Kyle Pennington
Professor Suh
Sociology 101
3/13/2016
Alcoholism has become a very large social issue within the united states over the last several years. Not only is it a psychological problem but it’s also known as a family disease. A disease that can turn something that could potentially be great, into something that does nothing but bring others down. From parent to children relationships, to even spousal connection alcohol is known as one of the leading causes of conflict within families. I think that understanding and focusing on the problems that alcoholism can lead to could potentially help the incoming generations understand the importance of staying away from the drug.
Alcoholism has many definitions in today’s society only because of the relevancy that this topic has gained. The random house dictionary of English language defines alcoholism as “a diseased condition due to the excessive use of alcoholic beverages” (p.35). While this definition is true, I feel as if there are far more important aspects to look at within alcoholism and that is the affects that it could potentially impose on your life. According to the U.S department of health and human services “76 million American adults have been exposed to alcoholism in the family” that’s a large amount of people that are potentially putting their relationships with their family in danger. According to Silverstein (1990), one of every four families has problems with alcohol. With this being said, it really makes people wonder why it is that alcoholics haven’t realized this. Well, as an alcoholic, trying to quit drinking can be very hard. Reason being, you get so used to drinking every day that it almost becomes a routine and without the continuance of that routine alcoholics tend to feel like somethings missing. With this feeling, after a short term of sobriety they succumb to picking up the glass and thinking “what’s one drink gonna hurt” and that’s exactly the problem. As a former alcoholic...