Alcoholism and Native Americans Essay - 5068 Words

The continuous or excessive use of alcohol (ethanol) with associated pathologic results. Alcoholism is characterized by constant or periodic intoxication, although the pattern of consumption varies markedly. Individuals admitted for the first time to an alcoholism treatment center typically have been consuming 3–4 oz (80–100 g) of pure alcohol per day, corresponding to seven to nine drinks or bottles of beer or glasses of wine. Studies have shown that problem drinking in these populations starts at about 2 oz/day (60 g/day), that is, four to five drinks per day, and that these are consumed in rapid succession, leading to intoxication on three or more days per week. Individuals who consume these levels of alcohol have a greater-than-average†¦show more content†¦Also, low doses are known to alter motor coordination and time and space perception, important aspects of car driving (about 50% of all fatal traffic accidents are caused by intoxicated drivers). Some eff ects are already seen at levels of 0.05%. Pain sensitivity is diminished with moderate doses. In some individuals, alcohol is known to diminish feelings of self-criticism and to inhibit fear and anxiety, effects which are probably related to an alcohol-induced sociability. These effects act, no doubt, as psychological reinforcers for the use of alcoholic beverages. | It is generally accepted that alcohol affects the nerve cell by preventing the production and propagation of electric impulses along a network consisting of axons and synapses. The brain functions much as an electronic system in which one nerve cell, acting as a current generator, communicates information to many other cells, which in turn receive impulses from many other areas. Some impulses are enhanced, others are blunted. Memory and conditioning appear to play an important role in integrating the impulses which are finally expressed as behaviors. Studies in the United States and England have shown that when alcohol becomes dissolved in the membrane of the cells, it fluidizes or disorganizes the membrane, which in turn leads to changes in the physical and biochemical characteristics of the latter. Chronic exposure to alcohol alters the composition of the membrane and its rigidity, so that alcoholShow MoreRelatedNative Americans and the Issue of Alcoholism Essay1673 Words   |  7 PagesFollowing the European invasion in America, Native Americans came to endure many problems. While some have faded, others still linger on in their lives. The issue of alcohol and alcoholism is one of them. From settlers using it to deceive, to today’s issues on the reservation, alcohol has played a devastating role in the lives of Native Americans. Knowing how the issue of alcohol became such a predominate part of Native Americans lives will allow us to spawn ideas on how to end the problem. BeforeRead MoreThe Effects Of Alcoholism On The Native American Population1098 Words   |  5 Pagesdrinks because of instances of domestic abuse or clinical depression versus a Native American alcoholic is that the average person’s alcoholism is symptomatic of individual experiences. Alcoholism among the native population is encouraged by overwhelming and uncontrollable outside cultural forces. This is all to say that when Louis writes about his recovery from alcoholism and the effects of the disease on the Native American population, he is reaching beyond the surface implications of excessive drinkRead MoreTextual Analysis of Alexie’s â€Å"Because my Father Always Said...†1683 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis Essay Textual Analysis of Alexie’s â€Å"Because my Father Always Said...† America truly is the salad bowl of cultures from around the whole world. However, there is often times a dominating cultural structure that makes it difficult to attain peace among the diverse cultural groups of America. Sherman Alexie’s short story, Because my Father Always Said He Was the Only Indian Who Saw Jimi Hendrix Play ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ at Woodstock, displays the difficulty of the Native AmericanRead MoreGlobalization and Modernization on Traditional or Underdeveloped Nations1211 Words   |  5 Pagesor undeveloped nations. This essay will first identify the effect of these phenomenons on the people of Qatar and Native Alaskans. Second, it will discuss the phenomenon in relationship to the Native Alaskan culture. Third, it will analyze this in regard to the cause of the influence, whether it was direct or indirect, intentional of unintentional and whether the effect was positive or negative. Finally, as part of analysis it will discuss what th e response of the Native Alaskan culture has been toRead MoreLegacy of Leslie Marmon Silko Essay1404 Words   |  6 PagesMarmon and Mary Virginia Leslie. She is Pueblo Laguna, Mexican and Euro-American heritage. Silko grew up near the Laguna Pueblo Indian Reservation in Southwest New Mexico. She attended both BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) schools and parochial schools. Her Native American family made sure she had an understanding of Native American traditions which included storytelling, and a deep appreciation of the land and customs of Native people from her grandmother and aunts (Hunter, 2006). Each tribe mayRead MoreEssay on Alcoholism Nature vs Nurture Argument2784 Words   |  12 PagesAlcoholism and the Nature vs. Nurture Argument Does the environment that one grows up in contribute to alcoholism or is alcoholism determined by genetics? It wasn’t until 1991 that alcoholism was considered both a medical and psychiatric disease by the American Medical Association. Alcoholism is defined in the dictionary as a chronic disorder characterized by dependence on alcohol, repeated excessive use of alcoholic beverages, the development of withdrawal symptoms on reducingRead MoreAmeric The Multinational Society884 Words   |  4 PagesIn his essay, â€Å"America: The Multinational Society,† Ishmael Reed gives his readers no context for his expertise in the subject of multiculturalism, though he is black and has seen first-hand his family’s culture mixed with other cultures present in the United States. His best examples of cultural blending happening, and indeed being a positive thing, is when he compares the attitude of xenophobes to those of the actual colonial-era Puritans, who were a s tunningly brutal people. Reed’s examples ofRead MoreHealth Insurance, Behavioral Health, And Interpersonal Relations1054 Words   |  5 PagesHealth Disparities in the American Indian/ Alaskan Native Community Persist in the form of Health Care Access and Quality Background When the colonists â€Å"sailed the ocean blue† to the New World, their trip inevitably had encounters with the Native Americans. The history of encounters between American Indians and White Americans has formed a culture where their race is euphemized through Halloween costumes or sports names such as the Washington Redskins. The public’s view of diversity isRead MoreComparison of How Spain, France, Britian, and America Interacted with the Natives1345 Words   |  5 PagesIn this essay, I will compare and contrast how Spain, France, England, and America viewed and interacted with Native peoples differently as they colonized North America. It is reported that roughly three hundred and fifty thousand Native Americans called the area known today as Florida home, when Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon landed his fleet of ships on the coast in the early 1500’s. As we have discussed and learned when the Native people were colonized by outsiders it was not a great day. TheRead MoreAmerican-Indians and the United States Health System1556 Words   |  6 Pages American Indians and the United States Health System Introduction Though American Indians are enjoying an independent public health system with above $3 billion funds provided by Congress annually for delivering healthcare services to them, still figure and facts on health status of American Indians reveal that they are facing many difficulties and have to suffer from diverse type of illness and disease at a misappropriate level. Since long it was identified by medical communities that there