Deaf Culture And Alcoholism

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Deaf Culture And Alcoholism

Deaf Culture and Alcoholism
Abstract
Why is it so hard for the deaf to deal with admitting they are alcoholics or drug addicts which is an impediment for recovery? Why is it so hard for them to stay sober once they have achieved it for a few weeks or months? What do you think the main reasons are?
Having worked with the deaf for over 30 years I will try to answer these questions and research other aspects of the deaf culture, their mode of communication and alcoholism.
Although it may seem that communication is an aspect of every culture, two of the unique features are that there is not always a common language between parents and child, and there is no written form of the language. Thus, the deaf culture becomes unique, and through this uniqueness, they become isolated both from their peers and the hearing population.
According to Marie Egert Rendon in her article, Deaf and Alcohol and Substance Abuse “Substance abuse is a sensitive issue about which the deaf community does not yet feel comfortable talking. For many with in the community, it remains a moral issue; the denial of pathological drinking is very strong.” (Rendon, 1992)
Isolation is a well-known stressor and the denial of alcohol use in the family unit has long existed in the deaf community. The family structures and the cohesiveness of the family in their form of communications is a factor that must be considered. The deaf have had limited or strained access to their own cultural rights. They have been denied the right to their own language, their own community groups, and even have limited access to the majority culture because of communication barriers. Because of the sense of oppression, isolation has perpetuated the denial process. In addition, language, family, friendships, and services available to the deaf culture and native language have many innuendoes.
“Since the deaf culture is built around the language that the deaf people use- American Sign Language (ASL)- the culture is rarely accessible to the hearing world, due to the difficulty of mastering ASL.” (Rendon, 1992)
Family communication includes several dimensions, among them the mode, content and structure of communication. Mode of communication is frequently raised in discussions about communication within families having a deaf member. Communication mode use refers to the use of speech, sign, or some other method of face- to-face communication. (Kluwin, 1990)
Because of these barriers and other mis...

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