Alcoholism Essay, Research Paper

My bookreport is about living with someone

who drinks too much. I chose this topic because hit its very close to home.

In the book that I read it tells about other children who are or have grown

up with an alcoholic parent. I learned alot about acoholism which is what

makes you an alcoholic. I also learned about what some kids go through

while growing up. This book tells you how to deal with someone who is an

alcoholic and how to deal with your self as well.

This book was very interesting and I really

enjoyed it. First I would like to point out that kids who live with a parent

that drinks all of the time feel as thogh they are the reason why that

person drinks all the time. Children often tell that person that they do

not like them when they have been drinking. The first chapter in my book

was about a girl named Amy who wanted to tell her story about her mother

that drank too much. She writes in here about her quite spot which was

her room. She went there when her mother was drinking because often her

mother was not herself. She tells about how she first noticed that her

mother was not like other mothers when she went to other peoples homes.

The next chapters explain what acoholism is. It is a disease that when

a person wants to quite drinking can not.

First of all you will notice that an alcoholic

will often gulp their drinks, they can probably drink alot before the get

drunk, they may stay drunk for several days, they will also have a favirote

drink, and mya change their favirote drink to another. They may also hide

thier drinking. Acoholism is an illness and is very sick. It is very hard

for an alcoholic to stop drinking because they are afraid to and they know

how they feel when they do not drink. Alcoholics usually try to stop drinking

because they maybe have hurt someone they love or may also be on the verge

of losing their job.

People who stop drinking sometimes may

have to go to the hospital for a period of time this is called detoxification.

This is the best way for treatment when it is hard for them to stop.

The withdrawl symptoms are things such

as shaking, sweating, fever, pains and nausea. These can be severe and

dagerous to that persons health. After detoxification comes rehabilitation

this is a period of time which the person starts to recover mentally and

physically. Most alcoholics will go to AA meetings during this time. This

is where they can go and meet other alcoholics just like them. You may

want to go to Alateen where you will meet other children that are also

dealing with a parent who is recovering from alcoholism. Most alcoholics

have lost there place in the family and by going to these meetings they

will learn that they are going to have to gain that place back. What if

that parent goes back to drinking? That is called a setback or a slip those

are very common. Most children will be disappointed with their parent but

you must understand that it is very hard.

Life with your family is the hardest thing

when living with an alcoholic. Living with an alcoholic is very diffrent

then living with out one. You must be ready to expect the unexpected. An

alcoholic is very unpredictable. One day you may be in trouble and the

next day they will act as though nothing ever happend. They may also forget

what they have told you. Children of an alcoholic learn to live one day

at a time and accept that rules and plans will change almost daily. You

will also notice that there is alot of fighting and emotional neglect.

Some alcoholics my get violent and use vulgar language often. Money is

also a big issue. You may need money for something and they will not have

it because the alcohol is the most important thing to them. You will find

that if you want to have money for yourself that you have to earn it on

your own.

The other parent is often not an alcoholic

and is very confused and unhappy about their life. The reason for this

is they did not think that this is the way life would be. They may also

ask you to go and get the other parent from the bar or put you in the middle

they do not mean to hurt you and it is not your fault they just need some

help. If you are living with an alcoholic do not pretend that you are not

you have to find someone to talk with it will be better for your own health

if you talk to someone that you can trust. You also need to tell your parents

how you feel. Build up your own world by getting a job, being in sports

and getting good grades. Do not pretend that everything is fine and that

it is normal at your home. Also remember that if you have a parent that

is an alcoholic that it is more likely that you will also be one.

I really enjoyed this book because it has

helped me understand that I am not the only person that is living with

an alcoholic and that I must also help with the problem. I think that if

you wanted to know more about alcoholism that this would be a book to read

because it has alot of interesting facts in it.

This is a checklist to find out if alcohol

is a problem for you:

1. Are you ever absent from school because

of drinking?

2. Do you need to drink to make you feel

better around other people?

3. Do you ever hid your beer, liquor,

or wine?

4. Do you feel braver when you drink?

5. Do you ever drink alone?

6. Do you drink as a way to stop worring?

7. Do you feel guilty about your drinking?

8. Do you get upset when anyone says you

drink to much?

9. Is it necessary for you to drink in

order to have fun?

10. Does drinking make you feel equal

to other kids?

Those are just some quetions to ask yourself

if you think that alcohol is a problem for you. If you answered yes to

one or more than it may become a problem in the future or may already be

a problem.