Alcohol
The theory of alcoholism as a disease has always mystified me. I chose this theory based on the fact that I do not believe that alcoholism is a disease. In my opinion alcoholism is an addiction brought about uncontrollable drinking. A human being has the right to drink or not. An alcoholic is someone who chooses to drink. A disease I think not; an addiction, most definitely. Before researching this paper I had a confused idea that alcoholism was a disease. A "disease" brings out a concept that society feels pity for the alcoholic. An implication of the disease concept is that what is held to be a "disease" is an involuntary condition. Drinking is a habit that may eventually cause alcoholism. The choice to drink or not is a personal one. An alcoholic causes may of their own problems by their behavior and the decisions they make, so why should they be viewed as a victim of a "disease"(Skipper 1)?The word disease by definition is "a consequence of infection, inherent weakness, or environmental stress, that impairs normal physiological functioning" (Houghton 404). The word addiction by definition is "to give habitually or compulsively" (Houghton 78). The American Medical Association (AMA) classified alcoholism as a disease in 19
Another theory is that drinkers who are not physically addicted are at least psychologically dependent. The psychological dependence comes with mood, thinking, and behavior changes that result from drinking. After all, can a person really have "fun" without using alcohol as a crutch? Alcohol, if it had the same criteria as heroin and LSD, would be considered a controlled substance. Alcohol has high addictive potential and causes massive economic and social changes. Americans spend twice as money for alcohol than they do for education. The direct and indirect cost of alcoholism is fast increasing, already exceeding a billion dollars annually (Fingarette 51). The cost to society on an alcoholics health care already total $18,820 Million (Cost 1). Health insurance companies are paying for the treatment of alcoholics as if they actually have a disease. This is an incredible amount of money to be spending on alcoholics, as they are the ones who preferred to drink to the extent that they became addicted. Researchers also investigate possible genetic factors of alcoholism by studying the population, as well as genetic, bio-chemical, and neurobehavioral characteristics. However, these studies have not yet proven that alcoholism is based on genetics. More research is being done to determine if genetic factors account for becoming an alcoholic. The acclaimed anti-disease revolutionist, Herbert Fingarette quotes "There was no genetic or other biological explanation for why a person drinks too much either on a particular occasion, or habitually, why a person decides or commits violent or criminal acts when drunk, why a person decides that he or she is an alcoholic and that drinking is an excuse for misbehavior" (Peele 2). The effects of alcohol are quite far reaching. Alcohol affects every body system, causing a wide range of health problems. Some of those health problems include the low end of difficulties like memory impairment, and difficulty walking. The high end of difficulties includes, but is not limited to, liver disease, heart rhythm abnormalities, and cirrhosis of the liver. On another level alcohol can be responsible for marital problems, dep
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1458
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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