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Alcoholism and homelessness
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Introduction
Alcoholism has been one of the principal problems in the recent times. As much as there are differences as to the level in which different countries, states, communities and even families are affected, the problem remains etched in many parts of the world. Of course, there are various reasons for the increased cases of alcoholism depending on the circumstances of any case. In some cases, it is caused by poverty as individuals imbue alcohol in an effort to forget their tough lives or the problems that they are going through. Peer pressure has also been blamed, as individuals want to feel that they belong in certain groups of people. However, the key thing that has led to the proliferation of alcoholism is its ease of availability. Numerous drinking places have opened up thereby serving as incentives for drinking. Alcoholism comes with numerous effects. Unfortunately, most studies and researches have concentrated on the physical, emotional, psychological and behavioral and psychosocial effects of alcoholism. The effects of alcoholism are usually generalized as far as the financial aspect is concerned. Few people have ever looked at alcoholism as a direct cause of homelessness. It is understandable that the establishment of a causative link between alcoholism and homelessness is a herculean task for many people. However, this is not difficult to establish at least going by the life Jackson Jackson in the story, “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”, by Sherman Alexie. This paper aims at looking into ways in which alcoholism may have led to homelessness in the case of Jackson Jackson.
Thesis statement: Alcoholism can make someone homeless
Jackson is an Indian American who lives in the streets with two other friends. While it is not clear whether Jackson was born was born in the streets, it is obvious that he is in the streets as a result of his irresponsibility caused by alcoholism.
One of the ways in which alcoholism can cause homelessness is by removing the element of shame from an individual. Many people would agree that homelessness comes with pity and shame. Unfortunately, Jackson is so proud of his situation that he has the guts to term himself “an effective homeless man”. He seems extremely proud of being good at being homeless and knowing where he can get the best food at no cost. He does not see any problem with always begging his friends in convenience stores and restaurants to allow him to use their bathrooms. He is obviously proud of being sufficiently trustworthy to use other people’s clean bathrooms, but he does not have the thought of getting his own bathroom (Alexie, 2).
In addition, alcohol seems to blur an individual’s capacity to have his or her priorities right. In the case of Jackson, there are various instances when he makes inappropriate decisions pertaining to finances without looking at his most pressing needs. As the story starts, Jackson and his two friends had panned the handle down and earned five dollars. As much as all of them are homeless, they deem then money as enough for a bottle of liquor. They do not look at the situation that they are in and, at least, make the effort to come out of it. On their way to the club, Jackson spots a powwow regalia that he suspects to have been his granny’s stolen some decades ago. Of course, it is difficult to understand why he would be concerned about a powwow regalia that was stolen eons ago, but this could be explained in terms of emotional attachment. However, the disturbing thing is that even when he is told to go back with nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars so that he can get back the regalia, he does not think of ways in which he can save money to earn the thing. He, instead, heads to the club and wastes the money on liquor. This includes some money (sixty dollars) that he has been given by the pawnbroker to start off (Alexie 6).
In addition, alcoholics are apt burning out opportunities that may, actually, get them out of their unpleasant situation or condition. In an effort to get some money to pay for the powwow regalia, Jackson thinks of selling newspapers and even starts off. The Big Boss, who sells him the papers, even gives him fifty papers at no cost. This would, essentially, increase his chances of getting the nine hundred and ninety nine dollars required for the regalia. After an hour, Jackson quits selling the papers after selling only five and dumps the remaining ones in a garbage basket.
On the same note, alcoholism may get an individual to be unusually generous or wasteful especially as pertaining to alcohol. At one time, Jackson wins some one hundred dollars in a lottery. He parts with twenty dollars, which he gives the woman at the register. He ends up wasting the remaining amount in a club, buying himself and his friends liquor for the larger part of the night. This is essentially eating into his ability to pay the required amount. In addition, a friendly policeman gives him thirty dollars. Unfortunately, he ends up buying his friends sumptuous meals. This money that could have gone a long way in helping him offset the amount or even salvage his situation.
Decision-making or thinking capacity of the individual is severely hampered. It is worth noting that Jackson would not even have had to pay for the regalia. After all, it had been stolen from his grandmother and he had positively identified it in which case he was fully entitled to having it without paying any coin. In fact, the friendly policeman offers to take him to the place and get the regalia back, but he declines opting to be a hero. He could have saved himself some money if he had chosen this option but it seems his decision-making capacity is severely affected by the alcoholism.
Lastly, it goes without saying that alcoholism makes many people lazy and, therefore, unable to work or earn a living. This is seen especially in the case of junior who, after spending an afternoon drinking, sleeps for the better part of the day. Were it not for alcohol, he probably would have spent the time working at some place and earning a living. Unfortunately, he is condemned to homelessness as a result of their laziness, which is essentially caused by the consumption of alcohol.
In conclusion, it is evident that alcoholism causes homelessness if the story is anything to go by. Not only does it impend an individual’s capacity to make decisions, but also his capacity to prioritize and even work. Most of these people are excessively wasteful thereby sliming their chances of salvaging their situations. Unfortunately, alcohol blinds them to such an extent that they do not see the shame that comes with homelessness, and therefore they do not have the incentive to work their way out of the situation.
Works cited
Alexie, Sherman. “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”. 2003
Dolly Payne Madison was born in Guilford County, North Carolina on May 20, 1768
Dolly Madison
Dolly Payne Madison was born in Guilford County, North Carolina on May 20, 1768. Dolly was born the first girl in a family of several children to Quaker parents, John Payne and Mary Coles. She spent her childhood in Scotchtown, Virginia. “The Paynes were well connected and sufficiently prosperous, small planters in Hanover County.”1 The Quaker house forbade festivity, shunned amusement and frowned upon the world’s vanities. After a preliminary visit to Philadelphia, John Payne returned to Hanover County to dispose of his property and free his slaves and in July 1783 he settled with his family in the pleasant city of Philadelphia. In Philadelphia Dolly brought loveliness and charm to the Quaker Evening Meetings. In her mind, however, there were other things in Philadelphia more engrossing than the routine of meetings. Under her Quaker gown Dolly’s heart yearned, frankly and without any shame, for these things. Yet, when her family told her to marry John Todd, she stood up dutifully at first and second meeting and proclaimed her willingness to do so. His father was an eminent Quaker schoolteacher; John was a prominent young lawyer, twenty-seven years old. She did not contend against John Todd. “Dolly had the ability to accept whatever fate might have to offer and make the very best of it.”2 They were married on January 7, 1790, at the Friends’ Meeting House on Pine Street. In the summer of 1793 there came the yellow plague. Dolly was struggling with her children along the crowded road to Gray’s Ferry, one of the panic driven throngs escaping from the stricken city. John Todd stayed behind to give his able bodied and courageous help, and before the winter was over Dolly had lost her husband and her baby. Dolly herself was desperately ill for she had caught the fever from John when he came staggering out at last to Gray’s Ferry. She recovered to find herself a widow at twenty-five, and executrix of her husband’s will. In the fall Dolly returned to her mother’s house, which was now a boarding house. At all events, the Senator from New York, Colonel Aaron Burr, lodged at the Madison Lodging House. He told everyone about the pretty widow Todd. He finally told his friend Congressman Madison of Virginia. The Congressman, however, disliked women after Catherine Floyd had ended their long engagement. One day James Madison saw the widow driving by and began pestering Colonel Burr for an introduction. In the spring of 1794 Dolly and James were introduced for the first time. It was not long before their engagement was rumored all over Philadelphia. John Todd had not been dead a year when, on September 15, 1794, James and Dolly were married at Harewood. Now there was a new Philadelphia for Quaker Dolly, the Philadelphia she had always longed for. “The town had never been more gay, a continually changing pageant of foreign guests and ministers.”3 A brilliant scene graced by the presence of many of the emigrated nobility of France. In her new role, as Mrs. Madison of Montpellier, Dolly plunged into these festivities with all the stored-up zest of her restrained girlhood. For three years Dolly brought a fresh, bright personality to enliven Lady Washington’s somewhat stuffy levees in the old brick house on Market Street. Dolly Madison adored the Washington’s. Dolly made friends in all camps for James Madison, which probably helped him win presidency. He did not care for all the routs and levees so he retired to his beloved town of Montpellier, to his solitude and his books. On the morning of March 4, 1801 the Federalists were defeated, and Thomas Jefferson was to take his place as President of the United States. Soon secretary of state Madison and his wife were dragged away from Montpellier again and came to reside in Washington. “Present me respectfully to Mrs. Madison,” Mr. Jefferson wrote, “and pray her to keep you where you are, for her own satisfaction and for the public good.”4 Since Mr. Jefferson was fond of them both, and because he was a widower, Mrs. Secretary of State Madison found herself presiding at the head of the Executive board. For eight years, “Queen Dolly,” as they called her, ruled over the social destinies of the Executive Mansion in spite of the demands upon her strength and the humidity of the malarial marshes, which crippled her with inflammatory rheumatism from which she suffered for the rest of her life. In March, 1809, Mr. Jefferson retired, smiling to Monticello; Mr. Madison inevitably became President, and Dolly moved into that Great House of which she had already been mistress so long. After Madison became president official functions became more elaborate. The inaugural ceremonies were none the less brilliant and impressive. The President’s House became known as the “castle” in the Madison era. “Washington was coming into its own, blessed with more attractions than any other place in America.”5 Tuesday, August 23, 1814, Mrs. Secretary of the Navy Jones found it necessary to write to Dolly that, “I am packing with the possibility of having to leave, for the British are near.” There was suppose to be a big dinner for all the Cabinet at the Madison’s but the British fleet was in the Chesapeake. British troops were marching through the woods to Washington and the Cabinet officers were with the President at General Winder’s camp. The British kept right on marching by the Bladensburg road which no one had thought to obstruct, and instead of dining at Dolly’s, the Cabinet went streaming across the country to Bladensburg with the army. On Wednesday, August 24, there was a battle. An unfortunate battle in which the base British fired rockets at the astonished militia, so that they departed in some confusion to their homes. At Washington that afternoon there was tumult and clamor in the streets. Dolly scanned the horizon with a spyglass and saw nothing to encourage her. There was a dust of departing family coaches. Dolly is best known for her flight from Washington in 1814, when the British invaded the city during the War of 1812. She saved many state papers and a portrait of George Washington. At three o’clock a messenger came galloping up and told Dolly that she must leave. For the second time in American history, the British were coming! At Dolly’s suggestion, “French” John Siousa and Magrau, the gardener, broke the frame containing Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of Mr. Washington and gave the picture to some gentlemen for safe keeping. Dolly herself passed through the dining room, crammed some things into her reticule, and was then driven to Georgetown in her carriage. The Castle was abandoned; to be raided, first, by American stragglers, and then to be burned by the British who conflagrated it after marching fifty sailors and marines silently through the avenue. Mrs. Smith wrote to Dolly, “How gloomy is the scene, I do not suppose Government will ever return to Washington.”6 The Castle was conflagrated, only it’s blackened walls remained, and Dolly established herself in the Tayloe mansion, the famous brick “Octagon.” On February 4, 1815, there was news in the streets of victory at New Orleans, and the name of President-to-be on every tongue. On February 13, Mr. Gallatin, Mr. Adams, Mr. Clay, Mr. Bayard, and Mr. Russell had made a treaty. The whole town went to Mrs. Madison’s; someone was ringing a dinner bell. It was a gay winter; the “Peace Winter of 1815.” On March, 1817 Mr. Monroe won Presidency and the play was done for Dolly. Now there was noting but Montpellier and the calm monotonous beauty of the Blue Ridge. Dolly was now forty-nine. After the Castle and the Octagon, there was a quiet, slightly dilapidated, colonnaded mansion against a background of unchanging trees. Dolly was to spend the next twenty years, quite cheerfully and serenely in her native state. She still received a succession of visitors. Then the accumulating years brought separation and sorrow, Mr. Monroe died in 1831, Dolly’s sister, Anna Cutt, in 1832, and at last, in 1836, Madison himself. Dolly was very sick afterwards, however, a visit to the White Sulphur in 1837 did her good. She found something to occupy her in editing and publishing her husband’s Reports of the Constitutional Congress. She was sixty-nine now and for Dolly nothing remained but the lonely contemplation of fading scenes. Dolly returned to Washington in 1837 with her niece. It was a new Washington in many ways, but turned to her with respectful attention. Montpellier had to be sold because her son, John Payne Todd, who neglected his mother, was in debt. Washington, however, never neglected Dolly, and often sent her baskets of fruit and provisions. Congress did not forget Dolly either, and gave her a seat on the floor of the House during her lifetime. Congress also paid for Mr. Madison’s Reports. “It was February 7; Dolly was at the close of her eightieth year, she was in white satin with the inevitable turban-and on July 12 she died.”7
Bibliography:
Alcohol Fetal Syndrome and Psychological Effects
Alcohol Fetal Syndrome and Psychological Effects
Introduction
Pre-natal exposure to alcohol is one of the top three known preventable causes of birth defects, mental retardation and neurodevelopment disorders (National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, 2011). According to Dasgupta (2011), a collection of birth defects arising from pre-natal alcohol exposure were identified in 1973, as a clinical entity named fetal alcohol syndrome. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, also known as FAS, can be described as a collection of physical, cognitive and behavioral abnormalities that develop in a fetus in relation to high consumption levels of alcohol during pregnancy. Children born of this condition reveal varying degrees of effects ranging from mild effects and behavioral difficulties to serious cognitive impairment and multiple disabilities. Resulting manifestations of this condition vary with age and circumstances. This particular paper seeks to provide an analysis of Alcohol Fetal Syndrome in addition to describing its possible psychological effects.
According to the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (2011), Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the leading known preventable cause of birth defects. This condition attributed to the prenatal exposure of alcohol to the fetus produces a range of effects, and newborns that do not comply with all the diagnosis criteria of the condition may be severely impacted negatively throughout their lives owing to their exposure to alcohol.
This disorder has been largely characterized by prenatal and/or post-natal growth deficiency, a characteristic set of slight facial anomalies, central nervous system dysfunction and pre-natal alcohol exposure (Baldwin, 2005). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, therefore, include a wide range of unending birth defects attributable to high consumption levels of alcohol by pregnant mothers during pregnancy, and which also includes all severe difficulties found in newborns born with the condition. Niccols (2002) highlights that the prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome is typically estimated 1to 3 in every 1000 live births in the general population. However, reported incidence varies depending on the study population and design. In addition, an individual having this condition can incur a lifetime health cost of more than $800, 000, with the physical and the behavioral problems associated with it can last for a lifetime. For these reasons, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is therefore a major public health issue.
According to Johnson (2010), individual variations in human bodily processes cause varying manifestations of the effects of both the severe or long-term use of alcohol. Alcohol affects nearly all the organ systems through the natural progression process of the disorder. Abel (2004) argues that prenatal exposure of the fetus to alcohol may affect various individuals in several ways with a significant amount of variability in the levels of psychological, behavioral and cognitive deficits.
One of the most significant psychological effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is mental retardation, a result of impaired brain development in the fetus (Dasgupta, 2011). This developmental disability is often described as an intellectual level functioning that is well below average, and which results in significant limitations in the affected child’s daily living skills. It is considered to be the most severe as well as the unfortunate psychological effect that alcohol has on the developing newborn.
It is estimated to occur in about 85% of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome children, making it a leading proven psychological effect of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome on children (National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, 2011).
The mentally retarded children normally reach developmental milestones such as talking much later compared to children in the general population. These children normally have difficulties with communication, social as well as functional academic skills. According to Mattson & Riley (1998), IQ tests, academic achievement tests as well as monitored school performance give evidence those children born of alcohol mothers exhibit lower intelligence levels. Mental retardation, however, varies with the severity of alcohol consumption by the pregnant mother. Although the consequences of living with an addicted, alcoholic parent vary, nearly all newborns from alcoholic parents are at great risk and live with psychological scars as a result of parental alcoholism.
Another psychological effect attributed to the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is poor reasoning and judgment skills. Children with this condition frequently have difficulties in learning. These difficulties stem from poor thinking as well as processing skills owing to the damaged brain. As highlighted by Johnson (2010), many chemicals including alcohol are known to have undesirable effects on the fetus’ developing brain. As a result, when the fetus gets exposed to large amounts of alcohol, several of his body systems, including his/her neurological system suffers damage. This continuing, multisystematic effect of alcohol on the newborn whose mother abused alcohol is what contributes to these psychological effects.
The affected children may be able to grasp the information, but may not be able to apply them in different situations. The learning process of such children may also occur in spurts, with easy learning periods being followed by difficult ones. According to Baldwin (2005), this can be explained by the fact that the prenatal exposure of the fetus to alcohol disrupts the electrophysiology as well as the neurochemical balance of the brain; as a result, messages are not transmitted as efficiently or as accurately as they ought to be. In other affected children, the wiring of the message system of the brain becomes dysfunctional, resulting in faulty message receptors.
During the difficult periods, the affected children are also known to have problems remembering as well as putting into use their learned or acquired information. As a result of inconsistent learning, a number of teachers may assume that such children are just not trying, in so doing, labeling them as lazy or stubborn. Learning difficulties typical to early school years include hyperactivity, slow language development, poor attention span and poor motor skills (Science Daily, 2009).
Inappropriate social skills are another psychological effects attributed to the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. According to Science Daily (2009), a new study examining a wide range of cognitive factors and social behaviours on children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, found out that those children suffering from this condition have significantly weaker social cognition as well as facial emotion processing abilities. Social cognition and emotional abilities are skills that significant as far as relating and communicating socially with other individuals is concerned.
Children born of this condition are therefore known to exhibit socially inappropriate behaviours attributed to their impaired practical reasoning skills. This psychological characteristic connected with Fetus Alcohol Syndrome reflects the dysfunction of the brain (Abkarian, 2002). One of the inappropriate social behaviours exhibited by such affected children is that they may be unable to think about or consider various results of their actions. Such children are also known to be socially as well as emotionally immature; as a result, having difficulties getting along with their peers.
Socially, they are known to be very outgoing as well as socially engaging. As a result of this, they are often viewed by others as intrusive, exceedingly talkative, and generally oblivious of social cues and principles. Due to the poor socialization skills as well as poor social judgment skills, such children are commonly hungry for attention, even negative ones. There is therefore a potential for both isolation as well as the exploitation of children with Fetus Alcohol Syndrome (Abkarian, 2002).
Other than these, children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome are also known to be easily influenced by others. This is based on the fact that they have a trusting nature as well as the eagerness to please, as result; they get easily attracted to strangers. Due to this nature, they are normally vulnerable to manipulation and victimization, a factor that calls for concern amongst their caregivers.
According to ScienceDaily (2009), one finding with a potential for immediate action was that children having Fetal Alcohol Syndrome have difficulties interpreting social information, including emotion in faces. These difficulties therefore predict their behavior problems linked to their social development problems.
A psychological effect of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome also common amongst children with this condition is a more severe behavioral problem. As highlighted by Baldwin (2005), a profile of children having Fetus Alcohol Syndrome include items such as restlessness and distractibility, in addition to behaviours often portrayed as ‘out of control’ and juvenile. According to Baldwin (2005), children with this condition have difficulties receiving sensory information, integrating, organizing and processing it and thereafter developing an appropriate response. These difficulties can be explained by the fact that some sensory channels may be under-responsive to input. These sensory processing deficits lead to poor modulation of arousal as well as alertness resulting in behavioral disorganization, emotional instability, and hyperactivity, and learning problems.
Abel (2004) highlights too that behavioral problems amongst children with this condition are also often as a result of sensory processing dysfunction. Regulatory problems are normally witnessed early in infancy owing to the inability of their nervous system to screen out external stimuli and modulate it. As a result of this, children suffering from this condition are often difficult to care for, and may often cry inconsolably and have difficulties during feeding.
Overall, children and adolescents suffering from this syndrome are more likely to take part in antisocial as well as sociopathic behaviours, such as stealing, cheating and lying. According to Streissguth et.al (2011), Fetal alcohol syndrome is not just an infancy disorder as there is a predictable long-term progression of the disorder into adulthood, in which maladaptive behaviours present the greatest challenge to management.
Children born of alcohol dependant parents may also present a significant degree of deficiencies as well as abnormalities associated to the central nervous system. These take several forms; some can be noticed within days after birth while others may only be detected after several years. Exaggerated tremulousness is one of the most common of these deficiencies and is known to occur much more frequently and vigorously among the affected children for longer periods than in healthy adults. Children with Fetus Alcohol Syndrome also experience frequent jitteriness and bad temper (irritability), a behavior that demonstrates that their nervous system is not functioning well. Additionally, such children also experience disorganized sleep patterns often revealed by the fact that they more restless nature during sleep when compared to other normal infants (Baldwin, 2005).
Overall, a study conducted by Streissguth et al (2004) provides an exclusive outcome of varied implication of the Fetus Alcohol Syndrome. The study conducted by Streissguth et al (2004) entailed the investigation of a sample group of 415 patients with FAS between the median ages of 14 years. A clinical description of the sample group was undertaken through a Life History Interview in order to identify the major problems that face patients with Fetal Alcoholic Syndrome.80% of the patients studied were not brought up by their biological mothers.
The findings of this study revealed that the lifespan prevalence for adolescents and adults was 61% for interrupted school experiences, 60% for trouble with the law, 50% for imprisonment (in jail, prison or a psychiatric/alcohol/drug inpatient setting), 49% for inappropriate sexual behaviours on repetitive occasions, and 35% for alcohol/drug problems. The probability of evading these undesirable life outcomes are increased 2- to 4-fold by receiving the diagnosis of Fetus Alcoholic Syndrome at an earlier age and by being raised in good stable environments (Streissguth et. al, 2004). Fetal alcohol syndrome has therefore specific recognizable patterns of malformation.
Conclusion
From the above analysis, it can be argued without a doubt that fetal alcohol disorder is a condition of great concern, as result, a major public health issue. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy has significant adverse effects on the fetus and the baby. Dependence and addiction to alcohol by the mother has a severe effect on the fetus as it makes it become addicted. At birth, the newborn’s dependence on alcohol continues and since it is no longer available, the newborn’s nervous system gets over stimulated, leading to withdrawal symptoms. Other than the severe effects of withdrawal, newborns often experience teratogenic effects of alcohol. A number of deformities usually on the face and head, heart defects, and mental retardation are witnessed with this condition. The syndrome is however preventable and early intervention can play a significant element in determining the prognosis for a child having Fetus Alcohol Syndrome.
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