The Susceptible Issue of Alcohol Abuse Disorders - Research Paper Example

? Alcohol abuse disorders al Affiliation] Table of contents 3 Introduction 4 Relevance of alcohol use disordersto psychology 4-5 Psychological turmoil induced by excessive alcohol consumption 5-6 Nature of DSM-IV diagnosis 6-7 Criticism related to DSM-IV 7-8 Alcohol dependence syndrome 8-9 Elements of Alcohol dependence syndrome 9-10 Treatment of alcohol use disorders 10-11 Conclusion 11 References: 12 Abstract This paper is primarily based on contemplating the highly sensitive issue of alcohol abuse disorders and the psychological impact produced by them on the abusers. Much research is done on this issue in order to explain the psychological effects produced on people when alcohol is abused beyond limits. The emotional, psychological, and behavioral turmoil an abuser goes through after falling prey to the abuse is attempted to be identified and discussed in this paper with the help of research. Discussing alcohol abuse disorders is highly important because alcohol is identified to be the choicest substance of abuse among both college students and elder people though other potentially dangerous drugs also present a dramatic emergency. Still the difference between the extent to which alcohol and other drugs are abused is obvious which raises concern about abuse enormously. In context of ever rising alcohol abuse incidence in the public, this paper attempts at explaining how high levels of alcohol consumption can seriously deteriorate the psychological balance of a person leading him/her to violence, aggression, and depression. It is also explored how many disorders resulting from heavy drinking pose serious damages to the psychological and cognitive wellbeing of a person in terms of irresponsible sexual behavior. Introduction: It is an undeniable fact that the psychosocial harm done by alcohol abuse disorders to a person is enormous unless he/she seeks proper medical advice. But it is also true that research has identified such disorders to affect males more than females as alcohol abuse happens to be commoner among males in comparison to females. This means that though high alcohol consumption rates have remained fairly consistent over the past years, there exists notable variation in alcohol use among opposite sexes. Research has also found the incidence of heavy alcohol drinking to be higher among college students in comparison to non-college age-mates. The rate by which heavy drinking dropped by among non-college students far outweighs the rate by which it dropped college students. After identifying important parameters like sex, age, and education, this becomes easier to signify that who lies at more danger of being exposed to alcohol abuse disorders. Facts and discussion presented in this paper are basically meant to illuminate the reality of the claim that “excess drinking or binge drinking inflicts myriad psychological problems on people by damaging their lives which is why acknowledging the nature of alcohol use disorders and their relevance to the science of psychology remains primarily important for a psychologist especially.” Relevance of alcohol use disorders to psychology: Understanding alcohol abuse disorders and their treatment is especially important in the field of psychology because drinking problems inflict significant damage on the future prospects of an individual in addition to damaging the society. By acknowledging and interpreting the bond connecting these disorders and psychology, a person can effectively approach the alcohol abusers to counsel them psychologically. It is important to understand the psychology of a person diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder like alcohol dependence syndrome. By relating these disorders to psychology, one can help an abuser in realizing the existence of the drinking problem by ridding them from denial which keeps them from believing that they have a substantial problem. Alcohol use disorders also happen to be relevant to psychology in the context of treatment. This is because many psychological therapies like motivational enhancement therapy and other facilitation approaches developed by psychologists themselves in the past can help much in assisting those who have drinking problems. The topic of alcohol use disorders especially interests me because as a psychologist, I might have to deal with people suffering from such problems from time to time, which is why acknowledging the relevance of this topic to psychology holds utmost importance for me. This also interests me because a psychologist should essentially know how to help people suffering from alcohol use disorders at length. Many alcohol abuse problems erupt due to mental health issues in the first place which is where the psychological skills can come in handy if a psychologist knows well how these disorders relate to psychology. Psychological turmoil induced by excessive alcohol consumption: People with alcohol-related disorders typically drink to excess and endanger both themselves and those living with them. The psychological turmoil they have to go through consequently does never remain confine to them but stretches out to others also. Alcohol abuse disorders commonly lead to other addictive disorders also as research identifies that “For those with either an alcohol or other drug disorder, the odds of having the other addictive disorder were seven times greater than in the rest of the population” (Regier et al., 1990). Also, mental and behavioral disorders of various types like paranoia, consistent anxiety, depression, melancholy, delusions, and bipolar are found to be commoner among those who have abused alcohol habitually for years. In a research study done on 20, 291 people in order to assess the prevalence of psychobehavioral disorders among alcohol abusers in the US community, it resulted that about 37% people who were diagnosed with an alcohol disorder also had a mental disorder as well (Regier et al., 1990). The combination of alcohol and mental disorders is not an uncommon subject for clinical researchers and psychologists who have found that the alcohol abuse disorders most commonly pair up with schizophrenia, antisocial personality, anxiety, and bipolar disorders. Comorbidity of psychological disorders with alcohol abuse forms a very important and undeniable reality which shows the harsh psychological implications when alcohol is consumed excessively as a way of indulgence or coping mechanism. Amidst the violence and unethical incidents erupting out of high level of alcohol consumption in different areas, families of alcohol addicts get excessively exposed to wide range of grave inconveniences. Children born to such addicts with alcohol abuse disorders are at a great risk for developing psychological disorders themselves when they are ignored by their parents or witness violence time and again. The psychological crisis does not only involve the abuser but the family as well. Nature of DSM-IV diagnosis: Alcohol dependence is considered to be a psychiatric diagnosis and is characterized as a DSM-IV disorder. In this alcohol related disorder, the abuser is either physically or mentally dependant on using alcohol excessively and all efforts to cut down on the quantity of alcohol consumption typically fail. Despite signs of physical dysfunction and obvious evidence of psychological or physical dependence, people diagnosed with DSM-IV disorder continue their alcohol usage even when they have to face extremely harsh behavioral and social consequences in the end. Not only do people have to hide their relatedness to those particular family members who happen to be chronic alcohol addicts and are diagnosed with alcohol dependence disorders when socializing, but also they are subjected to much worry, frustration, and desperateness. This is why those related to people who abuse alcohol face great pressure themselves and though this single fact alone normally ought to stop the abusers from consuming alcohol excessively, the reality is that people diagnosed with DSM-IV fail to withdraw from their addiction. The DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence suggests that the abuser only tends to prolong the time which is dedicated for alcohol consumption in addition to using it in bigger quantities and preferring more potent form of alcohol over time to achieve the same effect of sedation which was achieved the first time. Also there is a persistent desire to lengthen the alcohol usage period and time is spent either getting more alcohol or recovering from the intoxicating effects. All kinds of social, personal, and occupational activities are brought to a sudden halt due to feeling stoned, intoxicated or dull all the time. The worst feature is that the excessive alcohol use is continued despite knowing about the harm done by it both psychologically and physically. An important clinical significance criterion of DSM-IV was added sometime afterwards this disorder first got introduced and this identified change from the previous versions. According to this criterion, for a person to be psychiatrically diagnosed with DSM-IV, he/she should be displaying symptoms causing “clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning” (Spitzer & Wakefield, 1999). Criticism related to DSM-IV: DSM-IV is an alcohol dependence psychiatric diagnosis as already mentioned. However, there exist various arguments about DSM-IV also in which the critics from outside psychiatry strongly argue that the criteria set for this disorder significantly fails to appropriately differentiate psychologically ill behavior from normal behavior. It is also suggested by the critics that DSM-IV criteria set for making diagnosis only “represent a dangerous medicalization of social problems” (Spitzer & Wakefield, 1999) instead of actually acknowledging the real cause of problems seen in the patients abusing alcohol. Clinically significant psychological or physical distress or impairment in addition to social phobia, anxiety, and depression should essentially be shown by a patient to be diagnosed with this disorder but critics claim that mild forms of these symptoms can be commonly found in an otherwise normal community even when there is no disorder of any kind related to substance abuse. Some have gone as far as referring to DSM criteria as phony diagnostic material designed by psychiatrists to help them make money. Questions have been raised by critics regarding the validity and reliability of DSM but basically, all the criticism is fundamentally based on the question that whether the disorders defined by DSM actually have the capacity to deal with real conditions found in real people instead of merely medicalization of social problems. Since the more specific rule-based revisions made in DSM criteria, much of the criticism is eliminated associated with DSM diagnoses. This is why in response to such critical claims, the criteria suggested for DSM-IV was again revised and it was added that not merely significant mental or physical distress but very marked distress or impairment in behavioral, psychological, and social functioning was required to be noticed in a patient to be diagnosed with this disorder. Alcohol dependence syndrome: In the process of properly defining alcohol dependence and identifying the basic features associated with this issue, two psychiatrists Edwards and Gross in 1976 collaborated with each other to introduce a formulation of alcoholism known as alcohol dependence syndrome. Alcohol dependence is now a commoner term used instead of alcoholism for explaining the ill behavior of using alcohol as a chemical which has the magical capacity to solve all kinds of issues instantly. Only the harsh reality is that the issues are resolved briefly to be worsened once the alcohol effects wear off. It is notified by research that about 12% of American adults face the terrible problem of alcohol dependence at some stage in their lives (Hasin, Stinson, Oqburn, & Grant, 2007). It is not typically essential for people depending on alcohol hopelessly and suffering from alcohol dependence problem to internalize the idea of any alcoholic disease. Rather they may just be seen using alcohol in abundance to solve their issues and turn a blind eye to real facts of life. This leads to very complicated consequences if medical advice is not sought just in time. The psychological implications associated with this alcohol use disorder also do not remain restricted to the abuser as research identifies that children born to such addicted people do not get spared of the harmful consequences of drug addiction as many grave clinical disorders are highly common among such poor ill-fated children. “If a child is living with an alcoholic or drug user, the child is likely to develop a warped sense of normal when it comes to using these substances” (More, 2008). Elements of Alcohol dependence syndrome: Many essential elements of this syndrome are identified by Edwards and Gross in their report about this abnormal drinking issue. It is stated in the comprehensive report that alcohol dependence syndrome is a kind of disorder in which the patient shows repeated withdrawal symptoms one after another in addition to an increased tolerance to alcohol. Other essential elements of this syndrome as identified by the report include “salience of drink-seeking behavior, a narrowing in the repertoire of drinking behavior, and subjective awareness of a compulsion to drink” (Edwards & Gross, 1976, p. 1058). Narrowing of the drinking repertoire means that a person who begins to depend on alcohol starts using the same amount of alcohol on all days just to avoid the withdrawal and potentiate relief as a result of which the personal drinking pattern or repertoire becomes markedly narrowed. No matter if it is a work day or a holiday, a person caught up in a alcohol dependence syndrome begins to consume alcohol in consumption regardless of the nature of company or occupation. The extent to which each of these elements might affect the patients differs significantly and this only represents the dimensions along which a psychiatrist or clinician might interpret the information given to him/her by someone who abuses alcohol or depends on it. Not all the elements need to be present in a patient nor he/she is needed to display each of these elements with the same intensity. Treatment of alcohol use disorders: There is not any one standard clinical approach for treating alcohol problems, rather a variety of strategies is used when an abuser tries to seek medical help. In the context of treatment, first comes the role played by psychologists which can prove to be phenomenally helpful if they happen to be well experienced in treating alcohol problems. Some important psychological therapies and facilitation approaches to begin with include cognitive-behavioral coping skills treatment and self-help programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (American Psychological Association, 2012). People are diagnosed with alcohol use disorders in the first place because at that point, they have typically already lost their confidence and motivation to quit their drinking problem or to reduce the quantity of alcohol intake. Despite knowing the ill consequences, their drinking problems only get triggered every second. This is why a psychologist can help such people by boosting their motivation to quit alcohol first after which the underlying circumstance should be identified which actually stimulate an abuser to fall back in one of his/her drinking spells. Identification of the underlying troubled circumstances can help much in guiding about which treatment strategy is to be applied on a particular patient as there exists a wide variety of treatment methods and not every method can work on every other patient. These alcohol abusers can also be treated by building social support systems for them and encouraging the families and friends of such patients to cooperate with them and help in increasing their motivation to say no to binge drinking. Conclusion: Summing up, this much becomes clear from the above discussion that acknowledging and understanding alcohol use disorders is very important as they help in making decisions about an alcoholic’s actual cause of problem. People with alcohol use disorders tend to drink excessively even while acknowledging the serious psychosocial and behavioral implications produced by such an ill behavior on them. Various reasons have been suggested by psychiatrists and researchers as to why a person continues depending on alcohol hopelessly even while knowing about the grave consequences and all of them have been used time and again to make diagnoses. As an abnormal drinking pattern leading a patient to adverse consequences like social phobia, depression, paranoia, joblessness, and schizophrenia, alcohol abuse causes people to lose control over alcohol consumption. The basic goal of treatment should be to help the abusers in regaining their control over drinking by motivating them excessively. References: American Psychological Association. (2012). Understanding Alcohol Use Disorders and Their Treatment. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/alcohol-disorders.aspx Edwards, G., & Gross, M.M. (1976). Alcohol dependence: provisional description of a clinical syndrome. British Medical Journal, 1(6017), 1058-1061. Hasin, D.S., Stinson, F.S., Oqburn, E. & Grant, B.F. (2007). Prevalence, correlates, disability, and comorbidity of DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence in the United States: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Archives of General Psychiatry, 64(7), 830-42. More, J. (2008). Effects of substance abuse on children in the family. Retrieved from http://www.treatmentsolutionsnetwork.com/blog/index.php/2008/09/22/effects-of-substance-abuse-on-children-in-the-family/ Regier, D.A., Farmer, M.E., Rae, D.S., Locke, B.Z., Keith, S.J., Judd, L.L., & Goodwin, F.K. (1990). Comorbidity of Mental Disorders With Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse. JAMA, 264(19), 2511-2518. Spitzer, R.L., & Wakefield, J.C. (1999). DSM-IV Diagnostic Criterion for Clinical Significance: Does It Help Solve the False Positives Problem? The American Journal of Psychiatry, 156(12). Retrieved from http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleID=173842 Read More