Alcoholism And Teens Essay, Research Paper

Alcoholism refers to the drinking of alcoholic beverages to such a degree that important things of an individual’s life – such as work, school, family relationships, or personal safety and health; are seriously and repeatedly interfered with. Alcoholism is considered a disease, meaning that it follows a characteristic course with known physical, and social symptoms. The alcoholic continues to consume alcohol even though the destructive consequences he/she may face. Alcoholism is serious, and a very difficult habbit to break. If not treated, it may be a habit that cannot be broken, or maybe even a fatal problem. It is generally thought that once the disease has developed, the alcoholic will not drink normally again. It is important to note that the particular symptoms and pattern of drinking problems may vary with the individual. Alcoholism is, therefore, a very complex disorder, and this complexity has led some researchers to question the accuracy of the disease of alcoholism.

There are generally four basic types of alcoholism. The first type is called Alpha Alcoholism. It is being purely psychological dependent on alcohol (Haskins, 84). With Alpha Alcoholism the person depends on alcohol to relieve bodily and emotional pain. This stage and all stages are serious in teens drinking, because any alcohol intake is dangerous for teens still developing mentally and physically. Another term for this alcoholic behavior is often called “problem drinking”.

The second type of the alcoholic behaviors is called Beta Alcoholism. It does not involve either psycological or physical dependence on alcohol. But yet worse on your body than Alpha Alcoholism because the heavy drinking may lead to ulcers, cirrhosis of the liver, damage to the nerves, and kidney problems(Haskins, 85). Beta alcoholics have a shortened life expectancy and suffer from financial and emotional demands due to excessive over drinking. Just like smoking, it costs money like everything else, the demand for alcohol will get to the circumstance of pinching every penny to just get one more drink.

The third drinking behavior is Gamma Alcoholism, the alcoholic becomes physically dependent on liquor. So this means that the bodies tissues, become tolerent to the new substance and the tissue becomes immuned to it, and the the bodie tissue needs the constent pressence of alcohol. Gamma alcoholics crave the need for alcohol but yet can only live without alcohol for a short peroid of time. If the Gamma alcoholic does not get there alcohol there body reacts very violently. Gamma alcoholics is one of the most common types of alcoholism in the United States.

The fourth type of alcoholism is Delta Alcoholism. In Delta alcoholism the drinker cannot stay away from liquor for even a day or twowithout suffering from withdrawl syptoms. Usually this type of alcoholism is found where alcohol is drank customarily.

Addiction to acohol is very much like addiction to heroin. Alcoholism is a very tough habit to break, many people that have been classified as a alcoholic can never have a normal life again.

Teenagers that are alcoholics are much more easily disturbed than adult alcoholics. In the near past the United States has been expeirenceing a widespread use of alcohols by teenagers (Haskins, 40) Today there aree some 500,00 alcoholics between the ages of ten and nineteen, and it is estimated that one of every fifteen young people today will eventually become an alcholic(Haskins, 42). Teens drink for curiosity and to act like adults, not only that but peer presure and just to look cool in front of friends. Parents are a stong influence to teenagers to not drink or limit the use of alcohol by young people, as statistics show. If none of the parents in the United States drank, then neither would most of there children(Haskins, 105). Teenage drinking is getting to the point where the age group is getting younger and younger, it is now not uncommon to find teenagers with alcohol problems in nine-, ten-, and twelve year olds(Haskins, 91).

Bibliography

haskins, jim

Teen-age Alcoholism

New York: Hwathorn Books, Inc., 1976