Chapter 10 Notes Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

 Blood alcohol content (BAC) A way to measure the level of alcohol in a person’s blood. As BAC level increases the following occurs: - relaxation, slight impairment of judgment - Inhibitions are reduced, judgment impaired, behavior becomes impulsive

Reflexes and coordination are impaired, speech and hearing are slightly affected slightly affectedIntoxication:.08 BAC = 4 drinks in a 1 hour period legally drunk in most states, vision, hearing, judgment, reflexes, coordination impaired

 Intoxication extreme; no control over thoughts and perceptions; walking and even standing become difficult and even standing become difficult - Intoxication severe and dangerous; nervous system may become affected, coma and death can result (.3 to.4 BAC begins to be dangerous, depends on individual)

 Alcohol Abuse – drinking too much, drinking too often, or drinking at inappropriate times  Alcoholism – a disease that causes a person to lose control of his/her drinking behavior  Characteristics include cravings (psychological dependency) and physical withdrawal symptoms (physical dependency)

 Stages of alcoholism  - problem drinking  - tolerance  - dependence  - alcoholism  Factors involved in alcoholism include psychological, environmental, behavioral, and physical psychological, environmental, behavioral, and physical

 Risk factors for alcoholism include the following:  Age, social environment, genetics, risk-taking personality  Warning signs of alcoholism include: denial, problems with work/school, friends, putting limits on drinking denial, problems with work/school, friends, putting limits on drinking

Alcoholism in families  Enabling – helping an addict avoid the negative consequences of his/her behavior  Codependency – condition in which a family member or friend sacrifices his or her own needs to meet the needs of an addict. Sometimes this means taking on roles in the family that the addict should have.  FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome) a set of physical and mental defects that affect a fetus due to the mother’s use of alcohol.

Finding Help  AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) a treatment program for alcoholics  anonymous.org/ anonymous.org/ anonymous.org/

Alateen – a program specifically designed for teens who have an addict in their lives Al-anon – a program designed to help family members of alcoholics