pattern in my life.

As a result, through becoming aware of my alcoholic life patterns, it has aided me in understanding that anxiety, depression and general body wellbeing are all affected negatively when I consume alcohol (Ramirez et. al, 2012). Thus, alcohol happens to serve as aid band in the short term for these problems but it makes things always worse in the long term.

Understanding the Dynamics Involved in Dealing With Addictions

Alcohol addiction must be identified before its substance abuse is treated. Creating a distinction between an individual who is capable in occasional use and one who gets caught up in compulsive cycle of alcohol use is vital. Alcohol abusers often try to minimize the extent of their use in order to make it under control since it sounds recreational. In order to have a clear understanding and treat alcohol abuse, there is need to have an understanding of the addiction meaning (Szamraji, 1999). Technically, substance abuse term applies to a continued pattern use despite the diverse consequences.

The next stage in addiction progression is the substance dependence and is always characterized by compulsive use; in addition, alcohol addiction is a psychological, social and biological process (Szamraji, 1999). Compulsion here refers to loss of choice or control. An individual feels compelled to alcohol consumption. Compulsive behavior, therefore, entails a quality that is driven as if one is dragged along by powers out of individual's control. Basically making a decision that is rational to not consume is often not suitable to the extent it can facilitate a stop of this compulsive behavior.

Compulsive alcohol use is often apparent in unsuccessful attempts of a user to regulate or control alcohol use. For example, my engagement in compulsive alcohol use made me frequently feel shame, cloak my use in denial and cover my behavior. Hence, my honesty about alcohol use was a sign that on some level, I am ready for some aid. Consequently, in an attempt to support a substance abuse friend, there is need for people to ask themselves whether they are supporting too their addictive behavior or just encouraging healthier development coping skills (Szamraji, 1999). Even though one cannot get rescued but at least you can support the part of the individual who needs to get restored.

How My Alcoholism Experience Will Assist Me

Alcoholic drinks do not always taste that good on first try. One often struggles to acquire that alcoholic taste but with time confidence grows. Despite my practical planning that I went through in my first experiences, I had very little ideas on the effects of alcohol consumption, for example, liver cirrhosis and hepatitis (Heshmat, 2017). As a result, it was common for me to get sick after consuming too quickly and too much. I mostly saw alcohol as something enjoyable and normal but unaware of damages caused by alcohol.

My past alcohol experiences have assisted in shaping my current value together with expectations that I place on alcohol consumption. As an alcohol user, I might recall my previous positive experiences concerned with alcohol and this might increase my motivation to drink. Thus, any negative experience does the opposite. Alcohol experience flush reactions, for example, nausea and body flushes immediately after ingestion will negatively impact alcohol drinking value.

Despite the alcohol flush reactions being common in Asian populations, they can also occur among various groups of people. Individuals with this type of reactions might experience alcohol consumption as less pleasurable when compared to others and in most cases they have drinking rates that are lower (Heshmat, 2017). My impulsive personality consistently made me choose immediately available rewards despite the negative consequences brought by these choices in the future. I always value alcohol because of my rewarding properties.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a differentiation between use of alcohol and dependence is the very first step for any further treatment. To achieve this, it clearly demonstrates that, alcohol dependence need to be depicted as a disease of heterogenic brain with social consequences and medical significances. Lack of motivation to alcohol consumption stop ought to be seen as a symptom key of dependency on alcohol. Therefore, institutions of the government must pay treatment programs including psychotherapy, social projects and medical treatment.

References

DiClemente, C. C., Carbonari, J. P., Montgomery, R. P., & Hughes, S. O. (1994). The alcohol abstinence self-efficacy scale. Journal of studies on alcohol, 55(2), 141-148. Retrieved on 1st September 2019 from https://www.jsad.com/doi/abs/10.15288/jsa.1994.55.141

Heshmat, S. (2017). Why Do People Drink? People are motivated to use addictive substances for these reasons. Retrieved on 1st September 2019 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-choice/201703/why-do-people-drink

Ramirez, R., Hinman, A., Sterling, S., Weisner, C., & Campbell, C. (2012). Peer influences on adolescent alcohol and other drug use outcomes. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 44(1), 36-44. Retrieved on 1st September 2019 from https://sigmapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1547-5069.2011.01437.x

Szamraji, L. (1999). SUBSTANCE USE AND HARM REDUCTION FOR HIV. Understanding the Dynamics of Addiction. Retrieved on 1st September 2019 from https://www.thebody.com/article/understanding-dynamics-addiction