Let's take a look at drinking in our society.  Most adult americans drink.  Why do they drink?  For most people, the reason is to help them relax, to entertain family and friends, and to fit into social groups more comfortably.  Not everyone who drinks is an alcoholic.  For most people, the use of alcohol causes problems only infrequently.  For others, the story is quite different.  These are the problem drinkers.  A simple definition of the problem drinker, or alcoholic, is a person whose repeated or continued use of alcohol interferes with his life, his job or normal relations with his family.  Problem drinkers do not fit into any special groups in terms of income, education, work, or sex.  The disease of alcoholism reaches into every part of american society.  Tragically, this disease is effecting greater and greater numbers of teenagers.

There are noticeable differences between the problem drinking of an alcoholic and the usual drinking pattern of a social drinker.  Let's look at them:

1.  Loss of control.  Although an alcoholic may go through times when his drinking is "under control," his drinking behavior is unpredictable even to himself.  At times, he drinks when he does not intend to, or does not expect to.

2.  Damage.  The alcoholic's drinking causes damage.  This may be in the form of extensive physical damage to his brain, liver, pancreas, and nervous system.  It often involves others, especially those close to him.  Along the way, it causes unhappiness, upset homes, neglected and disturbed children, a lack of ability to support himself or others, and accidents.  Some of these effects are also evident even in those we call "social drinkers." 

3.  A way of using alcohol that is different from other people.  This is difficult to describe, but we'll try to do so in simple terms.  The alcoholic drinks almost as if alcohol were a magic potion taken to satisfy some deep inner need or to relieve some deep, unknown pain.  Only those who know the alcoholic will notice this.  The alcoholic will usually deny that he has a problem or that he can't control his drinking.  This is only natural, since he is using a popular beverage as a sort of "pain relieving" medicine.

There are many patterns of alcoholism.  Some people seem to show all the signs of an alcoholic drinking pattern from the very beginning.  From the first time they were introduced to alcohol, which unfortunately, is usually in their teens, they get drunk, pass out, and do things that get them into trouble.  From then on, they continue to drink with the same results.  Most people develop alcoholism more slowly.  With many, their problem is hidden.  This is especially true in women.  Many alcoholics try to hide their abnormal drinking.  They drink alone in the privacy of their homes, buy liquor in many different stores, or in varying quantities, go to great lengths to hide their supply, and go too equally great lengths to get rid of the empty bottles without anyone knowing about the bottles or the problem.  These are some of the signs that lead the alcoholic to the realization that he or she has a problem that is impossible to control, and therefore, must be hidden.  Regardless of how it begins, alcoholism is a serious illness.  Without help it always gets worse, never better.  Sooner or later, attempts to hide the problem fail.

All too often, the result of problem drinking is permanent brain damage or an early, painful death.  This follows such "nightmarish" incidents as accidents or unpleasant behavior in public, not being able to hold a job, forgetting a cigarette that causes a fire in the home, and finally, total mental and physical collapse, resulting in treatment in a hospital.

Alcoholism doesn't suddenly appear after just o

ne drink.  It is long lasting and can be expected to develop in stages.  These stages are not necessarily the same for all people.  They do not always appear in the same order.  Sometimes one stage or another is skipped.  But, the following list does indicate a general order which holds true in most cases.

Stage 1: an uncontrollable desire to drink.  This means "sneaking" extra drinks; "gulping" or drinking a little faster than others; by regularly getting a head start on drinking before a party, and, often hiding the amount or times when one drinks.

Stage 2: memory blackouts.  These are periods during drinking when the individual becomes forgetful and cannot recall what occurred for part or all of the time he was drinking.  As the problem becomes worse, the blackouts come on sooner, last longer, and happen more often.  Even a non-alcoholic may occasionally have blackouts, mostly after unusually heavy drinking.

Stage 3: loss of control.  This may be a sign of a growing need for alcohol, and is similar to drug addiction.  No one knows what causes this.  The drinker's body apparently craves alcohol.  At this stage, one drink seems to destroy his ability or desire to limit the amount he will drink.  Some authorities think the first drink starts a physical craving for more and more alcohol.  Whether or not a physical craving exists in this stage can be summed up in the words of an a.a. Slogan, "one drink is too many and a thousand is not enough."

Stage 4: a change in drinking friends.  At this stage, the alcoholic usually changes from drinking with his usual friends to another group of people that is less critical of his increased drinking.  In some cases, he begins to drink alone. 

Stage 5: serious hangovers and morning drinking.  At this stage, the alcoholic begins to drink at unusual times in order to stop the pain of the increasingly serious after effects of drinking.  This may mean morning drinking.  On the other hand, a person can be an alcoholic without ever taking a morning drink, and of course, a person who takes a rare morning drink would not necessarily be an alcoholic.

Stage 6:  binges.  Binges start as increasingly longer bouts of drinking, often beginning with morning drinking, and lasting through more of a day, more of a weekend, and finally for many days.

There are several types of problem drinkers who go through these stages.  Some become daily drinkers, but always keep some control over the amount they consume.  Some drink at intervals that can be months apart, yet even they eventually lose control.

In most cases, alcoholism does not just suddenly show up.  It develops gradually, unknown to people around the drinker and even unknown to the drinker himself.  Unfortunately, by the time everybody recognizes it, the disease is far advanced.

Leading medical organizations agree, alcoholism is a disease.  Alcoholism is not a moral weakness or a lack of will power.  Let me repeat that.  Alcoholism is not a moral weakness or a lack of will power.  One of the important elements in the treatment of alcoholism is early recognition.  As with all other chronic diseases, alcoholism is easier to treat when it is found early, before it becomes too much a part of a person's life.  There is hope and help for the problem drinker.  In the opinion of practically all medical specialists, recovery from alcoholism demands that the drinker stop drinking completely.  For the thousands of people who are struggling with the problem of alcoholism, this is neither simple nor easy. 

However, the fact that hundreds of thousands have recovered from alcoholism and returned to a normal life shows that it can be done.  Again, the single most important factor in overcoming alcoholism is the personal desire of the alcoholic to stop drinking completely.  This desire is shown by a willingness to frankly face the fact and admit that he has a drinking problem.

Perhaps one of the best sources of help for the problem drinker is alcoholics anonymous, also known as a.a.  There is probably an a.a. Group meeting in your area.  Check the telephone directory white pages if you would like more information.