Alcohol

Ivette Molina 1/7/08

AP Psychology Essay Test

“Alcoholism and Drug Abuse: Roots, Effects, and Prevention.”

Alcoholism and drug abuse has existed for as long as we can remember. For teenagers its something cool to do and numb whatever pains they have. For adults it’s a way to get away from everyday stress and avoid conflicts in life. To everyone it’s a way to feel free and as if they are in charge of the world by altering their moods, and ironically a way to actually feel good about themselves by absurdly doing something that makes them look like unpleasant people.

Knowing is essential. Getting to the deep roots of a problem is key. Being aware of how it is caused can save lives. Alcoholism for example has multiple causes. We are more susceptible to alcohol dependence, better known as alcoholism, if we have family members who are dependent on alcohol. In other cases, if one has a twin who is an alcoholic, the other twin is at risk to becoming an alcoholic as well. If we are exposed to alcohol at younger age such as a six year old, who is fearless and impulsive, then one is more likely to drink and make it a habit. This can all apply to drugs, as well. In addition to genetics, having mental disorders can also play a role in our tendency to turn to drugs and alcohol. Being depressed, bipolar, schizophrenic, and anxious all the time can motivate us to turn to drugs or alcohol and feel like we’re a part of the world along with all the other people who drink and/or do drugs. A depressed person can feel as if their life is worthless and meaningless and therefore turn to alcohol or drugs to feel more relaxed and get to that euphoric state that makes them believe that they are feeling better. Genetics plays a big part and therefore, if a parent has a problem with drugs, then we are more vulnerable to become drug addicts as well. Also, if we have ongoing stress and pressure we may feel like it is a way to cope with whatever is going on and feel like for a temporary amount of time we can escape it all. Pressure is a big factor, especially peer pressure among teenagers. Teenagers all want to fit in and do everything that they believe others are doing. Consequently sometimes teenagers overestimate how much other teenagers are really doing and end up to much for what they can handle or should even be doing in the first place. As dumb as it may sound, it as easy as just saying no!

After having been exposed to drugs and alcohol, it is hard to turn back and quit. However, because of our decision to do drugs and alcohol we are slowly killing ourselves. Short-term effects include those pleasurable feelings such as an initial high or euphoric state pursued by relaxation of drugs such as alcohol, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, caffeine, and nicotine. Other effects of alcohol include impact on motor skills and muscle coordination, abnormality of mood swings, slowed reaction time because of the impact on the visual cortex, alcohol poisoning because our bodies reject the alcohol which leads to vomiting, and even worse to unconsciousness which can saturate completely our hippocampus and not let us be able to remember anything that happen. Sometimes not everyone is lucky enough to survive and experience a blackout where there is no coming back. Other drug related short-term effects include impaired breathing, relief of pain, impaired intellectual functioning, reduction of fatigue, increased heart rate, short-term memory loss, and increased pulse rate of such drugs as depressants, such as barbiturates, valium, Quaaludes, and also stimulants such as amphetamines, caffeine and hallucinogens such