Essay
Scenario
Kelly is spending the summer at home after finishing her first year of college. In
returning home, she begins to notice that alcohol is a constant presence in her family. Kelly’s
father has used alcohol for as long as she can remember. He has never been arrested or been violent,
but he spends almost every evening after supper down at the local bar with his friends. He drives to
and from the bar and often gets home after everyone else has gone to bed. When Kelly came home this
year during school vacations, she felt hurt that her father would choose to spend time at the bar
rather than catch up with her, but she never said anything. Kelly’s mother doesn’t
directly discuss his drinking, but she seems to give him the "cold shoulder" the day after
a particularly long visit to the bar.
Addiction to a substance or behavior can be a powerful
force. Psychological and physiological dependence to a substance can be a difficult pattern to break,
and science suggests there is both a chemical process and a psychological dynamic that causes one to
become addicted. When does a habit become an addiction? What symptoms are associated with an
addiction?
Conclusions
Write an evaluation of the situation above. Is Kelly’s
father dependent on alcohol? How has his drinking affected Kelly? What communication patterns are
present in the family that either help or hinder dealing with the issue? How might Kelly's
family history affect her own decisions about alcohol?
|