What qualifies the continued engagement in an activity or use of a substance as an addiction as opposed to an interest or a hobby? In describing her own relationship with her lover, which had been downtrodden at the hands of her partner’s daily ritual with alcohol, Donna Steiner, in her essay Sleeping With Alcohol, reveals the negative effects that alcoholism, or addiction in any form, can have on the life, well-being, and relationships for the agent of the addiction, in this case her partner, as well as those people with whom she is close. Addiction, as it is considered here, is the compulsive use of a substance or engagement in an activity that has harmful effects and is nearly impossible to quit. Though they can take many forms, there exist
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As Steiner notes, “She (her partner) refers to herself as a drunk” (253), and later laments that she may have been perceived as such: “God forbid I should sound like an idiot and a drunk” (260). Steiner’s partner, by equating the negative connotations of the titles idiot and drunk, suffered mental anguish at the hands of her alcoholism. In addition to harming her mental well-being, her addiction damaged her relationship with Steiner, which was perhaps the greatest detriment of her drinking. “...she is… destroying us”, Steiner observes, “For every night’s consumption of alcohol, something of value is lost” (259). By noting that her partner’s drinking eroded the stability of their relationship and that “life is sometimes difficult in ways that it would not be difficult minus alcohol” (259), it is clear that her partner’s habit of drinking was ultimately a negative presence in their relationship. Further cementing this idea, Steiner explains, “[Alcohol] insidiously shifts the focus—away from intimacy, toward despair” (260). Other detrimental effects of her alcoholism come as a result of her intoxicated state, such as breaking her foot, getting kicked out of college, and getting raped. If the presence of alcohol was not harmful in any way to Steiner’s partner or to her relationships and did not detract from the other activities in …show more content…
In looking for ways to treat and prevent addictions such as Steiner’s partner’s, it is important to keep these core components in mind so as to approach the issue from a medical perspective as opposed to faulting sufferers of addiction for being weak in character or
As Steiner notes, “She (her partner) refers to herself as a drunk” (253), and later laments that she may have been perceived as such: “God forbid I should sound like an idiot and a drunk” (260). Steiner’s partner, by equating the negative connotations of the titles idiot and drunk, suffered mental anguish at the hands of her alcoholism. In addition to harming her mental well-being, her addiction damaged her relationship with Steiner, which was perhaps the greatest detriment of her drinking. “...she is… destroying us”, Steiner observes, “For every night’s consumption of alcohol, something of value is lost” (259). By noting that her partner’s drinking eroded the stability of their relationship and that “life is sometimes difficult in ways that it would not be difficult minus alcohol” (259), it is clear that her partner’s habit of drinking was ultimately a negative presence in their relationship. Further cementing this idea, Steiner explains, “[Alcohol] insidiously shifts the focus—away from intimacy, toward despair” (260). Other detrimental effects of her alcoholism come as a result of her intoxicated state, such as breaking her foot, getting kicked out of college, and getting raped. If the presence of alcohol was not harmful in any way to Steiner’s partner or to her relationships and did not detract from the other activities in …show more content…
In looking for ways to treat and prevent addictions such as Steiner’s partner’s, it is important to keep these core components in mind so as to approach the issue from a medical perspective as opposed to faulting sufferers of addiction for being weak in character or