{"id":99,"date":"2011-07-17T13:46:00","date_gmt":"2011-07-17T13:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lidaprypchan.org\/?p=99"},"modified":"2015-07-19T20:54:15","modified_gmt":"2015-07-19T20:54:15","slug":"why-is-an-alcoholic-an-alcoholic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lidaprypchan.org\/?p=99","title":{"rendered":"WHY IS AN ALCOHOLIC AN ALCOHOLIC?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n<\/b><\/span>By Lida Prypchan<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Only by understanding the numerous and complex causes of alcoholism, can the gravity of the problem be appreciated so that therapy may be practiced on an individual level and the disease combated on the social scale. \u00a0There are four main causes: DESIRE, TOLERANCE, PERSONALITY, BIOLOGICAL TYPE and HEREDITY:<\/span><\/div>\n
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DESIRE: Firstly we must analyze the hedonic value and the mythical prestige of alcohol: The history humanity shows man\u2019s tendency to seek out pleasure and flee from pain. \u00a0This epicurean propensity makes man an easy prey to alcohol, because it has an effect as a tonic and euphoriant, relieves anxiety and frees repressions. \u00a0Secondly, certain social prejudices or false beliefs such as the one which attributes medicinal properties to alcohol, or the one which says that it increases a man\u2019s strength and virility. \u00a0Thirdly, social pressures. \u00a0It is well known that the act of \u201cdrinking together\u201d creates solidarity between men. \u00a0On the other hand, some drink with their colleagues after work because of peer pressure, so as not to be rejected by the group. \u00a0Other pressures come from bombardments of commercials which advertise alcoholic drinks, their cheapness, and the abundance of drinking establishments. \u00a0All this great economic power is in the hands of the alcohol magnates, owners of wealthy alcohol manufacturing companies, for whom anti-alcohol campaigns are not profitable.<\/span><\/div>\n
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TOLERANCE: By this is understood the relationship between the concentration of alcohol in the body and the degree of intoxication. \u00a0Tolerance varies from one individual to another according to age, sex, hereditary predisposition, food habits, the physical and psychic state and the time of intoxication. \u00a0For the alcoholic to seek out drink and to become used to it, he must have a form of tolerance which protects him from major organic disturbances and a form of habituation which makes alcohol a sort of food supplement necessary for the balance of his disturbed metabolism. \u00a0This has given rise to the opinion that the metabolic disturbances of alcoholism may in turn condition the alcoholic habit.<\/span><\/div>\n
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PERSONALITY AND BIOLOGICAL TYPE: The \u201calcoholic personality\u201d has been discussed. \u00a0They are individuals who display moral frailty, weak character, lack of social adaptability, sexual disturbances and frequently neurosis. \u00a0It must, however, be recognized that often a bad beginning in life, social failure and, particularly, conflicts in the emotional arena can cause a nervous depression which the individual attempts to overcome by \u201cstimulating\u201d himself with alcohol.<\/span><\/div>\n
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With regard to the biotype, it can be said that the pyknic type (with a tendency for obesity and cyclothymic disturbances) tends toward chronic alcoholism, while the long and lean type (schizoid) tends toward delirious alcoholism.<\/span><\/div>\n
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HEREDITY: It was formerly believed that the alcoholic had hereditary defects in his ancestry which were magnified as they passed down the line. \u00a0The authors of this theory stated, \u201cDegenerates breed drinkers and drinkers breed degenerates, a vicious cycle maintained by alcohol\u201d. \u00a0This degeneration theory is accepted less and less. \u00a0It is undeniable, however, that alcoholism is more frequent in the families of alcoholics.<\/span><\/div>\n
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In practice, a greater incidence is observed in persons who have a family history of alcoholism. \u00a0In this respect, it would be appropriate to ask whether it is a function of example, early initiation, defective education or genetic factors.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Only one thing amongst all this is certain and that is that alcohol, although socially permissible, is a drug which, like all the others, needs people to campaign for its eradication.<\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Lida Prypchan \u00a0 Only by understanding the numerous and complex causes of alcoholism, can the gravity of the problem be appreciated so that therapy may be practiced on an individual level and the disease combated on the social scale. \u00a0There are four main causes: DESIRE, TOLERANCE, PERSONALITY, BIOLOGICAL TYPE and HEREDITY: \u00a0 DESIRE: Firstly … <\/p>\n

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