Booze And Loose Essay, Research Paper

Booze and Loose

Alcoholism is a disease which can be found in many American homes. It can have both short and long term effects on the way a person thinks and acts. This in return can destroy a families relationship, a persons mental health as well as a person future.

Both my mother and my father were alcoholics so I have a first hand experience with alcoholism in a family environment. Even though they both drank, they were two different types of alcoholics. My mother was they type that, when she drank, she would become depressed and lay around the house all day. This effected her relationship with her kids because anytime we wanted to do something she would complain about having to get out of bed. This in return effected her relationship with my father. She rarely cleaned or cooked super. This was all my father wished for when he got home for work. Before long, our happy family of five was a not so happy family of four. Now that my mom and my dad divorced, he would frequently come home three sheets to the wind raising hell about the lawn not being mowed or the dishes not being washed. Since my mom had left our dad expected us to do all the house work. Anytime he was not working he had an Old Milwaukee in his hand. He spent his spare time yelling at my two brothers and me. Before long they moved in with my mother, who has been sober for 2 years. Now it is only my dad and I, a couple of bachelors. Even though our family will never be the same, we try not to let alcoholism ruin our lives.

Another effect alcoholism has on a person is it alters their mentality. Alcohol changes the way someone thinks and acts. A person who frequently drinks only thinks of themself, not the family worried sick at home. While they are out killing brain cells their family is at home sitting by the telephone hoping that something bad has not happened. Many times the bartender at Renegades has called me and ask if I could come and pick my father up because he is causing trouble.

Alcoholism can also ruin a persons future. Alcohol serves as a depressant to many people and diminishes any goals they have set for themselves. Most alcoholics think on a day to day bases with a narrow view of the future. For instance, a person may put off plans for college because they have wasted all their savings on booze. Many people loose jobs because of alcoholism. For instance, someone goes on an all night drinking binge. The next morning they are next to the toilet or trash can instead of the desk or office where they should be. Now they are fired and have no way of financing future college plans. Another example, many college students lives are ruined because of alcohol. A student goes to college with the goal of achieving a college degree but are side tracked by all the raves and parties.

No matter what effect alcoholism has on my parents, I sill love them both and hope that they can overcome this disease. Even though my mother is sober, she still has to fight alcoholism. She attends AA meetings to this day and I pray my father would do the same.