FREE ESSAY ON ALCOHOLISM AND TEENS

ALCOHOLISM AND TEENS

Alcoholism refers to the drinking of alcoholic beverages to such a degree that important
things of an individual's life - such as work, school, family relationships, or personal
safety and health; are seriously and repeatedly interfered with. Alcoholism is considered
a disease, meaning that it follows a characteristic course with known physical, and
social symptoms. The alcoholic continues to consume alcohol even though the destructive
consequences he/she may face. Alcoholism is serious, and a very difficult habbit to
break. If not treated, it may be a habit that cannot be broken, or maybe even a fatal
problem. It is generally thought that once the disease has developed, the alcoholic will
not drink normally again. It is important to note that the particular symptoms and
pattern of drinking problems may vary with the individual. Alcoholism is, therefore, a
very complex disorder, and this complexity has led some researchers to question the
accuracy of the disease of alcoholism.
There are generally four basic types of alcoholism. The first type is called Alpha
Alcoholism. It is being purely psychological dependent on alcohol (Haskins, 84). With
Alpha Alcoholism the person depends on alcohol to relieve bodily and emotional pain. This
stage and all stages are serious in teens drinking, because any alcohol intake is
dangerous for teens still developing mentally and physically. Another term for this
alcoholic behavior is often called problem drinking.
The second type of the alcoholic behaviors is called Beta Alcoholism. It does not involve
either psycological or physical dependence on alcohol. But yet worse on your body than
Alpha Alcoholism because the heavy drinking may lead to ulcers, cirrhosis of the liver,
damage to the nerves, and kidney problems(Haskins, 85). Beta alcoholics have a shortened
life expectancy and suffer from financial and emotional demands due to excessive over
drinking. Just like smoking, it costs money like everything else, the demand for alcohol
will get to the circumstance of pinching every penny to just get one more drink.
The third drinking behavior is Gamma Alcoholism, the alcoholic becomes physically
dependent on liquor. So this means that the bodies tissues, become tolerent to the new
substance and the tissue becomes immuned to it, and the the bodie tissue needs the
constent pressence of alcohol. Gamma alcoholics crave the need for alcohol but yet can
only live without alcohol for a short peroid of time. If the Gamma alcoholic does not get
there alcohol there body reacts very violently. Gamma alcoholics is one of the most
common types of alcoholism in the United States.
The fourth type of alcoholism is Delta Alcoholism. In Delta alcoholism the drinker cannot
stay away from liquor for even a day or twowithout suffering from withdrawl syptoms.
Usually this type of alcoholism is found where alcohol is drank customarily.
Addiction to acohol is very much like addiction to heroin. Alcoholism is a very tough
habit to break, many people that have been classified as a alcoholic can never have a
normal life again.
Teenagers that are alcoholics are much more easily disturbed than adult alcoholics. In
the near past the United States has been expeirenceing a widespread use of alcohols by
teenagers (Haskins, 40) Today there aree some 500,00 alcoholics between the ages of ten
and nineteen, and it is estimated that one of every fifteen young people today will
eventually become an alcholic(Haskins, 42). Teens drink for curiosity and to act like
adults, not only that but peer presure and just to look cool in front of friends. Parents
are a stong influence to teenagers to not drink or limit the use of alcohol by young
people, as statistics show. If none of the parents in the United States drank, then
neither would most of there children(Haskins, 105). Teenage drinking is getting to the
point where the age group is getting younger and younger, it is now not uncommon to find
teenagers with alcohol problems in nine-, ten-, and twelve year olds(Haskins, 91). 
Bibliography
haskins, jim
Teen-age Alcoholism
New York: Hwathorn Books, Inc., 1976