Alcoholism in Native American Communities: A Historical and Cultural Perspective

Participants also perceived economic hardships due to borrowing money, gambling, and being robbed when intoxicated. Some individuals with alcohol problems were dependent on General Assistance and social services. Identified alcohol-related legal problems included public intoxication, driving while intoxicated Twelve-step program (DWI)/driving under the influence (DUI), traffic accidents, theft, trespassing, vandalism, and providing alcohol to minors. These include arrest and imprisonment for alcohol-involved crimes (Feldstein, Venner, & May, 2006; May, 1975; Stewart, 1964) and subsequent loss of eligibility for Tribal employment, which to our knowledge has not been previously reported. As noted by the respondents, the consequences of alcohol-related convictions on an individual’s employability can have ripple effects on their families and communities (Wildeman & Western, 2010) as well as on their own substance use (Popovici & French, 2013).

• Similarly, convenience stores often serve their patrons on credit, creating dependent relationships that may impede clerks’ upholding underage drinking laws.
• To even suggest that Indians are simply more prone to alcohol abuse than non-Natives implicitly makes assumptions about the superiority of the dominant white society and thus the inferiority of Native peoples.

The Role of Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Addiction Treatment

After completing the survey, participants were compensated with a $50 gift card and received a list of mental health and SUD treatment resources available in the community. This manuscript and all other research products resulting from the project were approved by the CAB and tribal IRB prior to publication. Despite the numerous injustices and inequities that AIANs experienced, and continue to experience, AIANs fostered and held on to cultural values and practices that help build resilience. Developing a strong ethnic identity, and holding and passing on knowledge of the culture, traditions, and languages through generations has been particularly protective among this population. Engaging in culturally healing practices (e.g., sweats) and utilizing medicines (e.g., sage, sweet grass) support recovery and promote well-being 24,102,103. Reconnecting with the Native culture, building internal strengths, coping resources, and relying on extended social networks and multi-generational relationships assist AIANs with navigating the historical and every day hardships experienced 102,104,105.

The Importance of a Personalized Detox Plan for Addiction Recovery

Approximately 34 percent of this age group reported having been drunk within the past month. About the same proportion of Indian and non-Indian youth in grades 7 to 12 had ever tried alcohol in their lifetime. When Indian youth drank, however, they appeared to drink in heavier amounts and experience more negative consequences from their drinking than did their non-Indian peers (Oetting and Beauvais 1989).

The Benefits of 12-Step Programs in Recovery

Behavioral addictions reflect difficulties with impulse control as individuals repeatedly engage in maladaptive behaviors that are often accompanied by significant impairment 80,81. Appetitive-related behaviors can occur on a continuum; repetitive engagement in such behaviors despite negative consequences qualifies them as addictions 79. The satisfactory, yet deceptive feelings about the appetitive need being fulfilled are short-lived and a new cycle of need, behavior, illusory fulfillment, and adverse outcome ensues 79.

Why Relapse Is a Part of Recovery, Not a Failure

Native https://www.studiomangili.com/alcohols-effect-on-blood-pressure-and-heart-rate/ Americans have experienced significant historical trauma, displacement, and loss of culture. These experiences have created a legacy of intergenerational trauma that has increased the risk of alcohol abuse. Additionally, government policies, such as the reservation system, have restricted Native Americans’ access to healthcare, education, and other resources, which has also contributed to alcohol abuse. As might be expected, severity of alcohol dependence was significantly correlated with the number of alcohol-related incarcerations. Moreover, this sample experienced more alcohol-related incarcerations than alcohol treatment.

CONTEMPORARY AI/AN POPULATIONS

The history of alcohol use among Native Americans is complex and deeply rooted in historical and cultural factors. Finally, age, gender, and sexual minority status are demographic factors that can impact the risk for alcohol-related harm. Native Americans aged have a high prevalence of substance use disorders, with 10% having alcohol use disorders. Additionally, Native American women face unique challenges, such as drinking during pregnancy and confidentiality concerns, that can delay treatment.

Specifically, this study provides a picture of how a highly select sample of American Indian/Alaska Natives who resolved alcohol dependence interacted with the justice system and other treatment settings during their drinking careers. alcoholism statistics Why participants in this sample did not access treatment settings more often remains unknown. Future studies will aim to explore Indians’ access to and interest in seeking alcohol treatment from non-justice system treatment settings, as well as the incidence of natural recovery.

Yet, within this small population, more than 560 AI/AN tribes and communities are federally recognized (2). Some American Indian (AI) tribes are quite large; the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and the Navajo Nation each make up more than 10% of AI/ ANs. This inherent diversity cannot be trivialized; important differences in language, culture, and customs (4) make generalizations to an overall AI/AN population prone to significant error. Research findings we review below attest to important variations in substance use patterns across tribal groups.

Trauma Exposure

The AI-SUPERPFP team members listed as authors oversaw the conceptualization, design, and implementation of the study. Human Participant Protection…The study was reviewed and approved by the Colorado Multiple Institutional Review Board. Keith V. Bletzer, Ph.D., M.P.H., is an adjunct faculty in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University. He has conducted extended fieldwork in Central America, and worked on field projects in four regions of the United States. He was a recent recipient of a National Research Service Award through Arizona State University and has received intermittent funding for field research. His substantive interests include medical anthropology, social adversity in resource-poor communities, and narrative analysis.