About Alcohol: Hard Drugs Are Worse, Right?

Since before the 1920s days of Temperance and Prohibition alcohol was viewed to be the destroyer of individuals and families. Ministers preached, people marched, and churches/ social institutions endeavored to cure people of chronic alcohol addiction. Of course, back in these days it was perceived as a moral, spiritual, or character flaw. So there became the line between public and private drunkenness and the sense of ‘controlled’ use of alcohol which prevails today. I refer to the current social, legal, and medical designation that if, after age 18 or 21 you can imbibe of alcohol in a publicly responsible manner, not drive or commit crimes, it is acceptable for you to use alcohol.

Alcohol addiction was first defined in 1785 By Dr. Benjamin Rush, although medicinal use of fermented beverages was mentioned in Sumerian texts of 2100 BC. One of the earliest historic uses for alcohol, as well as opium (base for heroin), was as a general analgesic for pain and as an anesthetic for surgical procedures. Anesthesia is the loss of sensitivity to pain brought about due to use of drug or condition. It wasn’t until the invention of the hypodermic needle in 1853 alcohol use and abuse spread.

Alcohol is a substance which occurs in nature. Fruits over-ripen on the vine in late summer and animals are observed partaking of these fermented fruits. There are many descriptions of elephants, monkeys, bears, and herd animals ‘partying’ amongst this bounty. They play, fight, mate, and grow sleepy as a result of this action. Humans developed use of fermented fruits, vegetables, and grains for similar effects. Also in the times and places of poor sanitation practices and water storage that the consumption of alcoholic drinks was a way of avoiding water-borne diseases, there was a low concentration of the alcohol and yeast needed to kill bacteria and act as preservative in these beverages. More important it was the boiling of the water for the preparation of fermentation which killed the dangerous microorganisms.

The chemical effects of alcohol have long been understood. In the short-term consumption of alcohol causes alcohol intoxication. Intoxication has real physiological consequences affecting a drinker’s perception of space and time, reducing psycho-motor skills, disrupting equilibrium, slurred speech, dehydration, and insulin stimulation. Alcohol can be fatally poisonous. Long-term effects of alcohol include changes in the metabolism of the liver and brain and alcoholism (addiction to alcohol). In the long-term, alcohol effects physical damage to the liver, brain, and may enhance the biochemical proclivity for those who hold the genetic tendency toward alcohol addiction. Alcohol Addiction can cause physical malnutrition, dementia, depression, osteoporosis, muscle cramps, and nerve disorders even in “behaviorally controlled” alcoholics due to regular ingestion of such a strong toxin.

Psychologists have long been interested in the phenomenon around drinking called Alcohol Expectation which is the belief a drinker has about the effect her or she will experience when drinking alcoholic beverages. Expectation is the belief about a person’s behavior, ability, and emotion in conjunction with an alcohol experience. All people hold these beliefs from little children on and these beliefs can give great insight. For example, from watching TV to observation of their own family interactions, some toddlers know that drinking beer or wine as opposed to soda or juice will alter behavior. Some people believe that because it is observed that alcohol expectation has cultural and societal variations, (for instance youth routinely drink wine with family in some European cultures without expectation of drunkenness) that if all alcohol expectation can be changed, then alcohol abuse might be reduced. If a society believes that intoxication leads to rowdy, sexual, aggressive behavior, then people tend to act that way when intoxicated. But if a society believes that intoxication leads to relaxation and tranquil behavior, then it usually leads to these outcomes. Experiments have shown a few things; that people tend to conform to society, that people who think they have been drinking alcohol(when they were not) tend to behave disinhibited, as if they were. Along the line of Expectation line is the idea that some alcoholic drinks have been invested with symbolic, mystical, or religious significance and effects experience.

Rightfully, there is huge concern about the impact of alcohol use, abuse and addiction upon the lives of individuals, families and cultures. We care about the phenomenon of drinking and driving and we fund many a prevention program. We care about drinking by pregnant women and in the last 35 years we’ve culturally tabooed the practice. We care about binge drinking and alcohol poisoning for young drinkers. We care about the role of alcohol in domestic violence. I’m glad these issues have come to light; however, there is a silent epidemic happening to voiceless constituents; the family members of active alcohol abusers and addicts. Recently CNN reported that 1 in 4 children are affected by alcoholic parents. Do the math; in an average classroom of 30, there are at least 7 students who have a parent dealing with alcoholism. Combine this statistic with other social ills and now imagine a classroom of 2nd graders. The teacher looks out at her classroom each day knowing a 3rd or more of these youngsters, in the past 24 hours, were yelled at, verbally abused or neglected, might have been hit, might have been sexually abused, witnessed abuse, sex, drug use, or saw weapons/paraphernalia, didn’t do their homework, didn’t have food, likely performed adult-type care for a parent, siblings, or household, prevented a fight or hit someone, and carry vast amounts of confusion, shame, fear, pride, secrecy, and anger about their lives.

These 2nd graders are not the children of crack-head, sex-slave, Bowery Bums relocated to the suburban school districts. One I shall make up as an example has super-achieving parents, a financial planner and a real estate mogul, who entertain frequently in their lovely home, as well as regularly attend fancy parties to forward their careers. Drinking is a lifestyle shared by their social circle and they have no idea that their daughter is unable to express bewilderment as to their personality change when they begin to drink. The daughter has awakened in the middle of the night to find strangers in her darkened bedroom and awakened in the morning to see her parents half-dressed in strange positions on the floors of her home, unable to respond. The daughter already comes home to an empty home each school day and calls her mother dutifully, and disappears to her room after dinner when her parents begin to fight and don’t want her to hear them. Her parents are financially secure, their daughter wants for no material objects, and do not appear to be addicts, but she is a lonely, insecure child deeply impacted by her parents drinking.

Another made-up example would be the 2nd grade son of a hard working former US Marine single father widower who never drinks during the work week for fear it would interfere with the work ethic he values so critically. The boy’s father is a pillar of the community, a leader in his business, and never misses a day of work. He is devoted to his sons, takes care to see that family dinners and homework are handled each weeknight. So the father drinks only on the weekend in conjunction with holidays, celebrations, family gatherings, sport events and the like. Tuesday through Thursday, this 2nd grade boy enjoys his structured life. Dad is present and aware of the doings of the household. Come Friday, the boy realizes this is the night his dad will begin to change (like a werewolf). They call it pizza night, but by dinner his older brother has slipped out with his friends and no one makes dinner for him, so he eats cereal. Dad ends up fighting with someone on the block or a family member. By Saturday afternoon the house is filled with guys who come over to watch the big TV. His brother likes to go through the pockets of their coats looking for money or stuff. Late at night the boy is awakened by yelling from the men, roaring of motors in the back alley, or squealing of women. Sunday is a repeat of Saturday, but Dad ends up sleeping at dinnertime all the way until the morning. On Monday he comes down dressed for work, tussles his hair and says,” Next weekend we’ll have to do something together, won’t we?” They never do. This is another 2nd grader who is depressed, low achieving, angry, and at affect to his father’s episodic alcoholism. One would never know it to see the father at work, but one would know it to study the impact on his beloved children.

Let’s talk about AA for a moment; I have had clients state “I can’t go to a meeting, who knows what sort of people will be there!” …umm, what sort of people? People like you, your neighbors, co-workers, average people. Alcoholics Anonymous is a 100 year old organization with a success rate at helping people stay sober…it is located near you and free, don’t knock it.

In conclusion, alcohol is a toxin. If you wouldn’t dream of using heroin because it is a seriously addictive, toxic, hard drug then the only difference between it and alcohol is the repeal if the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of the US; alcohol is legal but no less toxic or addictive. It may be that some people can use alcohol non-addictively, but you can’t know unless you try doing so or examine your genetics. This is like Russian roulette. Lastly, alcohol use effects individuals, families and cultures even in subtle ways. Just as pollution affects children the most because they are most vulnerable, so does alcohol consumption. Anything more than the occasional drink, moving to social drinking is capable of having impact on your child’s health toward the grave damage which alcoholism scars children. It is never too late to begin repairs as children are resilient and forgiving. Mostly you owe it to yourself as an individual with self-respect not to harm yourself; next not to harm your loved ones as you would not harm yourself….in this way, there is really no room for alcohol use, abuse or addiction.

Do you suffer from the effects of alcoholism from your childhood? Are you sober and working to put your life back together? Are/were you married to an alcoholic and need to understand how you fit into addictive patterns? Gail-Elaine Tinker, M.S., has a General Practice of Psychotherapy/Life Coaching in Lehigh Valley, PA. She specializes in trauma, addiction, grief, chronic pain/illness issues, and adult special needs. She uses Reiki in her practice as well as Focusing and Transformative Art. Gail-Elaine offers individual, internet, small group, workshop, and advocacy consultation on confidential and private pay basis. To contact directly, you may call 610-216-4319, tinkerpsychotherapy.com/facebook, or www.tinkerpsychotherapy.com.