Alcoholism The Misuse And Addiction - 1361 Words

Alcoholism: The Misuse and Addiction â€Å"I know my limit†, â€Å"Just one more drink†, and â€Å"I’m not drunk† are common phrases people often associate with being an alcoholic. While is true that some alcoholics can use such phrases, that is not what makes them an alcoholic. Alcoholics or rather anyone who happens to drink a little too much, are marked as being alcoholics. But what does it really mean to be an alcoholic? Or better yet, what does it mean to suffer from Alcoholism? Over the years, a controversial issue has been whether or not alcoholics should be blamed for their misuse of alcohol, or it the addictive factors within alcohol itself that leads to this type of behavior. On the one hand, some believe that Alcoholism is a chronic†¦show more content†¦This dependence occurs because, according to clinical nutritionist Dr. Charles S. Lieber of the Section of Liver Diseases and Nutrition from the Alcohol Research and Treatment Center, ethanol affects the most essential functions of the body, and takes up an alcoholic’s calorie intake, which creates this dependent like state for survival within an alcoholic (60). Ethanol plays a key role as to why Alcoholism is a disease. A disease is a condition in which the body’s normal functions are impaired [weakened]. Understanding how ethanol affects the body is essential because these affects are what causes the urge to drink as the dependence on alcohol itself. While there is evidence to suggest that Alcoholism is an addicting disease that alcoholics should not be blamed for, many will probably disagree with this assertion. For example, as Nick Heather who is a Professor of Alcohol and Other Drug Studies of the Department of Psychology points out, Alcoholism is a behavioral disorder (or any form of behavior that is considered abnormal or inappropriate), rather than a disease (323-324). Heather also believes that calling Alcoholism a disease no longer works (323-324). Heather uses his own personal experience with his addiction to nicotine as a way to suggest that Alcoholism is not a disease. He discusses how he was able to overcome his addiction, and believes that smoking and drinking are equally addicting. He concluded that since smoking is not considered a disease and it