Alcoholism is a Disease
Alcoholism is a Disease
Introduction
The debate whether alcoholism is a disease or not has
been around for over two hundred years and empirically does not show signs of
ending soon. Alcohol addiction inherently qualifies as a medical disease in
various aspects. It acquires the traits of being a mental obsession that simultaneously
causes the physical compulsion to consumption of alcohol. Alcohol is known to
create disorders to the alcoholic’s body systems like the muscular, digestive,
and the nervous systems together with complications in respiratory and
excretory systems. Although many have argued it as a disease caused by peer
pressures, environmental stress, and social trends which are careless,
alcoholism is a kind of divergence from normalcy and threatens to create major
challenges to the contemporary society. As a disease, alcoholism is psychologically
and socially contagious on advanced stages as it assumes craving becoming a
fad, tradition, or habit. An alcoholic does not posses the control over his or
her urge to alcohol drinking where the only remedy to the urge one has to
drink. For these reasons, alcoholism becomes a disease which consequently desires
medical attention as well as human care.
An addiction inherently may dominantly lock up in the ground
of psychological or physiological need while the side effects evolve to achieve
the status of a disease. Gifford (2010) states alcoholism is quite alarming
when it reaches the uncontrollable level simply because it invariably casts doubts
over the normal functioning of many body organs. Among the risk factors of
alcoholism is the fact that it can empirically impair cells and tissues of the
alcoholic’s body leading to various abnormalities like problems of determining
what is right or wrong in performing certain processes in the body. Undoubtedly,
acute alcoholism needs the immediate services medical practitioners in various
fields like psychiatry, medicine and psychology which often recommend the alcoholics
for hospitalization of therapeutic rehabilitation after all. Alcoholism like
other diseases has symptoms and signs which doctors diagnose and recommend for
treatment.
Symptoms
Every disease
has its unique symptoms which makes it distinguishable from other diseases. The
symptoms and signs of alcoholism may be visible to the common man’s eyes while
others can only be detected by physicians. One is unable to control the amount
of alcohol he or she can drink as well as has strong compulsive urge to drink. In
such a case, the alcoholic develops tolerance to alcoholic drinks such that he
or she requires more of the drink before he or she can ultimately experience
its effects. An alcoholic exhibits excessive sweating, coughing, vomiting as
well as red and watery eyes, insomnia, and constant sneezing which are all withdrawal
symptoms in case one does not drink. Moreover, alcoholics show signs of
hypertension, loose bowel movements while others experience nausea and chest
pains after heavy drinking. There are those who will show desire for cold water
the first thing in the morning and taking showers becomes irregular as a result
of being addicted to alcohol (Rehm, 2011). Cases of overeating as a result of drinking
of alcohol are witnessed where those who are fat overeat while thin people do
not regularly eat.
Medical specialists on alcoholics advise for people to discern
various signs and behavioral patterns which may not be noticeable without close
scrutiny of someone who is alcoholic. Some people have a ritual of drinking at
particular times of the day and become disturbed and angry when such drinking
rituals are questioned. Others become irritable when drinking time is near and
especially when alcohol is not available. This explains why some alcoholics keep
alcoholic drinks hidden in their places of work, in the car or at home. Binge
drinking is also another symptom of alcoholics and this keeps the alcoholics
drinking even late at night (Hanson, 2010).
The
alcoholics also exhibit reflex signs of jerking, shaking limbs and eventual
memory loss. In extreme cases, alcoholism triggers confusion which empirically affects
the social relationships one has either at work or at home with his or her
family members. According to Weiten (2012), the individual who is an alcoholic
cannot remember appointment at work as well as other commitment at home of his
or her family. Others as accosted by legal problems simply because of problems
pertaining to finances, employment or relationship due to excessive drinking. Many
alcoholics loose interest in hobbies that used to occupy their free times as
well as other activities that brought pleasure to them. Quitting drinking becomes
a problem because a person had developed overdependence and suffers from extreme
physical withdrawal effects. Like other diseases, the alcoholics require
medical attention in extreme cases so that these symptoms can be ultimately cured
before escalate to severe depression.
Causes
Like every other
disease, alcoholism has its causes which are influenced by psychological,
genetic, environmental and social factors. Becoming addicted to alcohol is a
gradual process, although in some cases people exhibit abnormal response as far
as alcohol is concerned after they have started drinking. As drinking behavior
continues over time, alcohol interferes with the normal chemical balance in the
body until the nerves in the brain which are connected with pleasure
experience, behavior control ability and judgment cannot function normally. This
results to alcohol craving where upon drinking one restores the good feelings
or alternatively subdue the negative ones. Notably, alcohol as a disease
renders one helpless as with the control of the hypothalamus in the brain leads
to alcoholism (Gifford, 2010).
Many professionals in the medical field recognize alcoholism
as a chronic disease where they define it as “a mental obsession that causes a physical compulsion to drink”
(Flowers, 2010). As a mental obsession, alcoholism becomes a mental and thought
process where one has no control over it. The mental obsession becomes
psychological in the sense that the alcoholic is powerless and the physical
compulsive urge to take a drink sets in.
The debate whether alcoholism is a hereditary diseases
still ranges on. Studies have shown that the hereditary aspect is not in the archetypal
fashion. The argument is that no genetic make up will push our children to crave
for alcohol. Empirical studies conducted are strongly showing that there are
characteristics partially inherited from parents leading to alcoholism in
children. Studies have found out that the brain electrical energy amount –
Electroencephalogram – is biologically different in non-alcoholics and
alcoholics. In one of the studies, medical researchers found out that alcoholic
fathers had young sons whose Electroencephalogram (EEG) activity was higher than
those of non-alcoholics. The high Electroencephalogram sequences are mostly
found in grown up alcoholics and studies have shown that they are inheritable
(Flowers, 2010). This justifies genetic as a partial cause of alcoholism
disease in young generation.
Further, environmental factors contribute as cause to the
alcoholism as a disease affecting people. Research studies have indicated that
there is high possibility of alcoholism being passed to the next generation as
a result of environmental influence. A child who lives with his alcoholic
parents has 4 times chances of growing up as an alcoholic as compared to the
child whose parents are not alcoholic. This has also been found to be true for children
who are also living a house with people who are alcoholic even when they are
not their parents (Rehm, 2011). Children grow up learning everything adults do
and copy such behaviors in their adult lives. Alcoholism may not be passed like
other communicable diseases but it becomes an environmental product where
children ape what the adults’ behaviors of drinking. For children who grow up learning
from parents and other siblings that the only viable option of dealing with stress
is through drinking, then alcoholism disease will affect them at one time in
their lives (Hanson, 2010).
Alcoholism as a disease may be caused and necessitated by
social factors where the social association of a person includes friends and
peers who are alcoholics. One will start with few drinks at a bar with friends at
early stages and since alcoholism is defined as a progressive disease, the
individual progresses in becoming a heavy drinker and graduates into chronic
stage of alcoholics. Binge drinking is among the social factors that lead to alcoholism
which subsequently lead to social problems and associated health risks of
alcoholism. Young adults and teenagers are the ones who actively indulge in
binge drinking and has been known to develop into alcoholism. Like other diseases
which have early symptomatic stages which can be preventable if intervention
measures are taken, alcoholism can be prevented if one does not engage in heavy
drinking leading to the powerless and physical dependence. Alienating a person
from the social circles that prompt him or her to drinking will naturally
reduce the chances of suffering from alcoholism (Balunas et al, 2010). The
chronic stage of diseases makes them hard to cure and same is with alcoholism where
individuals require specialized treatment and therapy in order to cure the advanced
effects in case of the physical withdrawal.
Alcoholism Disease Theory
The theory of alcoholism asserts that the disease in a
chronic and progressive problem which if it is not checked brings damage to
brain, distorts thinking faculties as well as bringing physical dependence to
the individual where excessive consumption lead to other diseases like liver
cirrhosis. In the theory of alcoholism as a disease, Dr. Fingarette agrees to
the phases that comes in four propositions: First; heavy consumers of alcohol show
a particular distinctive sequence characteristic of immense alcohol consumption
whose risks are social, bodily and mental deterioration (Stevens, 2008). Second,
alcoholism condition once it manifests itself persists with the individual undergoing
bouts of irresistible drinking which he or she cannot control. Third, the
individual is in dire need of medical help to relieve the alcoholism condition
as well as ameliorate the symptoms. Finally in the last phase of alcoholism
disease, individuals are no longer responsible morally or legally for their drink
consumption as well as its consequences just like epileptics are not liable for
their movements in the moment of seizures.
In 1940s, the first phase of alcoholism gained credibility
from the published works of E.M. Jellinek which he theoritized uncontrolled drinking
in progressive manner with symptoms such as blackouts, withdrawal distress,
tolerance, insanity followed by death (Gifford, 2010). The hypothesis of Jellinek
had its basis on self-report questionnaires where he sampled a group of 100
alcoholic men. The study had inadequacies which Jellinek later noted and
distanced himself from the proposition. Later scientific research proved that the
typical sequences of heavy drinking at times fluctuates where some get worse,
other greatly improve, some never change while others develop other problems
compared to those Jellinek suggested. However, the truth in the proposition is
undeniable that alcoholism as a disease can result to death as it corrodes and
caused the body not to function as a result of other diseases.
The second phase which asserts drinking becomes
uncontrollable after initial phase of drinking was disapproved years ago by over
100 studies who after rehabilitation and therapeutic programs indicated that a
great number of alcoholics retained moderate drinking without experiencing
major problems. But as much as the alcoholics are rehabilitated to moderate drinking
levels, there are no indicators that the previous stress and other factors will
not be prevented and may later indulge in heavy drinking once more. The
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in U.S. pointed out that after
20 years of alcohol dependence three quarters of alcoholics, while half of the recovered
lot only did so at low-risk environments without alcohol dependence symptoms. Whereas
75% of alcoholics recovered without medical help of rehabilitation programs,
only 13% of the alcoholics receive specialists’ alcohol treatment Gifford, 2010).
With more campaigns of rehab programs many alcoholics who have not been able to
resist the drink can ultimately seek medical assistance and lead their former
normal lives.
The third phases as expounded by Dr. Fingarette that
medical help is necessary to deal with alcoholism has been disapproved by research
studies. Following the argument brought forth by recent researches, it is
possible for many alcoholics to modify or control their drinking behaviors
without help. Dr. Peele asserts that people can also devise their own holistic
and spiritual approaches to this disease of alcoholism (Balunas et al, 2010).
This does not disassociate the fact that alcoholism can be treated medically
but also suggests other alternative ways of curing alcoholism after all.
On the final phase that alcoholics are not to blame for
their alcoholic behaviors is not entirely true. In 1988, Supreme Court in U.S. empirically
found out that alcoholism emanate from ones misconduct willingly. Whereas many
consider alcoholism as a genetic disease predisposed, drinking of alcohol
should not be labeled as involuntary. There is case of unsupported beliefs but
what emerges clear is that alcohol abuse differs and just like the other
diseases the patients have different bodies with different abilities of
building immune levels. In this case there are those people who alcoholism will
eventually bring their death and there are also those who can effectively recover
from the physical dependence (Rehm, 2011).
More importantly, the theory agrees that environment
contributes to the risks of one developing into chronic alcoholic. History of
family alcoholism has been pointed out as likely initiator in alcoholic
behaviors among young family members. However, other factors also cause alcoholism
in individuals whose family history is devoid of alcoholism disease. Drinking
of alcohol initiates the development of alcoholism whereas attitudes and
availability of alcohol in environment of an individual influence the
likelihood of being a victim of alcoholism disease. Current studies indicate
that alcoholism in both women and men is 50-60 percent genetically determined
while 40-50% bears the influence from environmental factors (Stevens, 2008).
Risk Factors
Alcoholism disease has risk factors just like other
diseases. The sequence of steady consumption of alcohol over time is known to
produce physical dependence. One is more likely to become an alcoholic if he or
she drinks regularly. In the long run, an individual is addicted and thus
becomes a victim of alcoholism disease. Age is another risk factor where by
those who start drinking at youth or teenage life have higher chances of
becoming alcoholics as well as suffering from other diseases which are
initiated by excessive drinking. Family history of alcoholism contributes to a
bigger chance of one becoming an alcoholic. The socio-cultural factors considerably
increase the risks of the disease. One cannot be in constant company of friends
who drink and fail to drink. Peer pressure is the greatest precursor to a youth
indulging in drinking spree so that he or she is accepted in the group. This
binge drinking later culminates into alcoholism. Other mental health disorders
such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorders will lead one to the “feel
good mood” created by alcohol (Gifford, 2010). Lastly, mixing alcohol and
medication increases the toxic effects making the medicine ineffective. This will
eventually not cure the disease but alternatively escalate its effects on the
individual.
Complications
The disease of
alcoholism brings disastrous complications to the alcoholics which can
eventually result to death. Cassano et al (2011) claim the toxic contents in alcohol
significantly depresses ones nervous system which deteriorate to lack of
emotions and judgment eventually a person complain loss of memory and dementia.
Poor judgment as a result of the alcohol disease is blamed for the high cases
of motor accidents which have also claimed a lot of lives. Lack of emotions is a
problem where acts of violence are being witnessed in the domestic and public
circles. In order to satisfy the compulsive urge, family finances are squandered
either drinking sprees or in medical costs as result of the other ailments
arising from excess consumption of alcohol. Alcohol inhibits flow of speech,
coordination of muscles and causes malfunctions in the vital parts of the
brain. Other diseases that result from the alcoholism disease include: liver
cirrhosis, heart complications, diabetes, eye problems, digestive problems, birth
defects, risk of cancer, sexual complications, and weak immune system among
others.
Treatment
Alcoholism disease differs from other diseases even in
the manner of its treatment and cure. Unlike other diseases which require lots
complex medication, alcoholism disease is cured by self control and strict
discipline. The unwinding approach from the taste of the alcohol to personal
initiated mission of assimilating change is of utmost importance. According to Flowers
(2010; p.5), psychologists recommend for at least half a year in residential treatment
centers (rehab) where there are minimal risk factors. Alcoholics only have
desires of getting one drink after another to satisfy the compulsive urge which
ends up in spending each moment drinking or thinking about alcoholic drinks.
The
rehabilitation programs serve as the holistic approach to many alcoholics and
eventually are able to overcome the compulsive urge completely. While all these
seclusion from the risk factors is important, the personal mission to overcome
the urge plays the integral role in the healing process. This is likened to that
individual who is in a coma and does not have the willpower to live cannot
accelerate his or her recovery after all. It is therefore essential to remove
all risk factors that tempt alcoholics so that there are successful rates of alcoholism
recovery (Balunas et al, 2010).
Other medical drugs which are recommended for alcoholics
in treatment of physical dependence on alcohol are Disulfiram, Naltrexone
(Revia) reduces compulsive urge, and Campral. Disulfiram causes negative
reaction to the alcoholic so that they can hate alcoholic drinks because it
will give one hangover symptoms. The medicine will not stop the cravings nor
the withdrawal symptoms but alienates one from the drinks. Revia is taken for
12 weeks after which one does not have the craving for alcoholic drinks. Campral
helps restore the brain ‘s chemical balance so that one achieves abstinence
from alcohol (Cassano et al, 2011).
Conclusion
No
matter how the debate takes course on whether alcoholism is a disease or vice
versa, alcoholism qualifies in all aspects as a disease which has early
symptoms, causes and treatment procedures. Just like other diseases that
require seclusion of the patient, alcoholics require this period away from all
those risk factors to impose the self-denial and willpower to overcome the
compulsive urge. Like other diseases, alcoholism is a precursor to other
diseases that have damaging effects on the body organs and swift preventive and
remedial measures are of paramount importance if the contemporary society is to
succeed is alleviating the high mortality rates that come with alcoholism.
References
Balunas,
D et al. (2010). The relation between different dimensions of alcohol
consumption and burden of disease: an overview. Addiction. 105 (5): p. 817-843.
Cassano,
N. et al. (2011). Alcohol, psoriasis, liver disease, and anti-psoriasis drugs. International Journal of Dermatology. 50
(11): p. 1323-1331.
Flowers,
W. D. (2010). Alcoholism/drug addiction: A disease or not! --what causes
alcoholism and drug addiction. New York: iUniverse.
Gifford,
M. (2010). Alcoholism. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood Press/ABC-CLIO.
Hanson,
D. J. (2010). Is Alcohol a Disease?
Retrieved December 5, 2012. Online.
Rehm,
J. (2011). The risks associated with alcohol use and alcoholism. Alcohol Research & Health. 34 (2):
p. 135-143.
Stevens, J. (2008). Is Alcoholism a disease? Retrieved
December 5, 2012. Online.
Weiten, W. (2012). Psychology:
Themes and variations. Belmont, Calif: Cengage/Wadsworth.
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