Page 492 - Understanding Psychology

Figure 16.17
Effects of Alcohol Use
As a person consumes more and more alcohol, psycho- logical and physiological functions begin to shut down, as shown in these handwriting samples. How do you treat alcoholism?
The party begins.
2 drinks later.
4 drinks later. 5 drinks later.
7 drinks in all.
5. Application Activity
Create a questionnaire for teens to help them determine when drinking
alcohol becomes a problem.
related to drug abuse?
2. Visualize the Main Idea Use an outline similar to the one below to list charac- teristics of an antisocial personality.
I. Characteristics of an Antisocial Personality
A. ______________________________________ B. ______________________________________
stage she may also begin to suffer from blackouts—she is unable to recall what happened during a drinking episode. In the final stage, she drinks compulsively, perhaps beginning in the morning. She becomes inefficient at work and tends to go on drinking sprees that may last for weeks. She is now an alcoholic, drinking continuously, eating infrequently, and feeling sick when deprived of her drug. Her health deteriorates rapidly.
Alcoholism may develop from both environmental and genetic factors. A person’s risk of becoming an alcoholic is three to four times higher if a member of the family is an alcoholic. Children of alcoholic parents may also be raised in an atmosphere of distrust, overdependence, and stress, which contributes to the possible development of alcoholism.
The first step in treating the alcoholic is to help her through the violent withdrawal, called delirium tremens, typical of alcohol addic- tion and then to try to make her healthier. She may be given a vari- ety of treatments, from drugs to psychotherapy. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), an organization for alcoholics run by people who have had a drinking problem in the past, has been more suc- cessful than most organizations. Some alcoholics must turn to med- ical treatment. Some doctors prescribe Antabuse to alcoholics (Peachey & Naranjo, 1983). Antabuse, or disulfiram, is a chemical that blocks the conversion of acetaldehyde to acetic acid. (Ordinarily, the liver converts alcohol into acetaldehyde, a toxic substance, and then converts acetaldehyde into acetic acid, a
harmless substance.) When alcoholics take a daily Antabuse pill, they become violently sick if they have a drink of alcohol. The threat of the violent sickness may become an effective prevention. There is, however, no certain cure for alcoholism. One problem is that our society tends to encourage social drinking and to tolerate the first stage of alcoholism.
Assessment
3. Recall Information What are the three stages of alcoholism? How can alcohol lead to psychological dependence?
4. Think Critically How do personality disorders differ from other psychologi- cal disorders?
How are addiction, tolerance, and withdrawal
1. Review the Vocabulary
478 Chapter 16 / Psychological Disorders