Alcoholism is a Disease, Why People Drink and the Effects of Drinking Too Much
This paper will show that alcoholism is a disease, and not just something people do because they want to. It will show why people drink, and the effects drinking too much alcohol has on them. Alcoholism is a chronic disease in which people have a craving for alcohol which they cannot control (Alcohol; Alcoholism; Smith). They cannot stop drinking even when it causes them serious harm such as medical problems, loss of their job, and automobile crashes. No one knows what causes people to drink, but studies have shown that some of the cause may be inherited from parents who drink heavily, and psychological and social factors affect the development of the disease. Alcoholism cannot be cured, but it can be treated in various ways which help alcoholics avoid drinking. Scientists think that genetic factors may make some people drink too much (Alcohol; Alcoholism/Mayo). Alcoholism might also be caused by an imbalance in the chemicals in the brain. If people are very stressed, or very anxious, or hurt emotionally, they may start drinking too much. If people are depressed or do not feel good about themselves, they may drink because it makes them feel better. People sometimes drink too much because their friend or their husband
The husband of a friend of mine used to start off drinking slowly and be very nice and polite, and then when he drank a bit more he started arguing with people about anything, then started shouting and would then try to fight with people. Someone had to make him go outside and he would drink on his own until he went unconscious. Next day when he woke up he felt very sorry and apologized to everyone. Alcohol gets into the body rapidly from the stomach and intestines and travels throughout the body in the bloodstream, affecting every part (Alcoholism). Moderate to high levels of alcohol in the blood can affect the central nervous system and brain. As the blood passes through the liver, there are chemicals to break down the alcohol into harmless products which are them eliminated from the body. If there is too much alcohol in the body, the liver cannot break it down fast enough and it builds up in the tissues and does damage. Alcohol dependence develops gradually as drinking alcohol alters the balance of chemicals in the brain (Alcoholism/Mayo). One of these chemicals is gammaaminobutyricacid (GABA), which normally controls impulsive behavior, and another is glutamate, which makes the nervous system excited. Drinking raises the brain levels of a chemical called dopamine, which gives a sensation of pleasure when you drink alcohol. Some of these chemicals get used up by drinking and others get increased, so drinking can have different effects on the brain. Alcoholism has many causes and so many different types of treatment are needed. Small amounts of alcohol relax a person and make them feel less tired, increase their appetite, and numb pain (Alcoholism). Larger amounts make thinking difficult, reduce inhibitions, make people less anxious, and make people more confident. As people drink more, they don't worry about things anymore, they don't get embarrassed, they may speak loudly, and their speech may be slurred. They become clumsy and their reflexes are slower. They are uncoordinated and may fall down. Eventually they fall u
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Approximate Word count = 1389
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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