Telyatnik Anna
Dragomanov
National Pedagogical University,
The
Institute of Corrective Pedagogy and Psychology, student
Pet’ko Lyudmila
Ph.D., Associate Professor,
Dragomanov
National Pedagogical University (Ukraine,
Kyiv)
ALCOHOLISM
AND ALCOHOL ABUSE
Since drinking is
so common in many cultures and the effects vary so widely from person to
person, it’s not always easy to figure out where the line is between social
drinking and problem drinking.
The World Health
Organization (WHO) says there are at least 140 million alcoholics in the world;
unfortunately, the majority of them are not treated.
Alcoholism in the UK – one in every 13
people in the United Kingdom is an alcoholic, according to the NHS (National
Health Service) statistics. Even among people who are not dependent on alcohol,
a sizeable proportion drinks too much [1].
In the USA, 15% of Americans are problem
drinkers, while between 5% to 10% of male and 3% to 5% of female drinkers could
be diagnosed as alcohol dependent, according to the National Institutes of
Health (NIH). A US study estimated that about 30% of Americans report having an
alcohol disorder at some time in their lives.
A Canadian study
found that alcohol is a factor in 1 in 25 deaths worldwide. The British Medical Association says that alcohol kills six people in Scotland every day.The lifetime risk of alcohol-use disorders for men is
more than 20%, with a risk of about 15% for alcohol abuse and 10% for alcohol
dependence, according to researchers
from the University of California, San Diego, USA [3].
Alcoholism
(alcohol dependence) is the most severe form of problem drinking. Alcoholism
involves all the symptoms of alcohol abuse, but it also involves another
element: physical dependence on alcohol [6].
Alcoholism and
alcohol abuse are due to many
interconnected factors, including genetics, how you were raised, your social
environment, and your emotional health. Some racial groups, such as American
Indians and Native Alaskans, are more at risk than others of developing alcohol
addiction. People who have a family history of alcoholism or who associate
closely with heavy drinkers are more likely to develop drinking problems [4].
Substance abuse
experts make a distinction between alcohol abuse and alcoholism. Unlike
alcoholics, alcohol abusers have some ability to set limits on their drinking.
However, their alcohol use is still self-destructive and dangerous to
themselves or others.
It is said in the
researches that signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse include: 1) repeatedly neglecting person’s
responsibilities at home, work, or school because of person’s drinking (e.g.,
performing poorly at work, flunking classes, neglecting your kids, or
skipping out on commitments because you’re hung over); 2) using alcohol in situations
where it’s physically dangerous, such as drinking and
driving, operating machinery while intoxicated, or mixing alcohol with
prescription medication against doctor’s orders; 3) Experiencing repeated legal
problems on account of your drinking (e.g., getting arrested for driving under the influence or
for drunk and disorderly conduct.); 4) continuing to drink even though your alcohol
use is causing problems in your relationships. Getting drunk with
your buddies, e.g, even though you know your wife will be very upset, or
fighting with your family because they dislike how you act when you drink; 5) drinking
as a way to relax or de-stress. Many drinking problems start when
people use alcohol to self-soothe and relieve stress. Getting drunk after every
stressful day, for example, or reaching for a bottle every time you have an
argument with your spouse or boss [3; 4].
An alcoholic is a man or a woman who suffers from alcoholism – they have
a distinct physical desire to consume alcohol beyond their capacity to control
it, regardless of all rules of common sense [5].
Definition – an alcoholic is a
person, while alcoholism is the
illness. An alcoholic suffers from alcoholism. Alcoholism is a long-term
(chronic) disease.
Alcohol abuse generally refers to people who do not display the characteristics of
alcoholism, but still have a problem with it – they are not as dependent on
alcohol as an alcoholic is; they have not yet completely lost their control
over its consumption [3].
The alcohol symptoms
are: 1) anxiety or jumpiness, 2) shakiness or trembling, 3) sweating, 4) nausea
and vomiting, 5) insomnia, 6) depression, 7) irritability, 8) fatigue, 9) loss
of appetite, 10) headache [1].
The authors
points out such other signs and symptoms of alcoholism (alcohol dependence): 1)
a man has lost control over your
drinking. He often drinks more alcohol
than he wanted to, for longer than he intended, or despite telling himself he
wouldn’t; 2) a man wants to quit drinking, but he can’t.
He has a persistent desire to cut down or stop his alcohol use, but his efforts
to quit have been unsuccessful, 3) a man has
given up other activities because of alcohol. He’s spending less time on
activities that used to be important to him (hanging out with family and friends,
going to the gym, pursuing your hobbies) because of his alcohol use, 4) alcohol
takes up a great deal of man’s energy and focus. He spends
a lot of time drinking, thinking about it, or recovering from its effects. He
has few if any interests or social involvements that don’t revolve around
drinking, 5) a man drinks even though he knows it’s causing problems.
For example, he recognizes that his alcohol use is damaging his marriage,
making his depression worse, or causing health problems, but he continues to
drink anyway, 6) drinking alone, 7) drinking in secret [4;3; 5].
Bibliography
1. Alcohol – the Facts (Video) [Web
site]. – Access mode: http://www.videojug.com/film/alcohol-the-facts
2. National Institut on Alcogol
Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Publications. [Web site]. – Access mode: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications
Last updated: 24 April, 2013. [Web
site]. – Access mode: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/157163.php
4. Smith Melinda. Alcoholism and
Alcohol Abuse / Melinda Smith, Lawrence Robinson, Jeanne Segal // Last
updated: August 2013. [Web site]. – Access mode: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/alcohol_abuse_alcoholism_signs_effects_treatment.htm