Skip to Content
 
 
 

alcoholism Resources

Articles, Blogs, and News

ALCOHOLISM RESOURCES

 

ALCOHOLISM RESOURCES

 

ORGANIZATIONS

 

Adolescent-Adult Counseling in Dependency (ACID)
Pleasant Street, Malden, MA

Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.
P. O. Box 862, Midtown Station, New York, NY 10018. Tel: (212) 302-7240

Alanon Family Groups (also Alateen)

P.O. Box 862, Midtown Station, New York, NY 10018. Tel: (800) 344-2666

Alcoholics Anonymous World Services


P.O. Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10116. Tel: (212) 686-1100

 

Alcoholism and Addiction
P.O. Box 31329, Seattle, WA 98103

National Clearing House for Alcohol and Drug Information
Tel: (301) 443-6500

Journal of Studies on Alcohol
Rutgers University, P.O. Box 969, Piscataway, NJ 08855

SADD

(Students Against Driving Drunk). Parent Brochure
Box 800, Marlboro, MA 01752
The organization publishes a booklet that describes ways of throwing safe parties, overcoming peer pressure, and improving family communication. It is a helpful publication for parents who want to stop teenage drug and alcohol abuse. (Send $2 )

See the telephone directory Yellow Pages for listings under Alcohol or Alcoholism Information and Treatments Centers.

 

BOOKS

 

Bourne, P. (1976). "Alcoholism in urban black population." In Harper, F.D. (ed.). Alcohol abuse and Black America. "Alcoholism ranks almost certainly as the number one mental health problem if not the most significant of all health problems in Black urban communities. It is tied to unemployment, crime, child abuse, broken families and a host of other social problems," notes the book. The chapter studies patterns of drinking from slavery, causes, reasons, and treatment. Several compelling case studies and reliable survey results reveal drinking practices of young people.

 

Harper, F.D. (ed.) (1976). Alcohol abuse and Black America. Take special note of the chapter by Peter Bourne, "Alcoholism in Urban Black Population" and the studies on the drinking practices of young Afro-Americans.

 

Hastings, J.M. & Typpo, M.H. An elephant in the living room. This book helps children from alcoholic homes learn about alcoholism and teaches them new ways to handle their feelings. Includes writing and drawing exercises. It is geared for young people ages 7-12.

 

Jackson, J.K. Drinking, drunkenness and the family. In McCarthy, (ed.). Alcohol education for classroom & community. This chapter addresses the consequences of parental alcoholism on children, detailing the detrimental effects on personality and social development of the child.

 

Kinney, J. & Leraton, G. (1982). Understanding alcohol. St. Louis: Mosby Co. This serves as a great reference book. It discusses alcohol, alcohol and the body, alcoholism, medical complications, treatment, and effect on the family. The book asserts that the family of an alcoholic is confused, bewildered, angry, and afraid. Children of alcoholics especially suffer. They receive inadequate relational warmth, security, and even physical care; lack good models; experience difficulty with relationships outside the home; and exhibit hyperactivity. The book additionally studies the stages of alcoholism, from denial to the reorganization of family.

 

McCarthy. (ed.). Alcohol education for classroom & community. Offered is a wide range of articles on various aspects of alcohol, alcoholism, and alcohol education.

 

McConnell, P. (1986). A workbook for healing adult children of alcoholics. Harper & Row. This is a truthful, compelling, informative guide. Its exercises encourage readers to look at past hurtful experiences, work through them, and receive healing. The book addresses the defense mechanisms children of alcoholics build as youth to survive their situations. It illustrates how these characteristics overflow into adult life and become destructive behavior patterns. Additionally, this work encourages one to identify problem behaviors and to commit to change toward recovery.

Dean Borgman, Jennifer A. Seery, and Kathryn Q. Powers cCYS


ALCOHOLISM OVERVIEW

ALCOHOLISM

OVERVIEW

(Download Alcoholism overview as a PDF)

The United States Commerce Department reports that the average American drinks 22.4 gallons of beer, 1.85 gallons of wine, and 2 gallons of hard liquor each year. A total of $12.4 billion is spent on alcoholic beverages annually. The following statistics highlight some of the problems of alcohol abuse:

  • Twenty-five percent of all American teenagers who drink alcoholic beverages have serious alcohol problems.
  • An alcoholic high once a week can produce an alcoholic in one or two years.
  • Seventy percent of teenage highway accidents are alcohol-related.
  • Eighty-five percent of teenage suicides are identified with alcohol abuse.
  • Seventy percent of parents never converse with their children about alcohol abuse.
  • Alcohol abuse costs the United States an estimated $45 billion annually.
  • Alcoholism is the third greatest health problem and cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease and cancer.
  • There are an estimated eleven million alcoholics in this country. One out of ten drinkers is an alcoholic and one out of five heavy drinkers is an alcoholic.
  • Twelve percent of all family problems involve alcoholism.

A 1974 study found that

  • One-third of all teenagers get drunk once a month.
  • Five percent of all teenagers get drunk once a week.
  • One and one half million teenagers have a serious drinking problem.
  • Sixty percent of all traffic fatalities are due to teenage drunkenness.
  • Fifty percent of all traffic fatalities are due to drunken driving.
  • Thirty percent of teens do not drink.
  • Fifty percent of teens drink only occasionally.

A 1978 study found that

  • There are 3,300,000 thirteen to seventeen year-olds who have serious alcohol problems.
  • One-third of drinking teens drink more than they should.
  • Alcohol is a factor in one-third of all suicides and half of all violent crimes, teenage traffic fatalities, and fatal house fires.

Therapists find that adult children of problem drinkers or alcoholics may suffer from the strain of supporting a family that appeared to be in good shape but was not. Maintenance of such a family system without expressing feelings that might upset other family members can produce great inner discomfort in an outwardly successful adult life. Hidden resentment and defensiveness can mar relationships and rob one of inner peace.

Project 714 of Chattanooga suggest these as signs of alcoholism:

I. Growing Preoccupation.

A. Anticipation of Drinking.

1. During daytime activities.

2. Vacation times (fishing trips, beach parties, sporting events can become drinking binges).

3. Growing involvement in drinking activities.

B. Growing Need During Times of Stress.

1. On the job.

2. Family, marriage, or relationship problems.

3. Emergencies.

II. Growing Rigidity of Lifestyle.

A. Particular times for drinking during the day established.

B. Self-imposed limits beginning to change.

C. Will not tolerate interference during drinking times.

D. Limits "social" activities to those which involve drinks.

III. Growing Tolerance.

A. "Wooden Leg" syndrome—ability to hold liquor without showing it.

B. Ingenuity in obtaining alcohol without others knowing.

C. Tendency to:

1. Gulp drinks and sneak drinks.

2. Order "stiffer" drinks.

3. Be self-appointed bartender at parties.

4. Purchase liquor in greater quantities.

5. Hide and protect supply and empties.

IV. Loss of Control.

A. Unplanned drinking.

B. Binge drinking—even alone.

C. Morning drinking.

D. Repeated harmful effects from alcohol.

E. Increasing blackouts.

 

IMPLICATIONS

  1. With kids hurried through childhood in a highly competitive society which advocates and models alcohol and drug use, it is not surprising that alcohol is a prime problem, and killer among youth.
  2. Parents, teachers, counselors, and youth leaders need to work together in supporting the kind of growth that reduces alcohol abuse.
  3. Those working with youth need to know the warning signs and specific trends of alcoholism. As youth leaders are more aware, they can help alcoholics accept their state and seek counseling.
  4. Young people themselves, as they take part in positive and supportive peer groups, can be a vital source of instruction and confrontation with one another, and a source of information for concerned adults.
Dean Borgman cCYS


Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an informal society for recovering alcoholics.[1] Members meet in local groups that vary in size from a handful to many hundreds of individuals. In 2001 there were 100,000 groups worldwide, making a global community of more than two million members[2].

Read more

Alcoholism

Alcoholism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Read more

Al-Anon/Alateen

Al-Anon/Alateen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Al-Anon and Alateen are international organizations with a membership of more than half a million men, women and teens, providing a Twelve Step program of recovery for friends and family members of alcoholics. Al-Anon is for adult friends and family members of alcoholics whereas Alateen is for children and friends (ages 12 to 20) of alcoholics. Al-Anon was formed in 1951 by Lois Wilson, wife of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) co-founder Bill Wilson. She recognized the need for such an organization as family members living with AA members began to identify their own pathologies associated with their family members' alcoholism. Al-Anon is organized as a 501(c)(3) organization in many states.[1][2] In Lois's Story, she explained why, as the spouse of an alcoholic, she also required treatment.

Read more

Women For Sobriety

Women For Sobriety

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

 

Read more

Adult Children of Alcoholics

Adult Children of Alcoholics

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACAs) refers to individuals who have grown up in a dysfunctional household as a result of their caretakers's alcoholism. ACAs find they often have common characteristics into adulthood as the result of their childhood and upbringing, often including alcohol abuse themselves. Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) can also refer to the Twelve Step program that assists ACAs with their common problems.[1]

Read more

Michael Liimatta's Spiritual Journey

I grew up in an alcoholic family. Both my father and my mother came from alcoholic homes, too. Because I grew up in such a very chaotic home, I was running the streets from an early age.

My first drinking experience was when I was just twelve years old. I was "turned on" to pot at age fourteen, and went to jail twice for selling marijuana, hashish, and LSD, before I was eighteen years old.

Read more

Volunteer Opportunities: alcoholism

Postal Code