The number of alcohol treatment facilities has increased over the last ten years and this rise continues. With so many alcohol rehabs in the United States, it raises the question of why so many are necessary. Openings in these facilities fill up almost instantly.
This indicates that there is a lot of alcohol abuse in the nation. While not directly related to economics, it meets the definition of supply and demand. There are thousands of alcohol rehabs in the U.S. because there is a high demand for treatment.
But what are the reasons behind such a cry for help? Is there anything culturally significant in America that is responsible for such a huge number of alcohol rehab facilities? We believe there is. Let’s explore if the number of alcohol rehabs in the U.S. is a sign of systemic cultural alcohol problems, and if true, why it is.
The Rite of Passage
Understanding the role of alcohol in America requires examining how many eventual alcoholics get their first exposure to it. It is as if it’s an understandable rite of passage that young people use alcohol. Peer pressure to drink can be an enormous burden.
The reasons America’s youth consume alcohol are as varied as the flavors and brand names there are. Alcohol causes an instant euphoria. It can turn a shy adolescent into the life of the party. However, this rite of passage also comes with consequences.
Underage drinking is a problem in the United States. This is supportive evidence of systemic cultural alcohol problems. There are thousands of self-proclaimed alcoholics who started out drinking for the effect or because it was socially acceptable.
The Glamorization of Alcohol
Part of the problem with adolescent alcohol abuse in America stems from how alcohol is portrayed. In alcohol advertisements, there are no examples of someone getting ill from drinking too much.
There is no itemized list of the health consequences that can result from alcohol abuse. You won’t find an alcohol brand advertisement showing someone getting pulled over for operating a motor vehicle after having one too many.
However, what America does see in the alcohol commercials is the guy getting the girl. The girl who is astonishingly beautiful professes how much she enjoys her sparkling favorite indulgence. Alcohol commercials portray drinkers as the life of the party, not of someone who has lost control.
Hollywood elites and professional athletes are used to display a sense of prestige in alcohol ads. In America, if you drink alcohol you can magically become rich and famous. This glamorization of alcohol has started many Americans down the lonely road of alcoholism.
The Hard Truth About Alcohol Abuse
In the United States, alcohol is used and abused in excess. It is a drug. Alcohol can create a false sense of confidence. A stiff drink is professed as the cure-all for stress and anxiety. Drinking alcohol is deemed an American rite of passage. However, it is also addictive.
Dozens of alcohol treatment facilities, rehabs scattered across every state, expose a hard truth. Alcohol abuse in the United States is a huge problem. It spares no one, regardless of race, color or creed. Anyone can become an alcoholic, and many Americans do.
The ugly side of alcohol abuse has been widely ignored. Many falsely assume an alcoholic is a poor soul, a bum relegated to a life of hopelessness and despair. However, the hard truth is that there alcoholics in America come from every walk of life.
The reality with alcohol is that once it entangles you, your life can spiral out of control rapidly. Alcoholism is a cunning and baffling disease. It will attempt to convince you that nothing is wrong, or everyone else has the problem.
The systemic culture of alcohol use in the United States bears a huge level of responsibility for the alcohol problems in the country. Not everyone becomes an alcoholic. However, millions fall into the addictive trap of a drug that is glamorized.
If you think you have a problem with alcohol, hope is not lost. There is help. All you have to do is ask. The prevalence of alcohol rehabs across the country is a beacon of hope. Ultimately, some find a new way of living is possible without alcohol.
For all its glamour and rite of passage in American life, the hard truth about alcohol is its addictive. It can destroy your life. Reach out for help today if you feel you have a problem with alcohol, because tomorrow might be too late. Call us at 833-820-2922.