The Effects of Alcoholism - Research Paper Example

Effects of Alcoholism on the Brain In the age-old debate regarding the relative merits of alcohol, oneof the most difficult issues has been the determination of what exactly causes some people to drink to such excess that they lose their reputations, their careers, their families and even their lives in their devotion to the substance. A number of theories have been brought forward over the years, many of which tend to place the blame for alcoholism on the weak will of the individual. Alcoholics are widely accepted, even among the alcoholics themselves, as having some deep form of psychological issue that they are not able to deal with.

As a result, they seek to drown these issues in an alcoholic fog. However, more recent science has suggested there is another, deeper cause to alcoholism that can only be found in the genes. Alcohol affects the brain more than any other bodily organ. “The brain is damaged through the drinker's behavior changes and emotional distress. Three noticeable effects of alcohol injury to the brain: memory loss, confusion, and augmentation.” (Dunlap) Everyone experiences alcohol differently. Because it is something experienced differently by different bodies, there are a number of effects that can be felt depending on the body, how much of what kind of drink is consumed over how long of a period of time and whether or not food was consumed with it.

Alcohol can act as a stimulant and as a sedative, but it is not an effective tranquilizer, anesthetic or health boost. Alcoholism is “a progressive neurological disease strongly influenced by genetic vulnerability. Inherited or acquired abnormalities in brain chemistry create an altered response to alcohol which is turn causes a wide array of physical, psychological, and behavioral problems” (Katherine/Asbury pg. 46). Because of the unique affect alcohol has on the brains of those who are genetically susceptible to it, people who are otherwise very strong-willed and responsible can easily fall into its trap and, once the susceptibility has been discovered, can never return to drinking again without restarting their brain’s addiction to it.

The disease of alcoholism is a physiological disease rather than a psychological disorder. The psychological disorders typically associated with the disease are the effects of alcoholism on the brain rather than the other way around. Works Cited Dunlap, Michaele P, Psy.D “Biological Impacts of Alcohol Use: An Overview” Oregon Counseling May 6, 2011 < http://www.oregoncounseling.org/ArticlesPapers/Documents/ETOHBIOFx.htm> Ketcham, Katherine & William F. Asbury. Beyond the Influence. New York: Bantam Books, 2000.