The Different Lifestyles Between an Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Essay Example for Free

The Different Lifestyles Between an Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Essay A person’s body that is physically dependent on alcohol is known as alcoholism. An alcoholic can be called an addict; someone who is addicted to alcohol. (More on the definition of â€Å"addict† is further in this essay). Alcoholism is a very serious illness that affects about 30 percent of people; 10 percent of women and 20 percent of men (Green Health Edition, Chapter8, page 222H). People all over the world and throughout history have used alcohol for every kind of social gatherings to religious ceremonies. It is said that alcohol enhances celebrations or special times; however, people have rarely ever thought about the impact alcohol can have. Research collected from the textbook, Green Health Edition, Chapter 8, page 222, even shows that very low levels of alcohol consumption may lower some health risks. However, while alcohol can sometimes play a positive role in some people’s lives (people who can control it); it needs to be remembered that it is a chemical substance that affects a person’s general personality and behavior. Alcoholism can affect individuals, as well as their families in a number of ways. Living a life of an alcoholic or a non-alcoholic is entirely a choice. Knowing the difference between an alcoholic lifestyle versus a sober lifestyle can hopefully help an individual make the right choice. Alcohol affects everyone on different levels, where one area may be more affected than another, depending on the alcoholic. Alcohol has a major negative impact on the individual as well as anyone else that is involved, and may need treatment to get their lives back to normal. The lifestyle of an alcoholic and non-alcoholic differentiates in many ways, ranging from family relations, to finances, to emotional/behavioral issues. Alcoholics can disrupt family life and cause harmful effects that can last a lifetime. Family interaction between an alcoholic differ majorly compared to family interaction involving a non-alcoholic. An alcoholic family or a family that has an alcoholic spouse or parent or parents suffers in many ways. If there is a celebration of any kind, the alcoholic will tend to bring alcohol to it, show up drunk or avoid going altogether. Drunkards will frequently withdraw themselves from family or social gatherings in order to commit more time to their drinking. Approximately 71 percent of drinkers have reported heavy alcohol consumption prior to attending a party, sporting event, or school-sponsored activity (Green Health Edition Chapter 8, page 223). This can ruin the celebration and cause emotional distress for the sober family members. A non-addict family will tend to have smooth running, well organized, have happy company at their celebrations or family gatherings. Another way a family can be affected by alcoholism is where a parent is the alcoholic. Most commonly, the majority of alcoholics are parents or those who have a similar type of framework of some sort in which they have the authority to be influential. Parental responsibilities are often ignored, leaving children to take care of themselves. This type of behavior creates an evident formula for catastrophe as toddlers, adolescents, and teenagers need embracive attention for adequate development. Children and young teens that see alcohol abuse tend to become more â€Å"susceptible to abusing alcohol themselves† (yourbesthealthcare. blogspot. com, para. 6) and at an early age. Parents can become verbally and physically abusive successfully cutting emotional ties that become relevantly involved with the family relationship and with their children and perhaps even spouse. This could lead to a divorce which causes even more emotional drama on young children. A non-alcoholic family is more prone to have a happy functional family. The children do better in school, behave better in social events, teens perform better academically, and will most likely not fall into the pattern of alcohol abuse. Those are the families whom are those that communicate with one another, work and compromise together, parent together, and the children have a safer and stable environment and foundation to grow up on. Alcoholics go through money just as fast as they do their alcohol. Fiscal disciplinary actions are almost unavoidable when a person develops an alcohol addiction. Just financially supporting the habit of drinking alcohol alone can off balance a family budget. An alcoholic may take money aside or hide spending money for the wanted alcohol. Some liquor can indeed be quite taxing to a budget, especially when an addict’s tolerance keeps growing. Alcoholics sometimes depend on other family members to step in and help with their finances. This is where family member can become the alcoholic’s enabler without realizing it. â€Å"Families are desperate to fix the drinker’s problem, to show them there is a better way to live, because one believes it will demonstrate how much they are loved and they will return the love† (Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism 2012, page 6). Sometimes alcoholics may steal possessions or money to support their addiction. Alcoholism can have a tremendous financial impact on an individual and families. With increased finances coming from the budget and going to the increased need for alcohol, â€Å"financial duties, such as bill payments, can be put at risk because it is necessary for the alcoholic to get a drink† (yourbesthealthcare. blogspot. com, para. 4). Besides money leaving the family budget, alcoholics can even put their job security at risk causing an inconsistency that generally is noticed by supervisors, which in turn are reported to the boss. This can cause frequent job changes and the loss of jobs, which causes the finances to fluctuate. Sometimes a person may use this for an excuse to drink even more because they cannot deal with the financial strains and stress. Not only does a person’s finance suffer from the wanted addiction itself, but also their pocket book’s hole can grow even bigger when you mix it with legal issues. There can be legal fees, higher insurance fees, court costs, fines, and if you are involved in an automobile accident and you get a DUI, you could face the cost of car repairs, medical bills or replacement costs. The financial pinch can hurt worse if the individual goes to jail or even loses their driver’s license. Losing a driver’s license can make it more difficult to keep or get a job. If your loved one, whether it is a son/daughter or a spouse, goes to jail or even, gets sentenced to an extensive rehabilitation facility, this, too, can cause financial strain. On top of losing the extra income through the now absent alcoholic, extra funds are needed to be placed on the individual’s book so they can order from Commissary, or make weekly phone calls that get expensive, and extra funds are also needed to travel to see your alcoholic, loved one. This all adds up and definitely adds to a major financial strain. â€Å"The fundamental activities of daily living and many of lifes chances to further ones economic standing are closely tied to an individuals current financial resources† (Pearlin Radabaugh, page 98, 1976). Sober families have a tendency to have better money management and are able to enjoy some of life’s finest things because they do not have money going to unwanted or unnecessary things, such as everything mentioned above. These are families and individuals who are able to rationally come up with financial goal plans, have the brain capacity to critical think, make effective decisions, and the ability to solve problems. They are able to prioritize goals and evaluate the importance of each while taking into consideration of the family and how they would affect them. Attitudes and values are more positive in this type of environment and most decisions are based on attitudes and values. As long as they are positive and healthy, then the outcome will be a healthy and positive one for the whole family. A big way that all families are affected by alcoholism is the alcoholic’s behavior, especially behind the wheel. Every family is affected by this, even families not involved in the alcoholic’s life. According to some research from the Green Health Edition textbook, Chapter 8, page 232, traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for all age groups from 5 to 45 years old and in 2008 nearly 32 percent of traffic fatalities involved at least one driver who was under the influence of alcohol. That is about 11,773 alcohol impaired driving fatalities in just one year. This survey represents an average of one alcohol-related fatality approximately every 45 minutes. About 49 percent of alcohol-related crashes were reported during the weekends, the days where most families go out to spend some quality family time, and it is said that the majority of alcohol-related fatal crashes occur at night compared to during the day, as well as the day or days of the week. According to: Drinking and Driving: Chapter Three, Alcohol and Its Consequences- Drinking and Driving Laws Insurance Institute of Indiana, an influenced driver has a risk of the likelihood of dying in a single vehicle crash is more than 382 times higher than for a nondrinker. Research from A. R. Phoenix Resources, Inc. finds that around 10 percent to 25 percent of drinkers report drinking to get psychological relief; to regulate negative emotion. It is said that most alcoholics drink because they are depressed, trying to hide certain unwanted emotions, or even suppress trauma from the past or present. The reason alcoholics drink varies from one drinker to the next, and the list can be endless. Why they drink is not too important, it is how they handle themselves. According to the 1996 A. R. Phoenix Resources Inc.an inmate workbook titled A New Freedom, section A Guide to Using Your New Coping Skills, there is a flow of events that lead to inappropriate behavior for individuals who go through negative emotions or do not know how to cope with them in a positive manner. The first stage is â€Å"Vulnerabilities†. These areas can put the alcoholic at risk, especially when he/she is not feeling very lovable, capable or worthwhile. It also includes discomfort with their own physical appearance, or health, unresolved or unaccepted issues of grief, anger, anxiety, or traumas. Next, is â€Å"Triggers†. A specific trigger, which can be an event or a thought (this includes people, places, things, and situations), can hit an individual in the most vulnerability spot. The next step is â€Å"Stinking Thinking†. Not everyone reacts appropriately to events or triggers. The way an individual may perceive an event may be faulty. It is common to overreact to certain triggers. Alcoholics tend to create unnecessary problems for themselves because of this. The fourth step is â€Å"Uncomfortable Feelings†. When an alcoholic thinks about these events, one may experience uncomfortable feelings, such as loneliness, anger, anxiety, sadness, or shame. These are normal feelings, but people choose to deal with them appropriately or in a dangerous fashion. Alcoholics will try to drink to forget about or wash away these feelings, where a non-alcoholic will tend to work through emotions and handle them positively. Then, â€Å"Isolation† is next. It often helps to talk about these feelings with others. If an individual is physically or emotionally isolated, then they have no help. This is where one will turn to drinking. Sometimes the isolation is deliberate; people have guilty secrets and stay away from others so the secrets do not get discovered. Next is the need for â€Å"Control†. It is common to feel the need to gain more control in our lives. People try to control the uncomfortable feelings and symptoms, but occasionally this means to control or manipulate relationships or the environment to create feelings of comfort or to reduce the discomfort. The eighth step in the cycle is the â€Å"Set-Up†. At this stage alcoholics have not fixed anything yet. An alcoholic will usually think about how they can seek relief for the discomfort- or seek a positive feeling (getting drunk) to deal with emotional issues. A non-alcoholic will tend to think how they can use positive coping skills at this point. Next is the â€Å"Behavior†. This is where the thoughts are put into action. People achieve relief for the discomfort through behavior. For an alcoholic, the relief is only temporary. The real problem was never addressed and this can cause additional problems. Alcoholics then, normally, face guilt afterwards. An individual may recognize that they have a problem and realize that they had made a mistake (again) and will deal with their feelings of guilt by justifying, rationalizing, or making promises to themselves or others, all while pretending everything is normal. An alcoholic typically thinks oneself is â€Å"fine†; thus they will continue on with their life with the additional vulnerability of having failed again. This pattern repeats itself again and again; it becomes a cycle. When a non-alcoholic faces this similar stage of emotional issues, they are typically more capable of handling the issues in a more effective way. They plan ahead on how to avoid temptations of making themselves feel better and avoid difficult situations. They tend to slow down, recognize what their feelings are telling them and they give themselves better options. Instead of drinking, one may choose to do breathing techniques, relaxation techniques, prayer, or seek out a supportive friend that they can talk with. Non-alcoholics have a different perspective on life and are able to focus on what is important. They are stronger and more capable at standing up for themselves and to themselves. They are able to love and accept themselves and others, and are able to keep their life, thoughts and feelings in balance. ‘People who are alcoholics are considered to be addicts; addicted to alcohol. According to Carl Jung, addiction is a spiritual illness, a spiritual search. One of the most poignant descriptions of addiction is found in Kahlil Gibran’s poem, â€Å"Jesus Knocking at the Gates of Heaven†. Addicts mean to go one place, and finishing in another. According to Dr. Carl Jung, they mean to find God. In a letter to Bill W. , the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, Jung wrote regarding a patient. â€Å"His craving for alcohol was the equivalent, on a low level, of the spiritual thirst of our being for wholeness, expressed in medieval language: the union with God. † Jung went on to explain, â€Å"You see ‘alcohol’ in Latin is spiritus, and you see the same word for the highest religious experience as well as for the most depraving poison. The helpful formula therefore is: â€Å"spiritus contra spiritum† meaning, exchanging the ‘spirit of alcohol’ for the ‘spiritual awakening’ of Alcoholics Anonymous. In truth, most using addicts have to be â€Å"lifted up† by some outside force, family, friends, and society – to be restored to good health and healing. People need to know that even for those who seem initially not to want it, and some might say deserve it, recovery is possible’ (Jeanette McDougal, Addiction is a Spiritual Illness 2009). ‘Despite growing recognition of our national alcohol problem, fewer than 10 percent of alcoholics in the United States receive any care. Factors contributing to this low figure include inability or unwillingness to admit to an alcohol problem; the social stigma attached to alcoholism; breakdowns in referral and delivery systems (failure of physicians or psychotherapists to follow up on referrals, failure of clients to follow through with recommended treatments, or failure of rehabilitation facilities to give quality care), and failure of the professional medical establishment to recognize and diagnose alcoholic symptoms among patients. Most problem drinkers who seek help have experienced a turning point: A spouse walks out, taking children and possessions; the boss issues an ultimatum too dry out or ship out. Devoid of hope, physically depleted, and spiritually despairing, the alcoholic finally recognizes that alcohol controls his or her life. The first steps on the road to recovery are to regain that control and to assume responsibility for personal actions’ (Journal of Health and Social Behavior, (Dec 1994): pages 291-308). Alcohol kills more people under age 21 than cocaine, marijuana, and heroin combined (Green Health Edition Chapter8, page 223). The fact is, alcohol is a drug, and if it is not used responsibly, it can become dangerous. The lifestyle of an alcoholic and non-alcoholic differentiates in many ways, ranging from family relations, to finances, to emotional/behavioral issues. Alcoholism has negative effects on family relations. Emotional, physical, and even spiritual bonds can be broken. Divorces can happen and if there are children involved, they may pick up the habit at an early age. If a family’s reliance on financial needs is jeopardized in anyway by the alcoholic’s so-called â€Å"needs†, can cause a burden a family may not be able to handle. The alcoholism illness leaves the inability for the addict to provide for the family to the same standard of a non-alcoholic is drastically decreased, depriving the family of necessities. Alcoholism effects families by the individual’s choice of behavior because of emotional issues, however this affects the individual more so than the family. Alcoholics drink for many reasons, which are not important, but the self-destructing behavior is. Addicts tend to get themselves into a repeating cycle that will not end until they get help. Having the education on the effects of alcoholism can hopefully help aid a person to choose to live a non-alcoholic lifestyle. Alcoholics Anonymous as well as alcohol treatment provides a humane, successful second chance to lead a healthy, productive, alcohol free life. References: *Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism 2012 -brochure booklet *A New Freedom, 1996 A. R. Phoenix Resources Inc. : A Guide to Using Your New Coping Skills-an inmate handout worksheet/workbook from NEACC *A New Freedom, 1999 A. R. Phoenix Resources Inc. ; Healthy Relationships and Healthy Boundaries-an inmate handout worksheet/workbook from NEACC * Author Peirce, Robert S; Frone, Michael R; Russell, Marcia; Cooper, M Lynne Publication title: Journal of Health and Social BehaviorVolume 35Issue 4Pages 291-308Number of pages 18 Publication year 1994 Publication date Dec 1994 Title: Relationship and financial *Carl Jung, Letter to Bill W., founder of AA. AA Grapevine. January 1968 *Catalano, Ralph, David Dooley, Geojeanna Wilson, and Richard Hough.1993. Job Loss and Alcohol Abuse: A Test Using Data from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Project. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 34:215-25. *CHAPTER 8 | ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO |GREEN HEALTH EDITION 223 M. *How Does Alcoholism Affect Families? | eHow. com By Remy Lo, eHow Contributor *How Drug Addiction and Alcoholism Affect Your Finances by erika.eHow. com *Jeanette McDougal an inmate handout on â€Å"Addiction is A Spiritual Illness† 2009 *Kessler, Ronald C. 1979. Stress, Social Status, and Psychological Distress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 20:259-72. *Miss. Carter who is the head director of NEACC and has been for the past ten years *Voydanoff, Patricia and Brenda W. Donnelly. 1988. Economic Distress, Family Coping, and Quality of Family Life. Pp. 97-116 *yourbesthealthcare. blogspot. com.

Acid Rain :: essays research papers fc

Acid Rain and its Effects On Our Aquatic Ecosystems In the past century, one of the greatest threats to North America's aquatic ecosystem has been the widespread acidification of hundreds of thousands of waterways. Acid rain has effected plant and animal life within aquatic ecosystems, as well as microbiologic activity by affecting the rates of decomposition and the accumulation of organic matter. What causes this poisonous rain, and what can be done to improve North America's water quality and prevent future catastrophes? To answer these questions, we must first examine the cause and formation of acid rain, as well as understand ways to decrease or prevent its formation. Formation of acid rain. Acid deposition, more commonly known as acid rain, occurs when emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and oxidants to form acidic compounds. This mixture forms a mild solution of sulfuric and nitric acid which then falls to the earth in either wet (rain, snow, sleet or fog) or dry (gas and particles) form. Approximately one-half of the atmosphere's acidity falls back to earth through dry deposition in the form of particles and gases, and are then spread hundreds of miles by winds where they settle on surfaces of buildings, cars, homes, and trees. When acid rain falls, the dry deposited gases and particles are sometimes washed from buildings, trees and other surfaces making the runoff water combine with the acid rain more acidic than the falling acid rain alone. This new combination is referred to as acid deposition. The runoff water is then transported by strong prevailing winds and public sewer systems into lakes and s treams. Although some natural sources such as volcanic eruptions, fire and lightening contribute to the emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere, more than 90% is the result of human activities such as coal burning, smelting of metals such as zinc, nickel and copper, and the burning of oil, coal and gas in power plants and automobiles. When does rain become acidic? Scientists determine whether rain or lake water is acidic by measuring its pH (the measure of acidity or alkalinity of a solution on a scale of 0 to 14). A value of 7 is considered neutral, whereas values less than 7 are acidic and values over 7 are alkaline or basic. A change of one unit on the pH scale represents a factor of ten in acidity; for example, a solution with a pH of five is ten times as acid as one with a pH of six .

Why Voting Is Important

Voting is one of the most important things that can be done as an American. Voting gives people the right to voice their opinion on pending laws, ordinances, and who they want to be in local and state officials. It also will let people decide who will be the leaders of our country. Voting makes it impossible for someone or one party to stay in office longer than the legal amount of time. Voting gives people the power so there cannot be laws passed without them having a say on it.If a law is being voted on the members of the community, which it will be affecting will have a chance to vote on it. Some elections are won by a very small margins and it could have gone in the other direction if everyone that was eligible to vote, would register and actually go out and vote. People who do not vote, others decide what is good for the way that they will living our lives. Voting decides how American is going to be run and everyone’s voice will be heard.Voting is part of being an America n, and everyone should take advantage of it. Voting is important because it exercises our right to vote as an American citizen to express our issues and ideas. Voting is the most powerful way to express your ideas and opinions. If you didn’t vote you would never be able to argue your opinion on such things as abortion, gas prices, tax dollars, or more better paying jobs. Voting exercises your right as an American citizen to express your issues and opinions.The leaders of our country have always been chosen through the presidential election since the beginning of constitution and by laws. Voting helps decide who will run our nation for the next term. Without voting our country would be ran by monarchy or dictatorship. Voting to decide who will run our country for the next four years is more than important to our survival as a nation of strong free people. Voting makes the difference from being lead by someone we chose as the people than by someone who took charge without the p eoples consent or by their bloodline.

The Issue Of Police Misconduct Essay - 2179 Words

Police Misconduct Police has the power to put anyone in Prison especially if they are not committing anything seriously. One of the reason is because Colored citizens don’t have higher class, meaning on poverty, no wealthy jobs etc. meaning that they would do crime. War on drugs is a significant factor in the High incarceration rates for African-American. Going back to the origin of community policing. In the 1820’s, In England, where the structure of Community Policing was created by Sir Robert Peel, who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Home Secretary. He came up with Nine Principles of the Policing that every Police Enforcement must follow in order the community policing would become successful. Here are some principles. Principle 3: â€Å" Police must secure the willing cooperation of the public in voluntary observance of the law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the public† Principle 2: â€Å" The Ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police actions. Principle 4: â€Å" The degree of cooperation of the public that can be secured diminishes proportionately to the necessity of the use of physical force. Community policing could possibly be called the new orthodoxy of law enforcement in the United States. 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