Mizzer Mark Vicario 12-14-07 Final Copy Major Revision
Alcoholics vs. Casual Drinkers
The living room is dark except for the flicker of light emanating from the late night western movie on the television casting an eerie light on the motionless body sitting on the couch directly in front of it. There is no one left in the house, no missing valuables, no sign of forced entry. This is not the scene of a homicide; this is the nightly scene of the home of an alcoholic whose life has spun out of control. He has drunk himself into a stupor to dull the pains of his life (problems most likely caused at least in some part by his drinking habits). Empty beer cans litter the floor around the furniture while empty bottles fill up the garbage cans. The house is filthy because this man is either too drunk or too lazy and hung-over to clean. There is no one home because his wife and children have left him due to his excessive drinking and violent behavior. Jim Beam and Jack Daniels are now this man's only companions. At a party only down the street, a man is the center of attention bright-eyed and bushytailed. He, too, has been drinking, but not to the level of near coma like the man we visited above. Instead, this normally shy, somewhat awkward man is the life of the party; he's funny, charming, and has been dancing his way into the hearts of women he would never approach on a typical Tuesday afternoon. This man limits his drinking to weekends and even limits the amount
Mizzer-2he drinks each night in order to still remain coherent and walking. In doing so, he is not only thoroughly enjoying himself, but he is being responsible and safe as well. Alcohol is a very social drug, but a drug nonetheless. The examples in the beginning of this essay shine a light upon both the pleasant and the terrible effects alcohol may bring upon your life. As long as one can stay more to the side of the later example, he should enjoy a longer, happier, and healthier life than someone similar to the first. Millions of people drink legally, underage, with a group of friends, by themselves and most never develop a problem. They may drink too much one night and become ill, then feel sick the next day, but they never develop an actual drinking problem. Some, however, drink so heavily that they develop an addiction one they cannot get rid of. Addiction is a dependency on a certain substance; in this case it is alcohol. When the body becomes addicted, it stops producing neurotransmitters that help your body feel good without the substance. In other words, you are not yourself and do not feel normal or happy unless the alcohol is in your system. It is easy to see how this can lead to problems almost immediately. If a person has to drink constantly, he will be hard to communicate with because the alcohol acts as a barrier. Alcoholics are generally more irritable and violent as well, leading many people to not even want to try to associate with them. Alcoholism is a disease, there is no doubt about it, and millions of people each year are admitted to hospitals and rehabilitation clinics seeking help. This disease can ruin bodies, ruin families, and ruin lives (as seen in the first example). Once you acquire this illness, it may be impossible to escape. Someone can enter rehab and the clinic will sober them up, but how long
Mizzer-3this lasts is entirely up to the individual because once a drop of liquor touches his lips, the disease can kick right back into full gear, and all the progress is lost. Rehab is not a "silver bullet," as in an admittance to an alcohol program is not a one shot quick fix. First of all, there is no cure at all for this disease, only treatment. This treatment, on the other hand, only helps if the individual is dedicated and aware of the struggle he is undertaking in order to stay sober and straighten out his life. Alcoholism is a vicious cycle that may never end, tormenting a person right up until they lay on their deathbed. Some diseases such as cancer can bring a family closer together to cope with such a horrible event. Alcoholism, however, does the opposite; it can tear families apart completely. This is not to say an alcoholic is completely alone in the world (which is one excuse some use to explain their drinking). However, the person may drive away loved ones due to their uncontrollable actions once they have been drinking. Reports indicate that many domestic abuses and even assaults are alcohol related. If I was a mother married to an alcoholic, I would want to get as far away from the problem as possible for the safety of my children. Alcohol does not only relate violence to in the home, but on the street as well. Reports have shown that most sexual assaults, rapes, and acts of violence are alcohol related. This is due in part to the fact that many people can not think clearly or control their actions if they have been drinking heavily. Even if a person is not in control of his actions after a night at the bar or at a party, he is still responsible for the outcome. This can be extremely dangerous because if an altercation erupts and a fight ensues, one or both parties may not know their limits due to their alcohol consumption that night, possibly leading to a homicide. This can ruin more lives than
Mizzer-4one would consider when you involve the family and friends both of the deceased and the guilty going to prison. On the other hand, the casual drinker always seems to have a good time. These people are seen out with their friends at parties dancing, talking, and laughing. Sometimes they get too drunk and can't even walk home, or become sick and spend the night with the "porcelain god," but they never feel the need to drink as soon as they wake up or mid way through a work day in order to function properly. These are social people they never drink alone and are usually having a great time while doing it. If the casual drinker is not careful and responsible, however, alcoholism could set in and then it is game over for being the fun, sociable one at all the parties. Alcohol seems to always bring people together. It lowers people's inhibitions and helps them become more carefree, if only for a while. Liquor makes people more talkative, more approachable, maybe even a better dancer. People do things while drunk that they would never do sober, but this can be a double-edged sword. A man might meet a beautiful woman who turns into the love of his life one night at a party whereas if he saw her in his Economics class, he would never even introduce himself. But things may get heated too quickly and the man wakes up the next day with a sexually transmitted disease or even an unplanned pregnancy due to his forgetfulness. Most college students today fall under the "casual drinker" category, but eventually (if a problem is left untreated) this will lead to an increase in the number of alcoholics in the world. As teenagers start drinking earlier and earlier (almost to the point where many aren't even teens
Mizzer-5when they take their first shot or chug their first beer) there will be noticeable and drastic increases in the amount of admissions to alcohol rehabilitation clinics. Many friends of mine started drinking in the eighth grade. These kids always played sports and were friends with the older groups so they felt it necessary to "fit in." I have lost many friends since those days because alcohol has a great effect on your personality and, frankly, I did not like who some of them became after they started drinking. Alcohol has that effect; it can result in some people having almost a split personality. Sober they can be the most friendly, polite people, but after a few rounds that pleasant friend can become your worst enemy; throwing curses, chairs, and fists is a custom and is to be expected. At Penn State, two out of three students drink alcohol. The amount and the frequency of this drinking is different for everyone, but we live in an environment overwhelmed by the consumption of alcohol. On any given weekend (Wednesday to Sunday) if one walks downtown, he will undoubtedly come across hundreds of drunken students. If their drinking is not done in a controlled and responsible manner, their lives may someday spin out of control due to their dependency on alcohol. It is important to realize now, as freshman, that our actions here set the stage for the rest of our lives. While most of us drink, we have to remember to keep it under control in order to still get our school work done and not develop a problem that may plague us for the rest of our lives. For example, if a student is pursuing a degree to become a teacher, and his drinking actions lead to an underage drinking citation or an arrest, many doors close in that person's future due solely to alcohol. This is especially true of those of us involved in fraternities and sororities
Mizzer-6because parties are such a central part of these organizations that problem drinking is much more likely to overtake a student. Every day there are thousands of admissions to rehabilitation clinics or deaths related to alcohol abuse. If a problem is becoming more and more apparent in your everyday routine, please seek help it will save a life (maybe even your own).