Throughout history, society has engaged in taking substances such as alcohol, that alter our physical being or our psychological state of mind. There are many experiences and pressures that force people to feel like they have to drink in order to cope with life, but for many alcohol is a part of everyday life, just like any other beverage. Alcohol is introduced to us in many ways, through our family, television, movies, and friends’. These “sociocultural variants are at least as important as physiological and psychological variants when we are trying to understand the interrelations of alcohol and human behavior”#. How we perceive drinking and continue drinking can be determined by the drinking habits we see, either by who we drink with, …show more content…
has led to abuse and deviancy, creating a high frequency of alcoholics.
People drink in many ways, for many different reasons. We drink socially, to gain acceptance into a group. We drink alone to ease stress, to cope with our problems, or we “drink because we like the taste or how it makes us feel”#. Often drinking is a learned behavior, starting out as a social drinker; you quickly become psychologically and physically dependent. When someone reaches this stage they are often classified as an alcoholic. To an alcoholic, drinking becomes a compulsion; they cannot stop themselves from having another drink, like a social drinker can. In many cases alcoholics don’t even have to drink continuously in order to be an alcoholic. One the problems of alcohol addiction is that it’s something that doesn’t just effect the individual but it effects, friends and family as well. Spouse abuse, child abuse and dysfunctional family relationships can all be influenced by alcohol abuse.
In the United States alone the drinking patterns throughout history have changed dramatically to reflect the times. Starting out in colonial times the usage of alcohol use was seen as a blessing, and harmless to society. It was acceptable to drink while at work, and during social events, however drinking alone was highly frowned upon. Many early religions believed that alcohol was a gift from God, “man should partake of God’s gift with out wasting or abusing it”#. To enhance and encourage the social
Randomly, people will turn their drinking habits into a reason why to drink. Whether they drink to just have fun, to release some stress, or because they drink to help with various sorts of problems. Often, the alcoholic in the family starts drinking too much, causing the family to always be on edge and be cautious with his mood swings, because they never know how they’ll end up acting. Often in times a sign of abuse on alcohol is when ¨Legal problems, such as being arrested or harming someone else while drunk¨ said researchers in Talbott Recovery. Once the alcoholic figures what kind of power they have over the family, they’ll often tend to use it in a more manipulative way, to make sure they get what they want in the end of the day. And when they’re drunk, they could care less about the family and just desire to get another bottle, and to let their emotions/actions lash out. That is when a person ends up becoming an
Gratefully, my life has not been impacted negatively by alcohol. But after reflecting on my past experiences, alcohol has been involved greatly in my life, although it may not have been negatively. Since I was young, I have remembered observing family members drinking alcohol and pondering if whether their decisions were just. I was raised in an atmosphere, where alcohol was demonstrated as not a harmful thing, but shown as a privileged activity that adults did. Most of my family’s gatherings always had alcohol included, it became a natural occurrence and it seemed abnormal if it was absent. My family doesn’t need alcohol as an item in order to have fun, but we use alcohol as a special luxury to celebrate joyful events. We also don’t indulge
Alcohol is the most abused licit psychoactive drugs that affect one 's ability to think rationally and distorts their judgement if consumed excessively. Alcohol addiction is an illness arising from prolonged and excessive intake of alcoholic drinks. An alcoholic is a person suffering from alcohol addiction. Prolonged excessive use of large quantities can eventually lead to chronic health diseases like cirrhosis of the liver, anaemia, cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression seizures, gout and alcohol related accidents and crime. Statistics show that 9 million people in England drink more than the recommended daily intake while an estimated 8.697 died of alcohol-related deaths in 2014. According to the WHO worldwide alcohol causes 1.8 million deaths (3.2% of total) and 58.3 million (4% of total) of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Alcohol beverages with varied percentage content are consumed globally during religious, social, cultural events, festivals and other occasions. The use of alcoholic beverages has been an integral part of many cultures for thousands of years (McGovern, 2009). Over the centuries, there have been ongoing measures, research, interventions and policies which are aimed at promoting the moderate use of alcohol with a particular emphasis on preventing or reducing undesired outcomes. This essay will outline the key components of brief interventions in alcohol, the difference in approach with traditional methods of treatment and in conclusion, the
Alcohol use has spanned history. In fact, there is speculation that alcohol use actually preceded the formation of societies (Doweiko, 2015, p. 30). Thus, alcohol has long been a part of mankind’s life. The function of alcohol has unarguably changed throughout the course of history, as it was first used for nutritional purposes and then later on for religious purposes (Doweiko, 2015, p. 32). Today, alcohol serves a social purpose. In the United States, the prevalence of use is quite high, with just over 50% of the population partaking monthly (Doweiko, 2015, p. 34). This statistic is somewhat alarming considering alcohol use comes with a number of potential adverse consequences. Case in point, even
Alcoholism is a problem experienced in many societies and covers issues associated with intake of alcohol (Schneider, 1978). In most cases, it is used to refer to addictive and uncontrolled use or abuse of alcohol such that the health, relationships and social status of a person is eroded. Due to its negative effects on users, it is considered as a bad practice in the society. Alcoholism is contributed by many social issues concerning users as well as society and is largely accepted as a social deviance behavior. However, according to Schneider (1992), deviant drinking has been
The history of alcohol and drug abuse can be dated back for hundreds of years around the world; in addition, the side effects from abuse can last just as long. The extent of alcohol and drug abuse may change dramatically due to societal views and normality such as the Prohibition era and the legalization of medicinal marijuana. Understanding alcohol and drug abuse means that one must not examine the behavior of the drinker, but also the place, time, and context of the consumption of drugs and alcohol. Dating back to the Mayflower, the New World welcomed the brewing of beer and ale as a tradition of the early culture. The consumption of alcohol was excessive- it was consumed from the crack of dawn to the crack of dawn, at work, alone, together,
The use of alcohol has been dated back thousands of years past the Egyptians and Greeks, drinking wine or beer was not an uncommon sight to see thousands of years ago and although times have changed its still not uncommon to see someone drinking today. Fermenting grains or fruits simplifies the processes of making the substance we call “booze”. Drug-Free World’s “The Truth about Alcohol” provides information to anyone free on the Internet about alcohol, the drug, we commonly consume today. It not only tells us that alcohol is a depressant but explains to us a depressant is a drug that slows down our bodily function systems. Drug-Free World also explains why people drink, the reactions that happens to these people, and tells us that
Alcohol has been the lifeblood of civilization dating thousands of years back in time, and it is clear to see the culture impact it has made throughout history. People perceive alcohol in many different ways; depending on gender, age, religious background, or social upbringing. Throughout history alcohol has affected different cultures and various demographics. It has been a source of pleasure and aesthetic in many cultures, along with being one of the oldest rites of passage, especially in modern day American society. Alcohol and drinking were also an integral part of religious observances throughout history and culture. The use of alcohol can be seen as a social lubricant, and besides being a thirst quencher, it can play a pivotal role
Alcohol is a drug that is classified as a central nervous system depressant. There are three forms of alcohol, beer, wine and distilled spirits. Alcohol is one of the most commonly used drugs in the United States and has more adverse effects that most other drugs combined. There are many aspects to consider when thinking about alcohol as a drug. There are many myths surrounding alcohol, including who uses it, what its effects are on users, social and sexual situations and the amounts people drink. The vast majority of the American population uses alcohol and in many various ways and this also causes different effects. Alcohol is also has a great causation in crimes committed by users, social, medical, and educational problems as a result
The consumption of alcohol is a tradition that has dated back centuries. It has been viewed at as a religious ceremony, illegal activity, and eventually looked as a social norm. Drinking is viewed as a way to relax, celebrate, and enjoy the company of friends and family. Being a sailor in the Navy; if you don’t drink on a regular basis, you either have a family or viewed as socially abnormal. The consumption of alcohol can be taken to one extreme of abusing alcohol and using as a crutch; there’s also the vast different of never touching the stuff.
An illustration was made with the explanation that factors behind the onset of consumption at 13 years include novelty associated with alcohol use, curiosity and the significance of psychological development regarding alcohol consumption among young adults. This implies that drinking is considered as an adult behavior and part of the adolescence development. Various studies have evaluated the factors and predictors associated with the alcohol consumption among adults. Some of them have defined clear differentiation of forecasters about normal or moderate consumption from those related to the misuse or excessive consumption. Donovan (2004) state that the factors which lead to consumption initiation at an early age are similar to those which facilitate further development of drinking habit, addiction, and excessive consumption. The cultural variations also affect the way in which health, drinking and the associated problems with drinking are addressed and perceived. The research is required to assess the effect of cultural variations for planning and developing appropriate service
Alcohol is the world’s fifth leading risk factor for social and public health problems around the world[1, 2]; however, alcohol drinking has still been intensively increasing among adolescents[3, 4]. Drinking habits are highly socially modeled, while social relationships influence an individual 's drinking at all ages. The social pressured by family, friends, and acquaintances can motivate either drink more or less[5]. It is worth noting that almost every event of the daily lives is marked with some kinds of festive rituals at which alcohol is served culturally and practically[6-8]. Some researchers found that children learn to drink early in Zambia by drinking small quantities when they are sent to buy alcohol; children in France, Italy,
Alcohol dependence is known to be the most severe form of alcohol abuse. A person becomes so dependent on alcohol consumption that he/she loses sight of all the other important things going on around him/her. Family matters and social responsibilities become secondary worries to his/her primary concern for existence, which is drinking (Stephens, 2007). Nearly fourteen million Americans are somewhat dependent on alcohol. Alcohol dependence is more prominent in men, and young adults ages 18-29 (Stephens, 2007). According to a study done by Saitz “85,000 deaths, along with substantial disability from medical and psychiatric consequences, injuries and “secondhand” effects (ex: motor vehicle crashes) are attributed to the use of alcohol” (Saitz, 2005).
The cultural functions of alcohol consumptions then will be explored; and lastly, alcoholism as a social problem that causes dysfunction and social disorganisation/disorder will be discussed.
As we all know, alcohol is a product that has provided a variety of functions for people in the world. Alcoholic beverages have been consumed by humans in the very early time, they were one of the most popular drink and have been widely used in everywhere of the world. Also they were used medicinally, chemically, physically and so on.