Alcoholism refers to the drinking of alcoholic beverages to such a degree that
important things of an individual's life - such as work, school, family
relationships, or personal safety and health; are seriously and repeatedly
interfered with. Alcoholism is considered a disease, meaning that it follows a
characteristic course with known physical, and social symptoms. The alcoholic
continues to consume alcohol even though the destructive consequences he/she may
face. Alcoholism is serious, and a very difficult habbit to break. If not
treated, it may be a habit that cannot be broken, or maybe even a fatal problem.
It is generally thought that once the disease has developed, the alcoholic will
not drink normally again. It is important to note that the particular symptoms
and pattern of drinking problems may vary with the individual. Alcoholism is,
therefore, a very complex disorder, and this complexity has led some researchers
to question the accuracy of the disease of alcoholism. There are generally four
basic types of alcoholism. The first type is called Alpha Alcoholism. It is
being purely psychological dependent on alcohol (Haskins, 84). With Alpha
Alcoholism the person depends on alcohol to relieve bodily and emotional pain.
This stage and all stages are serious in teens drinking, because any alcohol
intake is dangerous for teens still developing mentally and physically. Another
term for this alcoholic behavior is often called "problem drinking".
The second type of the alcoholic behaviors is called Beta Alcoholism. It does
not involve either psycological or physical dependence on alcohol. But yet worse
on your body than Alpha Alcoholism because the heavy drinking may lead to
ulcers, cirrhosis of the liver, damage to the nerves, and kidney
problems(Haskins, 85). Beta alcoholics have a shortened life expectancy and
suffer from financial and emotional demands due to excessive over drinking. Just
like smoking, it costs money like everything else, the demand for alcohol will
get to the circumstance of pinching every penny to just get one more drink. The
third drinking behavior is Gamma Alcoholism, the alcoholic becomes physically
dependent on liquor. So this means that the bodies tissues, become tolerent to
the new substance and the tissue becomes immuned to it, and the the bodie tissue
needs the constent pressence of alcohol. Gamma alcoholics crave the need for
alcohol but yet can only live without alcohol for a short peroid of time. If the
Gamma alcoholic does not get there alcohol there body reacts very violently.
Gamma alcoholics is one of the most common types of alcoholism in the United
States. The fourth type of alcoholism is Delta Alcoholism. In Delta alcoholism
the drinker cannot stay away from liquor for even a day or twowithout suffering
from withdrawl syptoms. Usually this type of alcoholism is found where alcohol
is drank customarily. Addiction to acohol is very much like addiction to heroin.
Alcoholism is a very tough habit to break, many people that have been classified
as a alcoholic can never have a normal life again. Teenagers that are alcoholics
are much more easily disturbed than adult alcoholics. In the near past the
United States has been expeirenceing a widespread use of alcohols by teenagers
(Haskins, 40) Today there aree some 500,00 alcoholics between the ages of ten
and nineteen, and it is estimated that one of every fifteen young people today
will eventually become an alcholic(Haskins, 42). Teens drink for curiosity and
to act like adults, not only that but peer presure and just to look cool in
front of friends. Parents are a stong influence to teenagers to not drink or
limit the use of alcohol by young people, as statistics show. If none of the
parents in the United States drank, then neither would most of there
children(Haskins, 105). Teenage drinking is getting to the point where the age
group is getting younger and younger, it is now not uncommon to find teenagers
with alcohol problems in nine-, ten-, and twelve year olds(Haskins, 91).

Bibliography
Haskins, Jim Teen-age Alcoholism New York: Hwathorn Books, Inc., 1976