The primary purpose of the present study was to investigate a specific area of cognitive functioning to determine if any differences exist between adult children of alcoholics and controls in the processing of emotionally laden word cues. Of secondary importance was the investigation of group differences in self-esteem, extroversion, neuroticism, and attentional control. A modified version of the Stroop Colour Naming Task was used to investigate selective processing of word cues in a sample of 37 adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) and 37 adult children of non alcoholics (non ACOAs). All subjects were university students who volunteered for the study. The original form of this task required subjects to name the color of ink in which a word was printed while ignoring word content. Modified versions of this task substitute target words and control words for the words standardly used in order to investigate attentional bias for relevant word cues. As predicted, ACOAs were significantly slower than non ACOAs on this task. There was also a significant group x word type interaction. Compared to non ACOAs, ACOAs displayed a significant attentional bias in favor of alcohol and social threat words compared to neutral and positive words as evidenced by increased response times on the Stroop Task. There was also a significant main effect for word type with response time slowest for alcohol words and fastest for positive words. There were no significant group differences in self-esteem, extroversion, neuroticism, or attentional control. The results were discussed in terms of a generalized attentional deficit for the overall slower response time exhibited by the ACOA group. The more specialized Stroop effect of attentional bias for alcohol and social threat words was discussed in terms of the development of danger schemata based on previous life experiences perceived to be threatening. / Graduation date: 1992

In-utero ethanol exposure may result in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Studies have suggested that women who drink ethanol are more likely to consume illicit drugs. Detection of such exposures has been done via meconium and hair testing and can serve to direct needed prevention methods and appropriate management and intervention for the neonate and the mother. This study examined maternal diabetes as a possible confounder for in-utero ethanol exposure testing and determined the trends in drug use associated with heavy in-utero ethanol exposure in a high-risk obstetric Canadian population. It was determined that maternal diabetes does not produce false-positive results in testing for in-utero ethanol exposure. Furthermore, heavy in-utero ethanol exposure was detected in 15.5% of samples and was associated with an increased exposure to amphetamines (OR=3.30) and opiates (OR=2.01), but a decreased exposure to cannabinoids (OR=0.61) when compared to neonates with no heavy in-utero ethanol exposure.

Thesis (M.F.A.)--University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 2003.

Tolerance to ethanol is an endophenotype of alcoholism, allowing the study of a complex psychiatric condition using animal models. To identify new genes involved in the acquisition of tolerance, I designed an automated and high-throughput tolerance assay and screened a collection of deficiency mutants for the inability to develop tolerance. The screen yielded several “regions of interest” where more than one overlapping deficiency failed to develop tolerance. One of these regions comprised nine genes, and testing the expression levels of each gene revealed that diazepam binding inhibitor (Dbi) showed grossly increased expression in the deficiency mutant compared to wild type. Another mutant stock, with a P-element transposon inserted downstream of the Dbi gene, both failed to develop tolerance and showed further increased expression of Dbi. There are two insulator binding sites flanking Dbi, and the P-element transposon also contains insulator binding sites. Based on these results, it was hypothesized that an insulator complex kept Dbi expression low in wild type flies and that disrupting the insulator complex allowed aberrantly high expression of Dbi in the mutants. Furthermore, we assumed that induction of Dbi blocked tolerance by making the mutants resistant prior to the first sedation. A UAS-DBI transgene was constructed to over-express Dbi. Induction of the UAS-DBI with a heat shock gal4 driver induced resistance to ethanol sedation; a similar response was observed in the parental control, but the effect was smaller. Although driving UAS-DBI with the neural elav-gal4 driver did not block tolerance, the experimental stock was resistant to ethanol sedation compared to the parental controls, indicating that increased Dbi expression produced “pre-tolerance.” To confirm the theory that insulator disruption was responsible for the increase in Dbi and the resulting no-tolerance phenotype, the P-element in the second mutant was mobilized by introducing a transposase source. These offspring lines were analyzed using qualitative PCR to determine whether the transposon excised precisely, left a portion of the transposon behind, or removed some of the flanking region. A precise excision mutant was identified, but this mutation did not rescue tolerance as predicted. This result might indicate that genetic background was the cause of the no-tolerance phenotype, or it might indicate that the excision was not exactly precise and removed the native insulator binding site, causing the insulator complex to remain disrupted. / text

In this dissertation, I explore the question of how women alcoholics achieve sobriety. Using narrative inquiry, I focus on the identity transformation that must occur in order to maintain sobriety and how a drinking self is deconstructed and reconstructed as a sober self. Today, alcoholism is still viewed as stigmatizing in our society and in all Western cultures. The stigma of alcoholism makes it difficult for alcoholics to communicate their experiences to people who have not had similar experiences. However, storytelling in the presence of supportive people has been shown to be a prominent factor in the process of recovery for women and men. Over a period of a year, three women and I shared and reconstructed our experiences of living an alcoholic life, comparing and contrasting that life to our experiences we went through as we struggled to achieve sobriety. I elicited and listened to stories of drinking experiences, family, dating, turning points, and commitment to creating a sober lifestyle. I also reviewed and analyzed the stories told in memoirs written by three alcoholic women. Through narrative, my participants and I made sense of why drinking was central to our lives and how our life stories were reconstructed and reframed as we tried to achieve sobriety. Our stories challenge the canonical narrative of the alcoholic, providing multiple perspectives on these issues and giving voice to such silenced experiences as how to cope with shyness, the self-defeating thought process associated with the contradictions inherent in a drinking life, the turning points that can inspire women to give up drinking for good, and the relational consequences of committing to sobriety.The experiences shared in the stories told by these women give texture and depth to our understanding of the lived experiences of women alcoholics and the road they must travel to achieve self-respect and self-love through sobriety.

Not available / text

Not available / text

No description available.

No description available.

The aim of this research was to develop guidelines for after-care services for rehabilitated alcoholics, in order to render a more effective support service towards the rehabilitated alcoholic on his way to full recovery. The necessity of the research project originated on account of a lack of knowledge among social workers on the need of the rehabilitated alcoholic towards after-care service and the specific nature that after-care services have to contain. A literature overview of after-care services was given to the alcoholic, as a background for the empirical study of the project. The literature study showed that after-care services as an integral part of the total rehabilitation of the alcoholic is conceptualized. Further out of the literature came to light that social workers have a resistance against the delivering of after-care services and that they experience feelings of discourage regarding the alcoholic. The empirical study confirmed that social workers experience resistance against giving after-care services to rehabilitated alcoholics. Further they don't consider this as part of their task and they give a low priority towards the rendering of after-care services. In spite of this, the necessity of after-care services is being realized by the social workers. Alcoholics who are standing on the point of being discharged from the rehabilitation center have a need for after-care services to help them adapt in the community. They especially have a need for individual contact with a professional person and do not want to be part of only a self-help group. Among the alcoholics who are already functioning in the community after treatment, the particular need of the female alcoholic came forward. This group feels that their family and spouse do not truly have an idea of their needs. Further there was a need among the rehabilitated alcoholics to know who will be responsible for their after-care services. This group would have wanted to be prepared on possible risky situations and ways of handling these situations. The research showed that there is a shortcoming in the practice concerning the rendering of aftercare service. Guidelines were formulated from which more effective after-care services could be given to rehabilitated alcoholics. / Thesis (M.A. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.