Psychology in the Social World

Psychology in the Social World
Written by Kelly L. Hunter

Human behaviors can be rather complex to understand at times and each of us reacts differently to social situations. Psychologists like Freud, Skinner, Wundt, and countless others like them have been conducting research for centuries to determine or at least try to better understand what causes individual behaviors. Why do some individuals act nervous in social environments? Why do some people overeat when they are unhappy? What causes a person to binge drink? It is possible to gain a wealth of knowledge about a person by watching how that individual reacts to different circumstances in social settings. Issues like being overly stressed about something can cause an individual to react differently than they normally would if they were not under stress.
Binge drinking is an abnormal behavior that I have witnessed in a friend that used to be close to me. “Binge drinking used to mean drinking heavily over several days. Now, however, the term refers to the heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time” (Dowshen, 2009). Binge drinking is most common in young adults and teens; however, binge drinking is a psychological disorder that does not discriminate. It has been said that “excessive drinking can lead to difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, mood changes, and other problems that affect your day-to-day life” (Dowshen, 2009). Binge drinking however, can have even more serious and long-term affects. Alcohol poisoning, impaired judgment, physical and mental health issues, and alcoholism are all problems that can be associated with binge drinking.
Anna is a girl that I have known for approximately 16 years. I recently began spending time with Anna again and was excited to be reunited with an old friend. I soon learned that Anna had changed and wasn’t being honest with anyone, including herself. When I first started spending time with Anna and her two year old son Matt, everything seemed on the up and up. However, that soon changed. The first time that I experienced the “drunken” version of my friend was when I had invited her and Matt over to make soap and candles with my son and I. Anna brought with her a six pack of beer; drinking them all in the matter of an hour. Once those beers were gone, she went out to her truck where she had another six pack stashed.
It seemed as if Anna went from sober to drunk with the blink of an eye. One moment we were laughing, making stuff, and having meaningful conversation. The next moment, you could tell that she was unable to focus in on my face and was beginning to ramble with slurred speech. It was now late into the night and Anna was clearly unable to drive so I offered her and Matt the guest bed. At some point in the middle of the night, I heard a variety of loud noises as Anna banged her way to my bedroom. She was frantically looking for her son whom she believed had gotten outside. Matt was sleeping on the couch where she had left him. I was able to calm her down and suggested that she try to sleep. However, to my surprise, she left while I was sleeping and drove the few blocks home.
I did not hear from Anna for a few days and suspected that she was possibly embarrassed by her behavior. At first, Anna told me about her controlling parents and how they called her an alcoholic and made accusations that she was a bad mother; going as far as calling Child Services. According to Anna, Child Services assured her she was doing a fine job and they did not understand why they had been called to her home. I must say that I believed what she was telling me because I too had controlling parents. Unfortunately that was not my last encounter with that side of her personality. I began to question whether or not she was telling me the truth and wondering if quite possibly her parents were right.
Anna would show up at my house sometimes with a bottle of wine, beer, or liquor (sometimes all three) at 9 or 10 a.m. after fighting with her parents. I didn’t know how to tell her that I thought she had a problem and it wasn’t until our last encounter that I was forced to make a decision. She came to my house early one morning with a bottle of brandy which she consumed in a short time. She then began falling all over the place and almost fell through my glass coffee table. I tried to get her to lie down and sleep it off before she went home because I did not want her to get into trouble. I eventually had to call her parents and have them come and pick her up because she was a mess. I hoped that she would see that she has an issue with drinking and seek help but that did not happen. Anna received a DUI while driving home from work one night and had to spend the night in jail. No one knew where she was or what happened to her until the next day.
In conclusion, I believe that there are many consequences to Anna’s drinking. Aside from her recent DUI, Anna has lost the trust of her family and friends, and could possibly lose custody of her son. She now has a criminal record and must breath into a device before her automobile will start. I am concerned with the fact that she has not learned her lesson and still finds ways to drink and drive which could ultimately lead to her or someone else’s death. It is difficult to watch someone you care about go through something like this especially when they will not accept the fact that they have a problem. It is my opinion that Anna needs counseling to help her better understand why she makes the choices that she does and to find a better way to deal with those issues before it is too late.



Reference

Dowshen, S. “Binge Drinking.” (2009). The Nemours Foundation. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/alcohol/binge_drink.html#