What is an Alcoholic?
If you consume alcohol, or you think someone in your life is drinking too much the question of what is an alcoholic may come up. It is important to understand what makes a person an alcoholic and what separates alcoholic drinking from normal drinking patterns. It is hard to pin down a single alcoholism definition because the disease comes in so many forms, but long story short an alcoholic is someone whose drinking is compulsive, problematic and difficult if not impossible for them to control. This is why telling an alcoholic to 'just quit drinking' is rarely going to work.
The alcoholic definition can apply to men and women of all ages, from all walks of life. There are alcoholics in gutters on the street, there are alcoholics playing golf at the country club and there are alcoholics from every social group in between. Sometimes the disease can be genetic, but this does not mean you have to be an alcoholic just because your mother or father was. It means if there is alcoholism in your family it is important to stay vigilant when it comes to controlling your drinking. Or, you may choose not to drink at all and avoid the risk.
When you take a hard, honest look at alcoholism facts you will see it is a problem no one wants to have. While the alcoholic may feel good while drinking, the devastation to their lives is hardly worth the price. Often the disease of alcoholism causes problems with relationships, jobs and even physical and mental health. One of the leading health problems associated with this disease is liver damage, with the worst case scenario being liver cancer and/or cirrhosis of the liver caused by alcohol consumption. Usually by the time symptoms of these diseases arise it is too late to effectively treat them.
A discussion about what is an alcoholic would not be complete without talking about how to get help. If you or a loved one are an alcoholic, or think you might be, see your doctor and be honest about your concerns. He or she can assess your physical and mental health, along with your confessions about how much and how often you are drinking. You may be told to try and cut back gradually, be referred to an inpatient rehabilitation clinic for alcoholics or an outpatient program depending on your individual case. Also your doctor can educate you more on the definition of alcoholism and whether or not your drinking is problematic.
Community calendar - StandardNet
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AA friend's death rocks Demi - Adelaide Now
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Robert Mellen: Alcoholism among seniors a growing concern - Florida Today
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Demi Moore: Loss of AA sponsor Patsy Rugg and the breakdown that left her in . - Daily Mail
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Community Calendar for Thursday, February 2, 2012 - Elizabethton Star
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Daily calendar - AberdeenNews.com
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Area meetings and events calendar - The Daily Jeffersonian
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ExComm highlights alcohol abuse In an effort to increase transparency in how Yale handles disciplinary matters, the Yale College Executive Committee documented a single semesters cases in its inaugural semiannual report released this week. The committee adjudicated 52 cases EUR” including alcohol violations, defiance of authority and trespassing EUR” involving 59 students during the fall of 2011, according to the report. Seven of ... | ||
Group wants to tax spirits to fight alcohol abuse TUCSON - An organization called Pennies for Prevention wants to increase alcohol taxes to pay for programs that fight alcohol abuse. In their application to the Secretary of State, supporters say underage drinking costs Arizona $1.3 billion a year... | ||
What's happening today in the north valley - Enterprise-Record
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Community Calendar | February 3-11 - Bainbridge Island Review
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Debtors Anonymous: A Shopaholic's Answer To Curbing Compulsive Spending - Business Insider
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Cops Mix Booze, Policing In Silence A Team 5 Investigation found police officers all over Massachusetts fighting crime while also fighting their own alcohol abuse... | ||
United bid to tackle alcohol abuse Alcohol claims the lives of more than 1,300 people each year across the island of Ireland, health chiefs holding a cross-border conference on the problem have revealed... | ||
Sweet and Toxic: A Case for Regulating Sugar like Alcohol and Tobacco Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco argue that sugar is toxic and needs to be taxed and controlled. Why it's so hard to break our addiction.. | ||
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