FREE ESSAY ON MODERATE DRINKING

MODERATE DRINKING

Moderate Drinking
Alcoholism is a serious subject that relates to everyone in our society. The question of
whether alcoholism should be allowed or not, forms an argument whether alcohol if drank
in moderation is good for recovery or not. Many people drink in moderation to control
their drinking problems, but the counter argument says it's addictive. Not only are they
destroying their liver, but they are also taking a risk of getting in trouble by the law.
There are a lot of issues that come up about drinking, but maybe these people can not
stop one day to the next. It doesn't make them bad people if they are trying to quit by
drinking in moderation.
It seems that in our society, a person is either a "social" drinker or an "alcoholic."
Sometimes people drink to relieve anxiety over relationships, work, and money. There are
a lot of risk factors that go with drinking alcohol such as anxiety, tension, erosion,
vomiting, liver disease, and cessation of menses in women, but that is why there is such
a thing as drinking in moderation. Drinking in moderation consists of no more than one
drink a day for women and no more than two drinks a day for men.
What is one drink?
? 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits (80 proof)
? 5 ounces of wine
? 12 ounces of regular beer
As long as alcohol is consumed moderately, some of the disorders that are caused by
drinking will be least likely to occur.
When people seek help from traditional alcohol abuse treatment systems, they are
immediately labeled as an "alcoholic" and told they must quit alcohol altogether. It is
no wonder that many people continue to over drink. They are stuck between a treatment
system that says, "we are powerless victims of disease and incapable of changing
behavior"(Gilliam 17). Familiar with these belief and treatment systems, people do not
seek help when they discover they have a problem with overdrinking. If people were
offered a more moderate approach to their problem drinking, they would seek help earlier
and have a better chance to moderate their drinking and avoid becoming an "alcoholic."
Most drinkers do not have a genetic predisposition for alcoholism. They develop a
drinking problem in response to the ups and downs of daily life. Most drinkers suffer
from years of alcohol abuse before they cross the line to alcoholism. If people drink
light it can reduce stress and the risk of heart disease. Sensible alcohol consumption
can factor into longer life expectancy. Moderate drinkers have also been shown to outlive
heavy drinkers. On the other side of the 
argument, society complains that the legal alcohol consumption needs to be stopped. They
complain without realizing the reason why people consume alcohol. The reasons behind
consuming alcohol could be problems that the person is having in 
their life. The "alcoholic" wants to get over alcoholism but it just takes time.
Doctors do not know the real reason why alcoholics drink. Studies indicate many people
drink alcoholic beverages to escape from tensions, frustrations, and anxieties. Some
people handle everyday tensions by developing psychological defenses. The "alcoholic"
tolerance for daily stress is so low that he or she resorts to alcohol as a drug for
relief. The "alcoholic" usually believes that only by drinking alcohol can he make his
life bearable. Even though these reasons make the average "alcoholic" seem as a bad
person, Doctor Boshes believes "the individual who is an "alcoholic" has violent
reactions when he cannot obtain the usual amounts of alcohol"(Bender 66). This is the
reason why drinking in moderation plays an important role to the end of alcoholism for an
"alcoholic."
Amy Alcott's opinion is that "alcoholism is a complex disorder for which a combination of
treatments may be necessary for recovery. If the alcoholic is in the acute phase of
alcoholism and is suffering from complications such as delirium tremens or serious health
problems, hospitalization may be necessary. We can not make an alcoholic commit him or
herself to recovery"(Bender 89). Some therapists suggest that family members may
influence the alcoholic by not supporting drinking activities, by seeking therapy for
themselves, and by not joining in the alcoholic's denial of the problem. Alcoholism is
sometimes thought of as a family disease. This is why allowing the alcoholic to drink
socially may limit his or her drinking. This is a way in which family members can aid the
progress of the alcoholic's recovery.
Social and cultural factors may play a role in establishing drinking patterns 
and alcoholism. Among some cultures there is conflict between values of abstinence 
and the acceptance of alcohol as a usual way to change moods or to be sociable. These
conflicts within the culture may make it difficult for some people to develop their own
stable attitudes and moderate patterns of drinking.
Even though the "alcoholic" may realize the danger, the short term rewards are so great
and the urge is so powerful that the drinking habit has to be protected, and its adverse
effects denied. Support groups such as "Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.)" try to hold reasons
like this against "alcoholics." An ex-alcoholic that came out of the A.A. program named
Marianne Gilliam had over three and a half years of sobriety before she decided to drink
champagne on her wedding day. The reasons behind this was the fear based A.A. message of
"If you drink again, you'll die"(Gilliam 263) was repeating constantly in her mind. The
twelve-step program that the A.A. provides seemed to put fear in people's minds instead
of hope. This lead Gilliam to depend on moderation to help stop her drinking problem.
Making "alcoholics" feel that they are different from other people by disease is not the
answer to the end of alcoholism. Drinking alcohol in moderation will slowly prevent the
alcoholic from alcoholism. If we allow alcohol to be drank in moderation it will prevent
drinkers from becoming what society calls a disease "alcoholism."
Bibliography
Bender, David L. Alcoholism. San Diego: Wekessor, 1994.
Gillian, Marianne. How Alcoholics Anonymous Failed Me. New York: Morrow, 1998.