Alcohol and Alcoholism by Definition,

Alcohol and Alcoholism

By definition, alcohol "is a legal depressant... obtained by the fermentation of carbohydrates by yeast or distillation. There are many different types of alcohol, but ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is the type that is generally used to make alcoholic beverages," such as wine, beer and whiskey ("Alcohol," Internet). In chemistry terms, alcohol, in this instance ethyl alcohol, is a compound "derived from a hydrocarbon by replacing one or more hydrogen atoms with an equal number of hydroxyl radicals" and is classified as either monohydric, dihydric or trihydric (Glanze, 2003, p. 39). It should be pointed out that most alcoholic beverages like wine and beer usually contain less than 15% alcohol, while beverages like whiskey, gin and vodka generally contain more than 40% alcohol.

ALCOHOL and the HUMAN BODY:

Much like any other drug, alcohol affects the human body in many different ways. The most frequent medical consequences related to the consumption of alcohol includes damage to the central nervous system and what is known as cirrhosis of the liver, "a chronic degenerative disease in which the lobes of the liver are covered with fibrous tissue, thus leading to the excessive buildup of fat" (Glanze, 2003, p. 262). Also, as a result of consuming too much alcohol, the vital functions of the liver, such as vitamin absorption, gastro-intestinal function and hormonal metabolism, deteriorate.

In the late stages of alcoholism, the human body experiences other medical conditions which hold the potential to lead to a premature death. These include pancreatitus, "an inflammatory condition of the pancreas which results in damage to the biliary tract," gastritis, "an inflammation of the lining of the stomach which is either acute or chronic," anemia, cardiomyopathy (heart disease), malnutrition, ulcers and gastro-intestinal bleeding ("Alcohol," 2008, Internet).

ALCOHOL and the HUMAN BRAIN:

Three of the most common conditions related to consuming alcohol and the human brain are Korsakoff's dementia, Wernicke's encephalopathy and central pontine myelinolysis. With the first condition, this is a form of amnesia often found in chronic alcoholics and is characterized by a loss of short-term memory and the inability to learn new skills. The causes of this condition can often be traced to degenerative changes in the thalamus as a result of a deficiency of B. complex vitamins, especially thiamin and B12 (Jefferson, 2004, p. 216).

With the second condition which is similar to Korsakoff's dementia, the human brain experiences inflammation and degenerative processes which are characterized by lesions in several parts of the brain including the hypothalamus and tissues surrounding ventricles and aqueducts. Wernicke's encephalopathy is also caused by a thiamin deficiency and is usually present in chronic alcoholics who have consumed large amounts of alcohol over a long period of time (Masterson, 2004, p. 167). As to central pontine myelinolysis, this condition is a process which dissolves the myelin sheaths that surround specific nerve fibers in the brain, such as the pons, "a prominence on the ventral surface of the brain stem, located between the medulla oblongata and the cerebral surface of the mid-brain" (Jefferson, 2004, p. 218). Of course, all three of these brain disorders can lead to a premature death but can be somewhat lessened by ceasing all intake of alcohol.

ALCOHOL ABUSE and ADDICTION:

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), alcohol abuse can be defined as "a maladaptive drinking pattern that repeatedly causes life problems," such as home life, employment, and health-related issues ("Alcohol," 2008, Internet). For the affected individual, alcohol abuse sets up a pattern of drinking that often results in one or more of the following scenarios -- a failure to fulfill work, home or school responsibilities; repeatedly driving an automobile under the influence or while operating machinery; experiencing recurring alcohol-related legal problems, such as "being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or for physically harming someone while drunk," or experiencing on-going problems in some type of a close relationship which are caused or worsened by drinking ("Alcohol," 2008, Internet).

As to alcohol addiction, an affected individual may exhibit two or more of the following symptoms -- a strong need or craving to consume alcohol, even when it may lead to more problems; the loss of control or the inability to limit the intake of drinks on any given occasion, such as during a party or when dining out; physical dependence, such as withdrawal symptoms like nausea, sweating, shakiness and anxiety attacks which usually only occur when the individual ceases drinking after consuming large amounts of alcohol for an indefinite period of time, and increased tolerance to alcohol, meaning that the individual must drink more in order to get high" ("Alcohol," 2008, Internet).

GENETICS and ALCOHOLISM:

For many years, it has been suggested that alcoholism is due to some type of familial disorder, meaning that the affected individual becomes an alcoholic because of genetic factors which are inherited from one's parents. In the past, many alcohol researchers were convinced that alcoholism was due to a number of cultural and psychosocial factors, but some findings have concluded that alcoholism tends to run in families, an indication that a specific gene within the human genome is responsible for the disease of alcoholism. Some studies have shown that children with alcoholic parents "have an increased risk of becoming alcoholics" and recent research "has implicated a gene, the D2 dopamine receptor, that when inherited in a specific form, might increase" a person's susceptibility to becoming an alcoholic" ("Alcoholism," 2009, Internet).