John is 17 and has been drinking heavily since he was 12. He drinks almost every day, but when he is particularly anxious, he dr
inks until he passes out. His father and his grandfather were diagnosed with alcohol use disorder; his father died of liver failure when John was 14. His mother and older brother do not drink at all, and they have always told John that he is the family’s black sheep, the rebellious one who is destined to be like his father. John feels that he has no idea who he is and is in desperate search of a self-identity. Based on the multipath model, write a brief essay considering the causes of John's behavior. Are genetics to blame? Early childhood experience? Problems with cognition/thought distortion? Wider society? There is no length requirement. Please make sure you address the issues and defend your opinion thoroughly.
John is clearly going through a lot. There's many things that could of cause drinking at a young age. To really know the cause of the heavy use, we need to go back when he was 12. I don't believe this was really caused by genetics. although the dad and grandfather was drinking, this is a learnt behavior. Children tend to follow a parent's path in life. being around drinking as a kid, can have deep impacts on a child's development. this could have of all started when his dad left an open beer out one day. This is the same with children who is around smoking parents. Although they might say "Don't ever smoke", the children is gonna end up smoking if something doesn't stop. When john's father died, it could of had another really serious impact on him. Plus, we dont know if there was any abusive behaviors going on. I dont think that drinking is the main issue in this case. Im not a psychologist, but i notice early signs of depression and possibly death. I do notice signs of an anxiety disorder also. I feel as if john's mother is adding on to the problem, by not supporting him and being there for him.
