Alcoholism: What's The Cause Of Addiction?

Addiction is an uncontrollable urge to destroy oneself over and over again without the ability or strength to stop. Addiction is not about the amount of the “drug” consumed or how often it is. Addiction is about the consequences of drug use to your life. There are many different forms of addiction: drug, sex, gambling, work, cutting, shopping, food; the list is extensive. A commonly known addiction is alcohol, called alcoholism. I believe and have personally seen, people live in long-term sobriety from alcoholism.
An alcoholic is a person, while alcoholism is the illness. An alcoholic suffers from alcoholism. One can start drinking at any age and become addicted to the alcohol, depending on various factors. A survey was taken and results from …show more content…
Some people believe that alcoholics are predisposed to the drink or the drug and nobody can stop this from happening. Understanding Addiction tells us that most people decide to try drugs or alcohol out of curiosity, peer pressure, to numb the pain of life, to be accepted by friends who are doing it, or in an effort to improve their athletic performance. Other people believe that addicts and alcoholics literally have a genetic mutation in them that causes them to feel this strong desire for alcohol, and have absolutely no control over the use of the drug or the drink. Others believe that it has to do with your home environment; growing up with their parents addicted to alcohol or drugs, living in poor neighborhoods, having alcohol-addicted siblings that are usually older, or have experienced trauma as a child. The deception about the cause of addiction differs with who you talk to. If you talk to a family member of the alcoholic who was at one time suffering from alcoholism, they will more than likely say the cause of alcoholism is your home environment. However, if the family member is in denial he or she will most likely say they did not have anything to do with it whether they actually did or not. People become intoxicated because they feel the need to hide from society, themselves, or the world. Symptoms of alcoholism include: needing to have a drink before starting your day, …show more content…
Physical effects include: loss of teeth, hair, weight, and discoloration of the skin and eyes; just to name a few. Facts About Alcohol tells us the long term medical effects can range from liver disease, to heart disease, to cancer; all of which can lead to death. Abuse of alcohol can make you have hallucinations, and make you do things you never thought you would do. This is prevalent among teens and college students who drink socially, yet don’t have experience with alcohol, so most often they consume to much which leads to risky behavior and horrible consequences. Emotional effects include loss of truth, a disordered perception of truth, loss of family, your job, or oneself. Alcoholism destroys families, relationships with oneself, and relationships with others. Rehabilitation centers are the most common form of treatment. Most rehab programs follow the Twelve Step Program, alcoholics Anonymous. Further treatment at these centers would include therapy, counseling, and finding yourself spiritually. Making it a habit everyday to surround yourself with different people and environment, you will adopt different habits and mind set. The end result for treating drug addiction and alcoholism is to live in long-term sobriety, maintain a sponsor, and other support systems like family and