INTRODUCTION

Alcoholism was officially recognized as a disease by the American Medical

Association in 1991. Overall, like any disease alcoholism follows a pattern, starting
out slow and building toward more and more harmful levels of addiction.

The major difficulty with alcoholism disease is that it isn’t always easy to
figure out the triggering mechanism. Each person with the disease is unique and has a
wholly individual combination of contributing factors that need to be sorted and
recognized. These factors may include, but are not limited to a person’s environment,
genetics, having a family member who was alcoholic, physical or psychological
illnesses, and underage drinking. Over time this disease may lead to alcohol
dependence where a person feels that they simply cannot stop drinking.

Understanding Alcohol Dependence

Humankind has been making and enjoying alcohol for thousands of years. It
has become part of nearly every important occasion from births and weddings to
housewarmings and dances. For young people drinking is also a “rite of passage” into
adulthood. In effect, alcohol has become part of our social conditioning. When used in
moderation, it can even have positive effects. However, considering that
approximately 13 million people in the United States over-indulge, it’s obvious that
this drug needs to be treated with care. Alcohol abuse accounts for numerous
employment issues, domestic problems, financial struggles and physical illnesses.

Alcoholism disease creates some immediate effects on a person including

emotional changes that the individual may find pleasant. This happens when alcohol
releases chemicals in the brain that signal pleasure centers. This pleasurable aspect is
part of what causes alcohol dependence in some individuals. The craving for alcohol
grows stronger, and eventually a person cannot control their addiction. Additionally
alcoholism lowers a person’s risk-taking constraints, making it easier and easier to
consume greater quantities of alcohol even when the dangers are well known.

Alcoholism Disease & Health

Long-term alcohol dependence leads to a variety of moderate to severe health

problems. The longer and heavier the consumption, the worse the physical results
become. In pregnant women, drinking can lead to foetal alcohol syndrome that causes
deformities or other deficiency in a child that can affect them for life. For some people
alcohol opens the door to becoming dependent on other drugs. Men may experience
impotency; women irregularity with their cycle. Additionally both men and women
face the possibility of depression, heart problems, cancer, and liver disease just to
name a few.

Alcoholism is a lifelong disease that takes time and serious commitment to

manage. The drinker must be ready and willing to make a change, and dedicate
themselves to staying sober so that their quality of life returns. Stopping drinking may
not reverse all the negative effects of alcoholism, but it will negate the stress on one’s
job and family that alcoholism brings.

Alcoholism is multifactor problem involving many issues, process and

transaction. Alcoholism has been the source of serious behavioral problems for
thousands of years in the world.
Alcoholism is a chronic illness psychic, somatic or psychosomatic which man
fests itself as a disorder of behavior, it is characterized by the repeated drinking of
alcohol beverages to an extent that it exceeds the customary, dietary use or compliance
with the social customs of the community and that interferes with drinkers health or
the social or economic functioning.
About 10 to 15 percentage of alcohol users develop alcohol dependence and
become a alcoholics. Anybody can become an alcoholic – age , education,
intelligence or socio economical status has nothing to do with it, the person increases
the quantity or frequency and continues drinking even though alcohol process
problems to is health, work life, family or social relationship.
The problem of alcoholism exists in some or other. In almost every country of the
world, the reasons for alcoholism are varied. These are not only on account of
individual and social differences but also due to other certain able factors such as
economic, physical, mental and cultural status of the individual.
Majority of alcoholics belongs to poor class who cannot afford even to indulge
in the practice, the drug habit has been responsible not only for economic loss, but also
for physical and mental deterioration of the addicts and has become a serious health
problem.
Alcoholism is a family disease one that affects every member of the family system in a
devastating way of thinking of the family unity I system as alcoholism progresses,
whole family become progressively dependent parent.
Problematic drinking can change the roles played by family members in
relation to one division of labor make break down. The problems of drinkers make
cause to perform his or her previous functions as a bread winner on him relation to the
support and supervision of children, household choruses or recreational activity, these
functions are therefore either not performed or performed by another often the spouse.
However, a particular pattern that has been observed that child, particularly the eldest
child may be forced to adopt adult roles and responsibilities, for example – in doing
the house work or acting as a surrogate mother or father he or she may also be forced
to assume a friend of emotional responsibility for the family.
This has two aspect activities within the family and the family ‘s relationship
to the outside world activities, particularly recreational activities within the family are
likely to be restricted as drinker become unwilling or unable to participate or the other
family members themselves choose to avoid activities out of fear of the behavior of
the drinker, the unpredictable descriptive and often drunken behavior drinker is likely
to be regarded by family members as acutely embarrassing and shameful. The family
tends to become increasingly socially isolated.
Like in this way Alcohol effects individual’s family and creates problems for them
such as role performance, interpersonal dysfunction, family destruction/ breakdown
stress, reduces productivity.

WHAT IS ALCOHOLISM?

According to “Mark Keller” alcoholism is a chronic behavioral disorder manifested by

repeated drinking of alcoholic beverages in excess of the dietary and social uses of the
community and to an extent that interferes with the drinker’s health and of his social
and economic functioning.

Definitions of Alcoholism:
Alcoholism or alcohol dependence is defined by the American Medical Association
(AMA) as “a primary, chronic diseases with genetic, psychological and environmental
factors influencing its development and manifestations”.
Johnson: “Alcoholism is a condition in which the individual has lost control over his
alcohol intake in that he is constantly unable to refrain from drinking once he begin.”
Collins Dictionary of Sociology: Alcoholism refers “to the consumption of alcohol to
excess; leading to psychological and physical dependency and addiction.”
Seldon Bacon: defined alcoholism as “a disease characterized by a compulsion to
drink in order to face the ordinary life problems.”
The term Alcoholism refers to excessive drinking or dependence on alcohol beverages
to the extent of disrobing life and malfunctioning of the behavior causing sever
physiological, psychological, social damage.
Alcohol has been a major social problem in India and elsewhere in the world. It was
considered to be the problem of a few especially of the people from the lower status of
the society.
The all religious scriptures have unraveled the evils of alcoholism and condemned the
alcoholic mercilessly from time to time; many religious persons have used this sword
of scriptures of pulpit to curse the alcoholics.
ALCOHOLISM SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

The signs of alcoholism include:

Craving: Drinking may become an irresistible need and fill almost every thought
throughout the drinker’s day.

Loss of Control: The alcoholic may be unable to control the driving compulsion to
drink.

Physical Dependence: The body and brain of an alcoholic become dependent on the
drug’s effect. Without a drink, the alcoholic may experience withdrawal symptoms
such as anxiety, irritability, nausea, and tremors. In severe cases, seizures may result.

Increasing Tolerance: Over time, the alcoholic will need more and more alcohol to
achieve the same results.

Appearance Changes: Poor dental hygiene, blotchy skin, foul smell, receding hairline
from alcoholism. Poor nutrition can result in many health issues.

TYPES OF ALCOHOLICS

The NIAAA researchers defined five subtypes of alcoholics by the following specific
characteristics. They also listed the percentage of each type that composes the total
number of U.S. alcoholics:

Young Adult Alcoholics

 31.5 percent.
 Young adult drinkers, with relatively low rates of co-occurring substance abuse
and mental disorders.

 Low rates of family alcoholism.

 Rarely seek any kind of help for their drinking.
Young Antisocial Alcoholics

 21 percent.
 Most are in their mid-20s and had early onset of regular drinking and early
onset alcohol problems.
 More than half come from families with alcoholism, and about half have a
psychiatric diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder.

 Many have major depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety problems.

 More than 75 percent smoke cigarettes and marijuana, and many also have
cocaine and opiate addictions.
 More than one-third seek help for their drinking.

Functional Alcoholics

 19.5 percent.
 Typically middle-aged, well-educated, with stable jobs and families.
 About one-third have a multigenerational family history of alcoholism
 One-quarter had major depressive illness at some time in their lives.
 Nearly 50 percent are smokers.

Intermediate Familial Alcoholics

 19 percent.
 Middle-aged with about half from families with multigenerational alcoholism.
 Almost half have had clinical depression, and 20 percent have had bipolar
disorder.
 Most smoke cigarettes, and nearly one in five report cocaine and marijuana
use.
 About 25 percent ever seek treatment for their problem drinking.
Chronic Severe Alcoholics

 9 percent.
 Mostly middle-aged individuals who had early onset of drinking and alcohol
problems.
 High rates of antisocial personality disorder and criminality.
 Almost 80 percent come from families with multigenerational alcoholism.
 They have the highest rates of other psychiatric disorders including depression,
bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders.
 This group has high rates of smoking, and marijuana, cocaine, and opiate
dependence.
 Two-thirds seek help for their drinking problems, making them the most
prevalent type of alcoholic in treatment.

Previous studies which tried to identify alcoholism subtypes were conducted with
people who were in treatment for their alcoholism. Therefore, a large percentage of
alcoholics were left out of those studies, because only about one-fourth of alcoholics
ever seek treatment.

ALCOHOLISM A FAMILY DISEASE

Alcoholism is a family disease one that affects every member of the family
system in a devastating way of thinking of the family unity I system as alcoholism
progresses, whole family become progressively dependent parent.
Problematic drinking can change the roles played by family members in
relation to one division of labor make break down. The problems of drinkers make
cause to perform his or her previous functions as a bread winner on him relation to the
support and supervision of children, household choruses or recreational activity, these
functions are therefore either not performed or performed by another often the spouse.
However, a particular pattern that has been observed that child, particularly the eldest
child may be forced to adopt adult roles and responsibilities, for example – in doing
the house work or acting as a surrogate mother or father he or she may also be forced
to assume a friend of emotional responsibility for the family.
This has two aspect activities within the family and the family ‘s relationship
to the outside world activities, particularly recreational activities within the family are
likely to be restricted as drinker become unwilling or unable to participate or the other
family members themselves choose to avoid activities out of fear of the behavior of
the drinker, the unpredictable descriptive and often drunken behavior drinker is likely
to be regard by family members as acutely embarrassing and shameful. The family
tends to become increasingly socially isolated.

Effects of Alcoholism on Families

The effects of alcoholism on families can cause more damage and pain than any
other internal or external influence on the family unit. The impact of the drinker’s
abuse or addiction is usually manifested differently with each member of the family
and has long-term implications.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that more than one-
half of adults in the U.S. have a close family member who has abused alcohol or is
addicted to the drug.

Children of Parents who Drink

Unborn Babies: Women who drink during pregnancy pass the drug to their unborn
children each time they consume alcohol. Maternal drinking causes babies to be born
with irreversible physical and mental birth defects.

This condition is called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and these children grow up
with facial abnormalities, growth retardation and brain damage that inhibits their
ability to live normal lives.
According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, severe
damage from FAS affects around 5000 babies every year; additionally 35000 babies
are born with milder damage from FAS.

Children: Children who are born without birth defects and live with a father and/or
mother who is an alcohol abuser or addict experience severe effects that may include:

 Low self-esteem
 Feelings of guilt and despair
 Loneliness and fear of abandonment
 Chronic depression
 High levels of anxiety and stress

They may believe that their parent’s drinking is their fault and frequently cry, have
nightmares and wet their beds. Once they get older, children may not easily make
friends. They may hoard things, develop phobias or exhibit perfectionist traits.

Through the effects of alcoholism on families, children often feel they are different
that other people and develop a poor self-image that they carry throughout life.

They have difficulties in school and establishing relationships with friends and
teachers. And fewer children of alcoholics go to college compared to the national
average.

In addition, living in an alcoholic family also suggests that children are more
susceptible to child abuse, including incest and battery.

Adult Children of Alcoholics: Once children become adults, the effects of alcoholism
on families continue to impact their lives. They experience difficulties trusting others
and have relationship issues.
Depression is common, as is anxiety, aggression and impulsive behavior. Adult
children of alcoholics continue having a negative self-image, which causes them to
make poor choices and accumulate failures in their work, social and family lives.

Spouse or Partner

Alcoholism has a transforming effect on the spouse or partner that can create
significant mental trauma and physical health problems. Divorce rates among couples
where one or both partners a drink is much higher than average.

As alcohol abuse or addiction progresses, the non-drinking spouse often grows into a
compulsive care-taking role, which creates feelings of resentment, self-pity and
exhaustion. The marriage suffers from:

 Poor spousal communication

 Increased anger and distress
 Reduced intimacy and sexual desire
 Increased marital abuse
 Depleting finances spent on alcohol

Often the spouse and children become codependent, as one of the effects of
alcoholism in families. Codependents, who are also referred to as enablers, further the
alcoholic’s drinking problem by trying to protect them and keep them out of trouble.

This may include telling an employer a lie about why the individual didn’t come to
work, telling friends stories to explain the alcoholic’s behavior, or handling a
responsibility that should have been taken care of by the drinker.

Codependents make the problem worse by permitting the drinking to continue.

Treating alcoholic families is difficult and complex. Often treatment is not entirely
successful for family members, even when the alcohol abuser or addict eventually
reforms.

The effects of alcoholism in families are difficult to overcome; yet without treatment,
they can be devastating for the long-term. With the right approach and support,
positive steps can be taken to improve lives.

Healthcare professionals may recommend a multi-faceted treatment approach that

includes group family therapy, as well as individualized treatment for each family
member Treatment may take the form of one or more of the following:

 Interventions
 Out-Patient Programs
 In-Patient Programs
 Peer Support Groups
 Psycho-Social Therapy
 Medication-Assisted Treatment

Alcohol affects individual’s family and creates problems for them such as role
performance, interpersonal dysfunction, family destruction/ breakdown stress, reduces
productivity. Alcoholism is a lifelong disease that takes time and serious commitment
to manage. The drinker must be ready and willing to make a change, and dedicate
themselves to staying sober so that their quality of life returns. Stopping drinking may
not reverse all the negative effects of alcoholism, but it will negate the stress on one’s
job and family that alcoholism brings.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Review of literature

As to add a scientific base to the research study, the researcher reviewed a number of
literature related to the topic alcoholism and its effect on families. Nearly 100% of the literature
showed a significant negative impact on the spouse and children which continued in their lives even
after they turned adults. Some of the significant literature has been discussed below.

Every day, children in rural, low-income communities live within families who themselves
are experiencing numerous life challenges that put both the adults, and especially the children, at-risk.
Indeed, the rates of drug, alcohol, and tobacco use for adults are about the same in rural towns, mid-
size cities, and large urban centers. A rural mother and her family members experience a different
social environment than a poor mother and her family in a more urban setting. Ninety-two percent of
the domestic abuse assailants reported use of alcohol or other drugs on the day of the assault,
according to a recent JAMA report.

Selected statistics on alcohol use in rural and remote communities include (Roobini et al, 2012):

•Men who live in rural communities drink around five per cent more alcohol than those in
metropolitan communities.
•About one-quarter of rural men who responded to a survey on lifestyle habits reported
drinking more than four drinks per drinking session. About one-third of respondents reported
that they consume alcohol up to four days per week.
•Binge drinking (consuming many drinks in a single session) is more likely to occur in
younger men.
•Teenagers in rural areas are more likely to drink alcohol than teenagers in city areas.
•In one study of women living in rural or remote communities, the majority who self-
medicated with alcohol (and other drugs) also reported having emotional or mental problems
 Berger et al in 1993 in the research article explained in detail about the various effects the
family have due to a alcohol dependent in the family. Parental alcoholism also has severe
effects on normal children of alcoholics. Many of these children have common
symptoms such as low self-esteem, loneliness, guilt, feelings of helplessness, fears of
abandonment, and chronic depression. Exposure to Alcoholism in the Family”, shows
that 30 percent of young women who didn’t complete high school had grown up in
families with alcoholic parents (Berger, 1993, p.75). The same survey shows that only
20 percent of young men from alcoholic families went to college. Some COAs have
such behavioral problems as lying, stealing, fighting, and truancy. These children live
in extremely unstable home environments. They never know what to expect from an
alcoholic parent. Because they are unable to predict their parent’s mood, they don’t
know how to behave themselves. Just like non-alcoholic spouses, COAs think they
can stop their alcoholic parent from drinking by hiding liquor, or by pleasing the
parent with good grades in school. They may tiptoe around the house while the
alcoholic parent sleeps, hoping not to awake the drunken person until enough time has
passed for the alcoholic parent to “sober up”. Children of alcoholics feel guilty for
their failure to save their parents from the effects of alcohol. According to Berger,
almost 30 percent of father – daughter incest cases and 75 percent of domestic
violence cases involve a family member who is an alcoholic. They are frequently
failures as parents themselves, often make poor career choices, and almost all ACOAs
have a negative self-image.

Alcoholism also has negative effects on the spouse of an alcoholic. The spouse
may have feelings of hatred, self-pity, avoidance of social contacts, may suffer
exhaustion and become physically or mentally ill (Berger, 1993).Very often the spouse
has to perform the roles of both parents. Family responsibilities shift from two parents
to one parent. As a result, the non-alcoholic parent may be inconsistent, demanding,
and often neglect the children. Having financial difficulties is another issue that
families of alcoholics have to deal with. The family may have to give up certain
privileges because of the large amount of money spent on alcohol and also possible
joblessness. A survey, “Exposure to Alcoholism in the Family”, conducted in 1988
suggested that alcoholism is a major factor of premature widowhood (Berger, 1993,
p.13). Alcoholism also is one of the major reasons for divorce.

`A study was conducted on alcohol problems in developing countries and

specifically what needs to be done to reduce the burden of harm in such countries. It
draws heavily on material coming out of the WHO supported Alcohol Policy in
Developing Societies project. Focusing on recorded alcohol consumption may not be
the best way to compare developed and developing countries as it excludes informally
produced and traded alcohol and conceals the fact that there is heavy drinking in some
localities and in some groups in many developing countries. In the latter the
replacement of traditional and locally produced beverages with industrial beverages
has facilitated a pattern of regular heavy drinking. Along with its pleasures and
benefits drinking brings many problems for developing societies, including trauma,
violence, organ system damage, various cancers, unsafe sexual practices, and injuries
to the brain of the developing foetus. These are in addition to negative economic and
social consequences. The paper goes on to set out some broad principles which might
be useful in guiding intervention efforts in developing countries as well as specific
strategies for consideration at both a country and global level. It is argued that in the
22nd century we can expect the use of alcohol to be far more circumscribed than at
present. (Parry, 2000)
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

The term “research” meant any enquiry or investigation regarding

any phenomenon or event to discover the facts. Research simply means a search for
facts. Research simply means a search for fact answer to questions and solution to
problem. It adopts scientific method and seeks to find explanation to unexplained
phenomenon to clarify the doubtful facts and to correct the miss conceived facts.

The interface reviewed to this study was given in the previous

chapter basic explanation the need for the study and the importance of the study. This
research methodology chapter deals with the research methodology adopted in this
study. Here the research portrays the different methods and research techniques
adopted for achieving the objectives of the study. It discus about the title of the study
aims of the study, objectives, research design, universe, sampling method, tools used
for the data collection pretest difficulties encountered and imitations of study.

TITLE OF THE STUDY

A study on effects alcoholism on the family

AIM OF THE STUDY

The researcher in the present study has tried to identify the levels of psychosocial and
marital – harmony and adjust-mental problems faced by wives of those who are
addicted to alcohol.

Statement of the problem

Now alcoholism becomes one of the major problems, which prevails in the society.
Alcoholism creates problems to the individuals and his family and also to the society.
Sometime family problem make an individual’s alcoholic.

Alcoholism spoils one’s life it creates many problems in the family especially to his
wife. They are the worst suffers. They have to face many problems such as physical,
psychological and social.

Alcoholism has an impact on marital functioning and relationship. Study was

conducted on three major areas that is the study of the alcoholics spouse emphasizing
personality traits, study of the alcoholic’s spouse emphasizing personality traits, study
of the alcoholic’s children and the alcoholic’s family intervention.

Often the alcoholic marriage can be viewed as a struggle for control. The non-
alcoholic spouse may appear overly responsible and dominated and assumes an over
functional role in contrast to the alcoholic spouse who under function. The alcoholics
drinking may be viewed as neutralizing the over function. Apparent control by giving
the drinking an advantage in determining what is to happen, in the relationship.

In a social scenario or in the frame of families bring several problem and burden to
family members as well as to the society.

Alcoholism creates many stresses in the life of wives. It affects psychologically and
socially. It brings so many conflicts in their relationship the present study was an
attempt to study the psychosocial burden marital disharmony and adjust-mental
problems of the wives of alcoholics.
OBJECTIVES

 To study the social problems faced by the spouse and family of the alcoholic
partner
 To study the psychological problems faced by the spouse and family of the
alcoholic partner
 To study on economical problems faced by the spouse and family of the
alcoholic partner
 To understand on the marital disharmony among the wives of alcoholics.

DEFINITIONS

Psychosocial problem

Problems that occur in one’s psychosocial functioning can be referring to as

“psychological dysfunction” or “psychosocial morbidity.- Erik erikson

Economic problem

A theory that scarcity exists in the sense that only finite and insufficient resources are
available to satisfy the needs and desires of all human beings. The fundamental
economic problem then faced by human society and business operators is how to
allocate scarce resources to the provision of various goods and services within the
economy.
Mal adjustment problem

Maladjustment may shortly be described as ‘inability to react successfully and

satisfactorily to the demands of one’s environment’. It encompasses a wide range of
physical, psychological and social conditions, but most often implies an individual’s
failure to meet social or cultural expectations. In psychology, the term generally refers
to unsatisfactory behavior patterns that cause anxiety and require psychotherapy

Social problem

A social problem is a condition that at least some people in a community view as

being undesirable. Everyone would agree about some social problems, such as
murders and DWI traffic deaths. Other social problems may be viewed as such by
certain groups of people. Teenagers who play loud music in a public park obviously
do not view it as a problem, but some other people may consider it an undesirable
social condition. Some nonsmokers view smoking as an undesirable social condition
that should be banned or restricted in public buildings.

Every newspaper is filled with stories about undesirable social conditions. Examples
include crime, violence, drug abuse, and environmental problems. Such social
problems can be found at the local, state, national and international levels.
RESEARCH DESIGN

The research design used by the researcher is descriptive cum diagnostic

design which is a fact finding investigation..Research intended to describe the
socio demographic details, psychosocial, marital disharmony and adjust-mental
problems faced by the family and wives of alcoholics.

PILOT STUDY

The pilot study was conducted by the researcher to understand by the

feasibility of the study. The researchers conducted a focus group discussion with the
family and wives of alcoholic to understand more about their problem. This pilot study
is done to know about the sampling type and the tools for data collection

UNIVERSE OF THE STUDY

The universe of this study consists of family and wives of alcoholics.

UNIT OF THE STUDY

Unit of study is one problem faced women in Prondla

SAMPLE SIZE
The sample size decided for the study is 30
SAMPLING METHOD
The researcher has adopted the disproportionate stratified sampling where
equal number of items is selected from each stratum, irrespective of size, age and
psychological problem, for collecting the data

TOOLS OF DATA COLLECTION

The information was collected from the respondents with the interview schedule
which has prepared by the researcher. It helped to study the socio-economic and
psychological problems of the wives of alcoholics. The researcher also collected
secondary data through discussion with counselor in order to know more information
about the wives of alcoholics and their problems.