Alcoholism A Family Affair Essay example - 873 Words

Growing up is a mandatory part of life. There are situations and circumstances that shape one’s future and impact one’s life. These events can be either positive or negative. One event that has a negative impact on a person’s life is alcoholism. It changes the very essence of the family. When one parent in a family is an alcoholic, counseling for the entire family is necessary because it provides understanding of the disease process, acceptance of the need for help, a chance to express emotions, and unification of the family. Overall, it focuses on putting the family back together as a unit. Before the family can begin to come together, it is important to understand what is tearing it apart. Doing this means understanding†¦show more content†¦In essence, the substance abuser must realize that their continued overuse of alcohol is directly related to â€Å"the familys progression along a continuum from stability to a loss of control over events relevant to the family, employment, child care, and general family functioning† (Van Wormer, 2008, p. 203). The level of help or counseling that is received is dependent upon the effects of the alcoholism. For families that have undergone domestic violence or physical abuse, then behavior’s couple therapy (BCT) may be an appropriate first step. According to Cunion, Noble and Ripley (2006), â€Å"the goals of BCT are to facilitate motivation to change drinking behaviors, to enhance self-efficacy for both the alcoholic mate and their spouse regarding their ability to change maladaptive behaviors, to incr ease positive reinforcement for abstinence, and to teach new cognitive and behavioral coping skills in the maintenance of treatment gains† (p. 177). Add to this therapy, the Alcohol Behavioral Couples Therapy (ABCT) approach, in which the spouse participates in all levels of treatment that include high-risk situations and coping mechanisms (Cunion, Noble and Ripley, 2006). Another approach to family therapy is family relationships are the focus as a result of deep-rooted drinking (Cunion, Noble and Ripley, 2006). Regardless of the type of therapy that is used, it provides the participants with a chance to acknowledge,Show MoreRelatedYou Can t Spell Alcoholic Without846 Words   |  4 Pageshis family. While the contents of Carver’s gloomy tale are revealed, we are enlightened to the effect of just how far Al has lost control of his life. He is so far gone that he is practically blinded by his depression and alcoholic dependencies, which brings his judgment into question as his life starts to spiral out of control. The main conflict of this short tale is made clear when Al decides that the only way to establish order in his life is to relinquish the responsibilities of the family dogRead More Alcohol Essay1434 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is alcoholism? 2. How do people become alcoholics? 3. What are the effects of alcoholism, on both the alcoholic and their family? 4. How do you diagnose alcoholism? 5. Is there a cure for alcoholics? 6. What is the treatment? What is Alcoholism? Alcohol ism can be defined as the dependency on alcohol; addiction to alcohol. It is a chronic disease, this disease called alcoholism is progressive and potentially fatal. â€Å" In 1966 the American Medical Association (AMA) declared Alcoholism a diseaseRead MoreAlcoholism : A Silent Killer1624 Words   |  7 Pageshome for me. Alcoholism is a silent killer in today’s society. Research proves that alcoholism effects the whole family from the inside out. Alcoholism within a family recreates unhealthy family roles in order to help adapt to living with an alcoholic. The alcoholic becomes the focal point in a family; which causes lasting effects. Alcoholism is a disease that destroy families when they are not appropriately addressed. This paper focuses on three points; 1) alcoholism recreates family roles, 2) TheRead MoreSocial Problems Of Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, And Mental Illness818 Words   |  4 Pagespresentations I believed to be the most intriguing were on the social prob lems of alcoholism, drug addiction, and mental illness. The first presentation was focused on how alcoholism can affect someones health, relationships, and lifestyle. S.C. interviewed a older women named Emily who had been affected by alcoholism through her family. Emily’s dad and two brothers were considered alcoholics. S.C. described that alcoholism may start at an early age and leads to psychological and physical dependenceRead MoreKatherine Moran. Health Psychology Research Review. May1197 Words   |  5 Pagesfunctions and the brain. Neuropsychology Review, 17(3), 239-257. PURPOSE: The purpose of this review article was to summarize the current research on the neurological effects of alcoholism on the frontal lobes, limbic system, and cerebellum in particular. The authors also examined factors including age, gender, health, and family history and how those might contribute to the effects observed in alcoholic patients. The review included studies done on current drinkers, both short- and long-term users, asRead MoreTeen Alcoholism Is Driven By Example1150 Words   |  5 PagesTeen Alcoholism is driven by example. a teen sees someone else drinking, for whatever reason, and they imitate them to either save he or she’s pride and be â€Å"cool† or use is as e remedy to try to feel better about a situation they are in or to numb an unpleasant emotion they do not know how to deal with. affects the physical state of a young person, but also one’s current situations and relationships, and the outcome of he or she’s futures. â€Å"People who begin drinking before age 15 are four timesRead MoreAn Analysis of Eberstadts Article Drunken Nation: Russias Depopulation Bomb664 Words   |  3 Pagesbombards the reader with a multitude of statistics to arrive at the conclusion that a culture shift and an inordinate amount of alcohol consumption are the main causes of Russias population declination (Eberstadt, 2009). Unfortunately, the makeup of the family in Russia has shifted from mom, dad, and several children to mom, one or two children, and maybe a dad (Eberstadt, 2009). Also troubling is the fact that an extremely high proportion of marriages now end in divorce (Eberstadt, 2009). According toRead MoreAlanon Family Groups976 Words   |  4 PagesBrenda Smith Dr. Donna Goodwin Speech Communication I 29 February 2012 Al-Anon Family Groups There are 12 million alcoholics in the United States. That means that 40 to 50 million friends and family members also suffer from alcoholism and its affects. The help for alcoholics is Alcoholics Anonymous and the help for the non-alcoholic is the Al-Anon recovery program. I am here tonight to tell you about the Al-Anon recovery process. It is a free, 100% guaranteed life changing program thatRead MoreAlcoholism Is A Major Issue1413 Words   |  6 PagesAlcoholism is a major issue in the United States and has been for many years. It destroys lives drink by drink. â€Å"It is estimated that between 18 million -- or one in 12 adults -- in the U.S. abuse alcohol or are chronic alcoholics. Nearly 100,000 Americans die each year as a result of alcohol abuse, and alcohol is a factor in more than half of the country s homicides, suicides, and traffic accident (Understanding Alcohol Abuse -- the basics).† Alcoholism is caused by genetic, physical, psychologicalRead MoreSubstance Abuse Affects An Estimated 25 Million Americans895 Words   |  4 Pagesabusing the substance, as well as others that are indirectly affected by the substance abuse, such as: friends and family of the abuser as well as people injured or killed in accidents related to substanc e abuse impairment. There are 16 million adults that are considered alcoholics (heavy drinkers) and almost 300,000 people under the age 18 (Mental Health America, 2015). Alcoholism relapses are common. After completing a treatment program more than 60% of alcoholics drink within the first 90 days