Wednesday, April 09, 2008

What drives people to drink?


Is alcoholism mainly genetic or environmental? What do you think are the main causes of alcoholism? Do you think that there are people out there who blame their alcoholism on genetics to make themselves feel better and maybe a little less guilty that they are, in fact, alcoholics? Do you see alcoholism mainly as a disease or condition that happens to someone, and there's little they can do about it, or do you see it as something people bring on themselves through bad judgments?

Thanks for your help!

Lesley Suding (9:00)

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think alcoholism is caused mainly by the environment around you. When those around you drink it usually leads you to drink. Stress also factors into drinking. People turn to drinking as a way to feel better about themselves or about situations. I do think people often blame it on genetics more than the environment because they dont want to lead people to believe that the environment in which they live in is stressful or messed up. I think it starts off as something that people bring on themselves and then the longer it continues the harder it is for them to quit and turns it into a disease.

Anonymous said...

I don't think it is genetic, you are the one that makes the choice to drink, it's not something inside you forcing you to drink. The biggest cause of alcoholism is pressure from your friends. When you go out with friends they try everything they can to get you to drink with them and many people will eventually give in. I think that many people blame their alcoholism on genetics to make themselves feel better about it. There are also people who drink to try and make their problems go away.

English student said...

I believe alcoholism is mainly drawn from one's environment. Alcoholism may be a disease, but not in the typical sense. I have seen many people turn to alcohol in times of stress, anger, and stupidity. Alcohol is not an escape route for problems. The Army has more alcoholics than any other job field or profession, and this can probably be attributed to a few reasons:
-the stress involved with the job.
-the young age of most newcomers.
-lack of maturity

Michael Endris -- 9am

Anonymous said...

Alcoholism is an environmental problem. Many people who begin drinking from being around people who drink. It is also caused in many cases because someone and a group of people may be bored and having nothing to do, entices people to do bad things such as drinking. It is no how in any form genetics, it is a maybe started off by stress of something but from there on out is just a bad habit such as smoking. Only brought upon themselves for being in the drinking environement.

Anonymous said...

Alcoholism is a disease. It is like any other addition, ounce you have and addition they can be very hard to control. Genetics can play a roll if you are from a family with a history of alcoholism. Your environment can also play a roll in it. No, I do not think alcoholics blame genetics and their environment on their problems. A true alcoholic does not admit their have a problem. They blame the world for any problems they have. A person who is an alcoholic does have a disease and it can be treated if they choose to get treatment. But they have to admit they have a problem first.

English student said...

i dont think alcoholism is genetic, it is definetly environmental. if you grow up around people who drink all the time you may just think it is a part of life and that's what everybody does but that doesn't mean it is in your genetics. i know people who have parents and other family members that are alcohlics but they don't drink because of the fact they don't like how the people get when they drink. i know in high school and college kids give in to peer pressure and drink so once again i think it is environmental. i think some of the main reasons people are alcoholics are they are despressed or going through a hard time in their lives so they feel the only way to feel better is to drink their sorrows away. i think people can bring alcoholism on themselves through bad decisions by resorting to the alcohol to make them feel better, there are people out there that would love to listen to someone's problem to make them feel better and to get through the rough times they are going through. there are meetings people can go to to help them, but they first need to admit to the problem and until they do that they won't get better.
kaleen bittner

English student said...

I am definitely one of those people who believe alcoholism runs in the family. To me, when people have alcohol problems, it is usually depression, just to get drunk(to say that they did it and brag about it), or just to have a good time. I was always told that I should never drink heavily because my great-grandparents drank all the time and were alcoholics. But to me, they bring it on themselves. They just do not know when to quit. It would be a condition. Like one of my great-grandpa, he had a beer in his hand all the time. Drank from dawn till he went to bed. We never thought anything of it. He was also a very angry man, and I believe it was from all of his drinking. I guess he had a bad life, and drank to make it feel better..even though he was hurting the people around him.

Katelyn Watterson 9:00

English student said...

I think that alcoholism is environmental. If someones parent is an alcoholic then I believe that sometimes it can be a mental thing and the child might automatically think that if its parent is then the child will be too. Or the other extreme would be the child might never touch a drop because of the fear they might become like the parent. I do beleive that people use it as a coping method and when they do that it can become a disease because they become dependant on it everytime they think they might be in a rut, or they have to have the alcohol to go through everday life, or get shitfaced everytime that they go to a bar. I'm not saying its bad to get shitfaced once in a while but sometimes its nice to be able to let yourself know that you can be responsible sometimes. If a person does get that far where it becomes a disease, then it becomes that much harder for them to help themselves.
People do bring it on themselves, everyone has choices that they make throughout their everyday lives. You can drink to get away from problems or you can drink to just drink, its all about where you draw the line for yourself.

Elizabeth Moore(0900)

English student said...

i think that alcoholism is mainly caused by the environment witch you stay around. i think the main cause of alcoholism is people not likeing the lifestyle they are in and the only thing that makes them feel better is alcohol. Yes, i believe that people that are alcoholics blame it on genetics. i think that alcoholism is mainly a condition, and people bring it on themselves, all they have to do is find out what is making them drink so much and fix tha problem.
Mike Handal (9:00)

English student said...

HILLARY FEARS....ALCOHOLISM IS MAINLY ENVIORMENTAL. MANY PEOPLE GROW UP AROUND PEOPLE WHO DRINK; ARE MORE THAN LIKELY TO DRINK ACOHOL OR BECOME AND ABUSER OF SUCH. MANY PEOPLE DO BLAME THEIR PARENTS OR GENETICS , TO MAKE EXSCUSES FOR THEIR EXCESSIVE DRINKING. BY BLAMING GENETICS, THEY BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM ISN'T AS BIG AS IT REALLY IS. MY MOTHER(BIOLOGICAL) HAS A DRUG PROBLEM AND BLAMES HER PARENTS DEATH FOR HER DRUG USAGE. MY GRANDPARENTS DEATH WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF HER DRUG USAGE; IT WAS HER OWN DECISION AND CHOICE. ACCOHOLISM I BELIEVE IS A DISEASE. THE DISEASE CAN BE FORMED BY DIFFFERENT OR BAD SITUATIIONS ;WHICH SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL LEAVING THE PERSON FEELING HELPLESS. ALCOHOL RELIEVES THEIR STRESS AND MAKES THE SITUATION SEEM BETTER WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE.

Anonymous said...

Environmental, most people start drinking either while in high school or in college. Most start drinking because everyone else is and they simply don't know better. I also believe alcohlism is a disease, once they have a problem it's very hard to cure. Most alcohlics don't admit they have a problem until they hit rock bottom. I don't think genetics play much of a role because, if someone in your family is or has been an alcoholic, they should all know better than to drink heavy. Most people that become alcohlics, have problems with money, a relationship gone bad or are simply depressed, thus they turn to a bottle to drown out their sorrows.

English student said...

I feel alcoholism is caused from the environment one put there self in, but genetics can make one become more likely to be an alcoholic. The main causes someone might become an alcoholic are: over drinking, mental problem, self-medication, death, and marriage. There maybe many people out there who are in self-denial about being an alcoholic. It might be easier to say it my moms or dads fault rather than mine. I think humans can blame other people easier than their self. So, to rap it up yes I do think there are people out there who blame their alcoholism on genetics to make they feel better. Alcoholism is a self-induced disorder, which is caused by over-indigents of alcohol. The only thing a true alcoholic can do to become cured is not drink anymore.

From Steve Gratkins (9:00 a.m.)

Anonymous said...

I think that genetics and the environment both play equal parts on alcoholism. If it is genetic and your parents are alcoholics then you should never start. I think that people do use genetics as an excuse, and that it is a disease. However, help is available through rehab and AA.

Anonymous said...

I believe alcoholism is mainly environmental. I think the main causes of alcoholism are peer pressure and being stressed out too much. I do think there are people who are addicted to alcohol and blame it on genetics. For some reason, it always makes the person feel a lot better. I view alcohol as a "disease", simply because it's cureable. But I believe the person has to want the help. There are plenty of way a person can get help with fighting this "disease". Such as A.A. meetings, which are designed to help people with alcoholism.
I think a person who becomes an alcoholic brought it upon themselves. My reason for this is once a person reach a certain age, he or she has the ability to know the difference between right and wrong. If that individual decides to drink alcohol and become addicted to it, then that's their fault. I believe that person could have decided to stop a long time a go, but decided not to. It's okay to drink every now and then, but if you don't know your limits, then you shouldn't drink at all.

English student said...

The only time I believe that alcoholism is genetic is when that a person has an additive personality and get hooked onto many things. For the rest of the time I think it is more environmental. Growing up your famly is drinking or friends getting together for a drink, after a while you just keep drinking until you lose control of it. With a lot of people I think they try to get away from a problem by drinking, and then they never face what was wrong to begin with. Now, they have two problems to work through, and feel like they can never make it and may give up all hope. So I feel like it's more of a bad judgement call but there is hope if they can find the strength to make it through or find help to make it.
Danny W. (8:00 a.m.)

English student said...

I believe that alcoholism is mostly environmental but I also believe that if you have a parent that is a big drinker you are most likely going to follow in their footsteps. I think the main causes of alcohol are from peers and being able to "get away" from your problems. I believe alcohol is a not a disease for most people because they are able to stop at anytime but choose not to because of peers and enjoying the feeling they get when they drink. I believe it doesn't turn into a disease till you are losing your job, house, friends, spouse, etc. because of it.

Justin Stout (1:00)

English student said...

I believe personally that alcoholism is cause by the people and surrounding around a person. The environment peoples eyes see today isn't always the right thing we should look at. I think peer pressure the just to "fit" in at a party has a lot to do with it. Not because they like the taste or anything but they won't to feel that badness in them and feel that buzz and get drunk to fit in. I could understand if a person has been around it all there lives, meaning their parents were alcoholics. But people just don't wake up one day in love with the bottle, there are reasons behind it that lead up to it. Others drink because they think by drinking that will make alllll their problems go away but it just makes those problems bigger.

Cesar (9:00)

English student said...

Alcoholism is mainly enviromental. I do not think alcoholism has anything to do with genetics. People probably drink to try to get away from problems that they have. I do not think think there is anyone that is a happy alcoholic. People who drink 24/7 usually have a reason why they are drinking. Alcoholism is a disease. Craving, loss of control, physical dependece, and tolerance are four main features of alcoholism. There is always something they can do about this. There is a way to stop and get help. Drinking is not a big problem until you overly do it.
Jennifer Woodward (12:00)

Anonymous said...

I have heard that alcoholism can be gentic,like if the mother drinks while she has the baby in her belly,the baby is most likely to become an alcoholic then a baby whose mother wasn't a drinker. My grandfather was a big drink-RIP-and he died from it, yet I think it is up to the individual and how he/she handles difficult situations. Example-for instance if you deal with a terrible break-up,you could choose to get wasted or you can vent your frustrations in a healthy way like joining karate,kick boxing(picture your punching your ex-good therapy),yoga,take a vacation,or perhaps go shopping instead.The environment could influence by the friends you hang out with,if all your friend are alcoholics,my advice is gt new friends that will bring the best in you and not the worst. People have the choice,to drink or not to drink? What are you going to get from drinking? The problems that exsit will continue to exsist,just deal with them now. I think that alcoholism is a disease,it's terrible,yet theres a cure,just don't start.
Theres hope for people who are alcoholics,it's very hard,but perhaps if they seek conseling,and go to a rehabilitation center that might help.

English student said...

I think it has to do with the environment you are in. If you are drinking and living it up because you are rich you have the money to buy alcohol and you want to party because you are so happy that you are rich and simply just because you can. Wehn your living poverty its like you want to drink because just for that moment you are away from the world. It gives them a false sense of reality and makes them feel better for a moment. It depends on you problems in your life.

Justin Peacock 1:00

English student said...

I think that drinking is acceptable for social settings. I dont think that it is necesary but i dont think that it is wrong to want to go out and get a buzz. I think that it is wrong peoples goal is to go out and get black out drunk every weekend. I do think that it should be fine to have a beer or two by yourself on certain occasions. But to just sit around your house and just get drunk is wrong. I think that people drink to just have a good time. But there is always that fine line that when people are just drinking to get wasted is when things are wrong. I think that being an alcoholic can run in the family for sure. I think taht being raised in a household where there is an alcoholic can do one of two things. It will either make the person never want to drink, or it can make the person want to do nothing but get drunk because they have been raised around taht and they think it is ok.

Tom Miller 9:00