Moderate Drinking Essays - Alcohol Abuse, Drinking Culture, Alcohol

Moderate Drinking Moderate Drinking Alcoholism is a serious subject that relates to everyone in our society. The question of whether alcoholism should be allowed or not, forms an argument whether alcohol if drank in moderation is good for recovery or not. Many people drink in moderation to control their drinking problems, but the counter argument says its addictive. Not only are they destroying their liver, but they are also taking a risk of getting in trouble by the law. There are a lot of issues that come up about drinking, but maybe these people can not stop one day to the next. It doesnt make them bad people if they are trying to quit by drinking in moderation. It seems that in our society, a person is either a social drinker or an alcoholic. Sometimes people drink to relieve anxiety over relationships, work, and money. There are a lot of risk factors that go with drinking alcohol such as anxiety, tension, erosion, vomiting, liver disease, and cessation of menses in women, but that is why there is such a thing as drinking in moderation. Drinking in moderation consists of no more than one drink a day for women and no more than two drinks a day for men. What is one drink? ? 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits (80 proof) ? 5 ounces of wine ? 12 ounces of regular beer As long as alcohol is consumed moderately, some of the disorders that are caused by drinking will be least likely to occur. When people seek help from traditional alcohol abuse treatment systems, they are immediately labeled as an alcoholic and told they must quit alcohol altogether. It is no wonder that many people continue to over drink. They are stuck between a treatment system that says, we are powerless victims of disease and incapable of changing behavior(Gilliam 17). Familiar with these belief and treatment systems, people do not seek help when they discover they have a problem with overdrinking. If people were offered a more moderate approach to their problem drinking, they would seek help earlier and have a better chance to moderate their drinking and avoid becoming an alcoholic. Most drinkers do not have a genetic predisposition for alcoholism. They develop a drinking problem in response to the ups and downs of daily life. Most drinkers suffer from years of alcohol abuse before they cross the line to alcoholism. If people drink light it can reduce stress and the risk of heart disease. Sensible alcohol consumption can factor into longer life expectancy. Moderate drinkers have also been shown to outlive heavy drinkers. On the other side of the argument, society complains that the legal alcohol consumption needs to be stopped. They complain without realizing the reason why people consume alcohol. The reasons behind consuming alcohol could be problems that the person is having in their life. The alcoholic wants to get over alcoholism but it just takes time. Doctors do not know the real reason why alcoholics drink. Studies indicate many people drink alcoholic beverages to escape from tensions, frustrations, and anxieties. Some people handle everyday tensions by developing psychological defenses. The alcoholic tolerance for daily stress is so low that he or she resorts to alcohol as a drug for relief. The alcoholic usually believes that only by drinking alcohol can he make his life bearable. Even though these reasons make the average alcoholic seem as a bad person, Doctor Boshes believes the individual who is an alcoholic has violent reactions when he cannot obtain the usual amounts of alcohol(Bender 66). This is the reason why drinking in moderation plays an important role to the end of alcoholism for an alcoholic. Amy Alcotts opinion is that alcoholism is a complex disorder for which a combination of treatments may be necessary for recovery. If the alcoholic is in the acute phase of alcoholism and is suffering from complications such as delirium tremens or serious health problems, hospitalization may be necessary. We can not make an alcoholic commit him or herself to recovery(Bender 89). Some therapists suggest that family members may influence the alcoholic by not supporting drinking activities, by seeking therapy for themselves, and by not joining in the alcoholics denial of the problem. Alcoholism is sometimes thought of as a