Final_Project

Alcohol, Alcoholism and Recovery Kymberlee Cole COM/150 November 13, 2009 Shelagh Smith How many people out there drink alcohol or know someone who does' The consumption of alcoholic beverages can intertwine with many traditions. Moderate use of alcohol can enhance celebrations or special times. Research shows that very low levels of drinking may lower some health risks. We may also consume alcohol to help ease the pain caused by rejection or loss. Alcohol is the most widely used and abused recreational drug in our society. Deciding whether to drink is a personal decision that we each eventually have to make. Although not everyone that drinks alcohol becomes an alcoholic, alcohol is a drug that can become addictive, and alcoholics need treatment. An estimated 65% of Americans consume alcoholic beverages regularly, though consumption patterns are unevenly distributed throughout the drinking population (Morbid and Mortality Weekly Report 1989). Ten percent are heavy drinkers, and they account for half of all the alcohol consumed. The remaining 90% of the drinking population is composed of infrequent, light, or moderate drinkers. Alcohol is a drug, and if not used responsibly, it can become dangerous. Deciding when to drink, and how much, is no small matter. Irresponsible consumption of alcohol can easily result in disaster. Alcohol is the most popular drug on college campuses, in which approximately 90% of students have consumed alcoholic beverage in the past 30 days. About one-third of all college students are classified as heavy episodic drinkers, which is more commonly known as binge drinking. Heavy episodic (“binge”) drinking (Windle, 2006) is typically defined as five or more drinks in a row for men, and four, or more in a row for women (Wechsler, Nelson, Toben 2008). Therefore, a student classifies as a heavy episodic drinker by drinking four drinks (female) or five drinks (male) during that occasion. The stakes of binge drinking are high because of the increased risk for alcohol-related injuries and death. According to a 2005 study, 1,700 college students die each year due to alcohol-related unintentional injuries, (Eckerd.edu 2009) including car accidents. Binge drinking is the number-one cause of preventable death among undergraduate college students in the United States today. Unfortunately, recent studies confirm what students have been experiencing for a long-time; binge drinkers cause problems not only for themselves, but also for those around them. Alcohol kills more people under the age of 21 than cocaine, marijuana, and heroine combined. The intoxicating substance found in beer, wine, liquor, and liqueurs are ethyl alcohol, or more commonly known as ethanol. Alcohol is produced during a process called fermentation, whereby yeast organisms break down plant sugars, yielding ethanol, and carbon dioxide. Fermentation continues until the solution of plant sugars (called mash) reaches a concentration of 14% alcohol. At this point, the alcohol kills the yeast and halts the chemical reactions that produced it. For beers and ales, which are fermented from malt barley, manufacturers add other ingredients that dilute the alcohol content of the beverage. Other alcoholic beverages are produced through further processing called distillation, during which alcohol vapors are released from the mash at high temperatures. The vapors are condensed and mixed with water to make the product. The proof of an alcoholic drink is a measure of the percentage of alcohol in the beverage. “Proof” comes from “gunpowder proof,” a reference to the gunpowder test, whereby potential buyers would test the distiller’s product by pouring it on gunpowder and attempting to light it. If the alcohol content was at least 50%, the gun powder would burn; otherwise the water in the product would put out the flame. Thus, alcohol percentage is 50% of the given proof. For example, 80 proof whiskey or scotch is 40% alcohol by volume, and 100 proof vodka is 50% alcohol by volume. The proof of a beverage indicates its strength. Lower-proof drinks will produce fewer alcoholic effects than the same amount of higher-proof drinks. Unlike the molecules found in most other ingestible foods and drugs, alcohol molecules are sufficiently small and fat soluble to be absorbed throughout the entire gastrointestinal system. A very small amount of alcohol is absorbed through the lining of the mouth. Approximately 20% of ingested alcohol defuses through the stomach lining into the bloodstream, and nearly 80% passes through the linings of the small intestine. Absorption into the bloodstream is rapid and complete. Several factors influence how quickly the body will absorb alcohol: the alcohol concentration in the drink, the amount of alcohol consumed, the amount of food in the stomach, metabolism, weight, body mass index, and mood. The higher the concentration of alcohol in the drink, the more rapidly it will be absorbed in the digestive track. Because the small intestine is the site of the greatest absorption of alcohol, carbonated beverages increase the rate of absorption. On the other hand, if the stomach is full, absorption slows because the surface area exposed to alcohol is smaller. A full stomach also retards the emptying of alcoholic beverages into the small intestine. Mood is another factor because emotions affect how long it takes for the contents of the stomach to empty into the intestine. Powerful moods, such as stress and tension, are likely to cause the stomach to dump its contents into the small intestine. That is why alcohol is absorbed much more rapidly when people are tense than when they are relaxed. Alcohol is metabolized in the liver, in which alcohol is converted by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase to acetaldehyde. Alcohol is rapidly oxidized to acetate, converted to carbon dioxide and water, and eventually excreted from the body. Acetaldehyde is a toxic chemical that can cause immediate symptoms such as nausea and vomiting as well as long-term effects such as liver damage. A very small portion of alcohol is excreted unchanged by the kidneys, lungs, and skin. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is the ratio of alcohol to total blood volume (Sather, 2009) BAC is the primary method of measuring the amount of alcohol one has consumed and to gauge the physiological and behavioral effects of alcohol. At low concentrations, alcohol tends to make people feel more relaxed and more outgoing; at higher blood alcohol levels, people may feel angry, irritable, or sleepy. At a BAC of 0.02 percent, a person believes they are slightly relaxed and in a good mood. At 0.05 percent, relaxation increases, there is some motor impairment, and a willingness to talk becomes apparent. At 0.08 percent, the person feels euphoric, and there is further motor impairment. At 0.10 percent, the depressant effects of alcohol become apparent, drowsiness sets in, and motor skills are further impaired, followed by a loss of judgment. Thus, a driver may not be able to estimate distance or speed, and some drinkers lose their ability to make value-related decisions and may do things they would not do when sober. As BAC increases, the drinker suffers increased physiological and psychological effects. All these changes are negative. Alcohol ingestion does not enhance any physical skills or mental functions. Alcohol use becomes alcohol abuse when it interferes with work, school, or social and family relationships or when it entails any violation of the law, including driving under the influence (DUI). Alcoholism, or alcohol dependency, results when personal and health problems related to alcohol use are severe and stopping alcohol use results in withdrawal symptoms; some six million Americans can be described as alcoholics. As in other drug addictions, tolerance, psychological dependence, and withdrawal symptoms must be present to qualify a drinker as an addict. Irresponsible and problem drinkers, such as people who introduce fights or embarrass themselves or others when they drink, are not necessarily alcoholics. Ninety-five percent of alcoholics live in some type of extended family unit. Alcoholics can be found at all socioeconomic levels and in all professions, ethnic groups, geographical locations, religions, and races. Studies suggest that a lifetime risk of alcoholism in the United States is about 10% for men and three percent for women. Moreover, almost 25% of the American population (50 million people) is affected by the alcoholism of a friend or family member. Heredity accounts for two-thirds of the risk of becoming an alcoholic in both men and women. Social and cultural factors are included for many people genetically predisposed to alcoholism. Some people start to drink to ease the pain of loss from a loved one, disappointment, loss of security, and depression. Children think that drinking is a rite of passage into adulthood. Eventually the drinker becomes physically dependent on the drug. Apparently some combination of heredity and environment plays a decisive role in the development of alcoholism. Recognizing and admitting the existence of an alcohol problem is often extremely difficult. Alcoholics themselves deny their problem, often making statements such as, “I can stop any time I want to. I just don’t want to right now.” Their families also tend to deny the problem, saying things like, “He really has been under a lot of stress lately. Besides, he only drinks beer.” The fear of being labeled a “problem drinker” often prevents people from seeking help. Most alcoholics and problem drinkers who seek help have experienced a turning point: flunking out of school, getting arrested for drunk driving, or having a spouse walk out or a boss issue and ultimatum to dry out or ship out. The alcoholic ready for treatment has, in most cases, reached a low point. Devoid of hope, physically depleted, and spiritually despairing, the person has finally recognized that alcohol controls his or her life. The first step on the road to recovery is to regain that control and assume responsibility for personal actions. The alcoholic that is ready for help has several avenues of treatment: psychologists and psychiatrists specializing in the treatment of alcoholism, private treatment centers, hospitals specifically designed to treat alcoholics, community mental health facilities, and support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a private, nonprofit, self-help organization founded in 1935. The organization relies upon group support to help people stop drinking. At meetings, last names are never used, and no one is forced to speak. Members are taught to believe that their alcoholism is a lifetime problem and that they may never use alcohol again. They share their struggles with each-other and discuss the devastating effects alcoholism has had on their personal and professional lives. To succeed, a recovery program must offer the alcoholic ways to increase self-esteem and resume personal growth. The road to recovery is taken one step at a time. Although I am over two years sober, I want to introduce myself again: Hi my name is Kymber, and I am an alcoholic. Reference Page Citation American Medical Student Association (2009) Retrieved October 23, 2009, From URL http://www.amsa.org/resource/natinit/alcohol.cfm “Apparent per capita ethanol consumption – United States, (1977-1986),” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, November 24, 1989 Issue Donattelle, R.J. (2006) Access to Health Lorenzo Leggio. “Typologies of Alcohol Dependance. From Jellinek to Genetics and Beyond,” Neuropsychology Review, 03/2009 Micheal Windle. “Alcohol and Other Substance Use and Abuse,” Blackwell Handbook of Adolescence, 01/01/2006 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2009) Retrieved October 23, 2009 From URL http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/FAQs/General-English Treatment Solutions Network (2009) Retrieved October 23, 2009, From URL http://www.treatmentsolutionsnetwork.com/ Wechsler, Henry Nelson, Toben F., “What we have learned from the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study: focusing attent,” Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, July 2008 Issue http://www2.eou.edu/bsather/peh250_personal_skills_healthy_living/ch08a.pdf (10-1-09) http://www.eckerd.edu/counselinghealth/files/WAITT%202008%20PART%20I.doc (11-11-09) http://www.dailytargum.com/university/legal-drinking-age-forum-finds- feuding-outlet-at-u-1.1645738