Impact of Addictions: History of Alcoholism and how its history impacts theory and its treatment

History of Alcoholism and how its history impacts theory and its treatment.
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History of Alcohol Addiction
The history of alcohol can be traced back to the beginning of farming, 6,000 years ago in the Neolithic ages. Presently, alcohol is a widely used substance in the society. Most people drink alcohol in ways that do not increase the risk to problems, which may also derive health advantages, but others drink excessively. Alcohol consumption is widely associated with a plethora of health complications and social effects. These effects are related to the amount, patterns, and duration of use, genetic vulnerability to related consequences and difference in economic and social factors.
Alcohol addiction or alcoholism is very chronic and can affect individuals of the same age. Some people may notice symptoms after days or months of heavy drinking while others may drink a lot and for longer periods before developing a chronic addiction. A substantive contemporary understanding of alcohol addiction in America emerged during the end of the 18th century. This understanding was a pattern that was defined as a problem in the use of drugs, diagnosing alcoholism as a disease. Its main symptom was a loss of control over drinking, which may only be cured by abstinence. During this century, there was a remarkable amount of alcohol consumption, their unlimited use, and a highly accorded esteem. Alcohol was food, medicine and a social coolant which flowed freely in events such as funerals, weddings, in church buildings and ordination of authority.
In the colonial period, people did not even bother about drunkenness. It was not a hectic nor stigmatizing behavior. Drunkards were considered a group of deviants who did not affect the economy. In fact, they were treated like any other human of their social class. In the modern world, there is still little distinction from the idea of inebriety from the traditional view of drunkards. The terms ‘an irresistible or overpowering desire to alcohol’ was used to describe alcoholics in the early 19th century (Levine, 1978).
Impacts of alcohol addiction to individuals.
Research has proven that the misuse of alcohol has a lot of risk factors for frequent users. They include; a habit of drinking which may be a consequence of abuse both physically and psychologically. People who continuously misuse alcohol are prone to suffer from effects such as eczema, headaches, sleep disturbance, weight loss and also changes in appetite. Commonly, the effects of liquor intoxication are vomiting and coma. Continued exposure to alcoholic beverages could cause liver cirrhosis which may lead to death due to excessive consumptions (Institute of Health and Society, 2009).
Similarly, people who drink and drive, or are driven by a driver who is drunk can suffer death or injuries due to accidents. Also, those individuals who work in industries with heavy machinery that requires high concentration may suffer injuries. People who get drunk are more likely to be assaulted due to the uncontrollable rowdy behavior which originates from drunkenness.
Alcohol may also have adverse effects on the functioning of the brain especially issues on emo...