Alcoholism

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Alcoholism is an illness characterized by significant physiological, psychological or sociological
dysfunction, owing to persistent excessive use of alcohol. Alcoholism is a very serious social
problem that affects millions of people worldwide. Apart from the fact that the Alcoholics
themselves suffer, they affect their families, friends and the society as a whole.

Alfred Lindesmith explained the early medical (and especially the psychiatric) profession‟s view
of addicts as “defective persons seeking to compensate for, or avoid, their inferiorities and
mental conflicts” Sociological theories of substance use and abuse understand substance abuse as
a societal phenomenon, having largely cultural, social, and economic origins or ties. Such causes
are often external to the individual, i.e., they are not biological, genetic or psychological traits
possessed by them. Instead, these theories direct our attention away from individuals to both the
immediate and more distant social worlds around them. Sociologists utilize a somewhat different
approach in defining drug use and abuse than scholars from the fields of biology, pharmacology,
and psychology. Sociologists tend to focus more on the social meaning of drugs and alcohol,
norms and patterns regarding their consumption in certain settings, and consequences resulting
therefrom. They typically do not focus on genetic predispositions, chemical imbalances,
neurological processes, or personality traits.


Psychological Factors:
In the same way as depriving physical nutrition is damaging during childhood when growth is
rapid and personality is plastic, deprivation of emotional food too is damaging. Whilst this
deprivation could lead to a lot of social problems in the adult life of a person, „Alcoholism‟ too
stems from bad parenting. Clinebell lists out four main types of parental attitudes that could be
said to be associated with alcoholism in adulthood: Authoritarianism, Overt rejection, Moralism,
Success worship. This kind of upbringing develops an insecure personality during growth and
well into adult life.

As per numerous psychological reports, concerning alcoholics, the following personality traits
are found in common: a high level of anxiety in inter-personal relationships, emotional
immaturity, ambivalence towards authority, low frustration tolerance, low self-esteem, feelings
of isolation, guilt and compulsiveness. The psychological traits are not the result of alcoholism
but the causes of alcoholism.






Sociological Factors:
The main sociological cause is the acceptance of alcohol into society. There exists a dominant
sub-culture of alcohol users in every kind of society. The availability and attractiveness of
alcohol in the society can be chalked down as one of the main reasons for people to take to
drinking and hence turn alcoholics. When alcohol is widely accepted in society and every
gathering warrants the presence of alcohol, people tend to take advantage of this social sanction.
Peer pressure plays a crucial role in an alcoholic‟s life. Studies have found that, the number of
instances where a person starts drinking on his own in very low. In accordance with the Social
Identity theory, to fit in and gel with your peers, teenagers tend to take up drinking, chalking it
up as socially acceptable. There are instances where peers impose drinking upon the non-
drinkers, who fall prey to this imposition.
The environment the person dwells in too influences the prospect of one becoming an alcoholic.
Easy availability of alcohol, living with people who consume alcohol, advertisements, mass
media promoting alcohol all of these tend to influence the choices a person makes with respect to
taking up drinking and more often than not, these environmental factors turn one into an
alcoholic.

Jellinek‟s sociological perspective appears in a number of articles. In one of these (Jellinek,
1962) he reported *8
\1
4on a questionnaire study of more than two thousand drinking histories of male “alcohol
addicts.” In that paper he made a distinction between two categories of alcoholics, “alcohol
addicts” and “habitual symptomatic excessive drinkers.” The main difference between them is
the loss of control overdrinking, which occurs only for the alcohol addicts. It is this group for
whom the disease conception of alcohol addiction is relevant. Jellinek sees this loss of control as
“a disease condition per se which results from a process that superimposes itself upon
those abnormal psychological conditions of which excessive drinking is a symptom”

The first phase identified in the alcoholic addict‟s career is the prealcoholic symptomatic phase.
Jellinek notes that in the beginning, alcohol use is always sociallymotivated, whether or not the
individual eventuates as an addict. However, the personwho becomes either an alcohol addict or
a habitual symptomatic excessive drinker soondiscovers a sense of relief in drinking, which does
not characterize the normal socialdrinker. Gradually the individual‟s tolerance for alcohol
increases. He has moved from the stage of occasional relief drinking to constant relief drinking.

The second stage in the alcoholic‟s drinking career is the “prodromal phase,” duringwhich
blackouts are experienced. Jellinek refers to these experiences as “alcoholic palimpsests.” He
notes specific behaviors that manifest themselves during this phase,including surreptitious
drinking, preoccupation with alcohol, avid drinking, guilt feelings about drinking behavior, and
avoiding reference to alcohol in conversation. Over time the alcoholic experiences more frequent
palimpsests.

Jellinek calls the third stage “the crucial phase.” At this point the individual has lost control over
his or her drinking. “Drinking of alcohol,” Jellinek writes, “starts a chain reaction which is felt
by the drinker as a physical demand for alcohol” (p. 363). After a period of abstinence, the
individual begins to drink again. Jellinek‟s explanation for this is that the drinker is attempting to
prove to himself that he can control his alcohol intake. Along with loss of control, the drinker
begins to rationalize drinking to himself. In this phase, the individual experiences a loss of self-
esteem and may engage in grandiose behavior as a way of compensating for these feelings. He
begins to withdraw from others and to isolate himself. This is often accompanied by “marked
aggressive behavior”. At this point, he or she begins to experience guilt and “persistent remorse”.
Under social pressure, he or she may totally abstain from alcohol for periods of time. He or she
may also attempt to change his or her drinking patterns to gain control. As his or her isolation
deepens, the alcoholic begins to drop friends and quit jobs. His “entire behavior becomes alcohol
centered”. Additionally, the alcoholic loses interest in outside activities, reinterprets his or her
interpersonal relationships, wallows in self-pity and may think about a “geographic escape”. He
or she may hide alcohol, neglect proper nutrition and begin drinking right after awakening.
Jellinek notes that during this phase there may be a change in family interaction. The alcoholic‟s
spouse and children may withdraw from social activities to avoid embarrassment.

The chronic phase is the fourth stage in the alcoholic‟s drinking career. By this time heis
continually intoxicated for several days on end, which Jellinek refers to as “the onset of
prolonged intoxications”. The result of these episodes includes “marked ethical deterioration
and impairment of thinking”. The alcoholic may lose atolerance for alcohol, experience
persistent tremors and finally admit defeat in the battle
against alcohol.

Every alcoholic passes through these four stages, not necessarily in the same order. During this
transformation into an alcoholic, there is increasing loss of social responsibility on part of the
person. There is also, loss of control on the personal behavior of the person. The person sustains
frequent black outs, causes harm to himself and others around him. The person himself
jeopardizes his job and (or) family life. The person suffers physically, emotionally, mentally and
sociologically. This chronology of the stages in the alcoholic career describes the “addictive
alcoholic “who differs in important ways from the “non-addictive alcoholic.” Most importantly,
he or she does not lose control even after many years of heavy drinking. Jellinek‟s model has
been widely accepted among alcoholism researchers and the most influential typology of the
addiction process.

An alcoholic is different from a drinker, in the amount and frequency of consumption of alcohol
and the two should not be equated. The current understanding is that Alcoholism is due to the
character of the person and the motivating factors behind the cause of considering alcohol as a
solution. An alcoholic is a sick man, not to be looked upon with ridicule, condemnation and
blame as the person has fallen a victim to a set of complexes, attitudes and habits binding the
person, until the process of self-destruction is inevitable.

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