At some point, you will likely encounter employees with problems related to alcohol in dealing with performance, conduct, and leave problems. In some cases, you may not know that there is an alcohol problem. In other cases, you may know, either because the employee admits to being an alcoholic, or the problem is self-evident. For example, an employee may become intoxicated while on duty or be arrested for drunk driving. Your role is not to diagnose the alcohol problem but to exercise responsibility in dealing with the performance or conduct problem, hold the employee accountable, refer the employee to the EAP, and take any appropriate disciplinary action. Your role in dealing with alcoholism in the workplace is crucial. The most effective way to get an alcoholic to deal with the problem is to make the alcoholic aware that his or her job is on the line and that he or she must get help and improve performance and conduct, or face serious consequences, including the possibility of losing his or her job.
Toxic Effects of Alcoholism on Families: The Statistics
The early stage is difficult to detect. By appearances, an individual may be able to drink a great deal without becoming intoxicated, having hangovers, or suffering other apparent ill-effects from alcohol. An early stage alcoholic is often indistinguishable from a non-alcoholic who happens to be a fairly heavy drinker.
One of the most sobering effects of alcoholism is an increased risk for domestic abuse within the family. Abuse tied to alcoholism can be either emotional or physical in nature. People battling alcoholism may insult their family members, manipulate them, or humiliate them. These are all forms of emotional abuse. Physical violence is also a serious issue. The World Health Organization reports that 55 percent of physical assault cases between intimate partners occurred when the perpetrator had been drinking. Because alcohol use lowers their self-control levels by affecting cognitive and physical functioning, people who drink are more prone to acting violently when frustrated.
While there is a distinction between alcohol abuse and alcoholism, there is no question that both conditions can take a toll on a person should the problem progress. With regards to alcoholism, a person experiences similar adverse effects on his or her life due to their addiction. However, alcoholism means that a person is dependent on drinking and experiences physiological side effects, beyond a hangover, should he or she stop drinking. A person struggling with alcohol abuse is not at this level of impairment, though the chances of developing a dependence on alcohol are high being that alcohol abuse is considered a precursor to alcoholism.
While preventing the initial occurrence of ACEs is a logical priority, many children who have already experienced negative effects from ACEs have treatment needs. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pediatricians regularly screen young children for circumstances (including maternal depression, parental substance abuse, poverty, and community violence) that can lead to toxic stress.23 If a child has experienced such adversities, health care providers can help the family address the immediate threat and reduce the likelihood of future exposure, and can make referrals to services and to evidence-based treatments that may mitigate the negative effects of the experience. However, the practice of screening for trauma, including ACEs, is not yet widespread among pediatricians.24 The evidence for intergenerational transmission of the effects of ACEs also argues for interventions that work simultaneously with parents and children.25
Learning how to cope with adversity is an important part of healthy child development. When we are threatened, our bodies activate a variety of physiological responses, including increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones such as cortisol. When a young child is protected by supportive relationships with adults, he learns to cope with everyday challenges and his stress response system returns to baseline. Scientists call this positive stress. Tolerable stress occurs when more serious difficulties, such as the loss of a loved one, a natural disaster, or a frightening injury, are buffered by caring adults who help the child adapt, which mitigates the potentially damaging effects of abnormal levels of stress hormones. When strong, frequent, or prolonged adverse experiences such as extreme poverty or repeated abuse are experienced without adult support, stress becomes toxic, as excessive cortisol disrupts developing brain circuits.
Children develop in an environment of relationships that begin in the home and include extended family members, early care and education providers, and members of the community. Studies show that toddlers who have secure, trusting relationships with parents or non-parent caregivers experience minimal stress hormone activation when frightened by a strange event, and those who have insecure relationships experience a significant activation of the stress response system. Numerous scientific studies support these conclusions: providing supportive, responsive relationships as early in life as possible can prevent or reverse the damaging effects of toxic stress.
About the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health, is the primary U.S. agency for conducting and supporting research on the causes, consequences, prevention, and treatment of alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and alcohol problems. NIAAA funds the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) to determine the effects of problematic alcohol use on the developing adolescent brain and examine brain characteristics that predict alcohol use disorder. NIAAA also disseminates research findings to general, professional, and academic audiences. Additional alcohol research information and publications are available at www.niaaa.nih.gov. 2ff7e9595c
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