Who Are These Alcoholics

To know them, requires defining the disease Alcoholism first. The definition in simplest terms: A chronic disease in which the person suffering from it has a dependence on alcohol, experiences withdrawal symptoms when trying to avoid or decrease intake of alcohol, suffers bodily organ damage due to the alcohol and has a decreased ability to function at work or in relationships as a direct result of this disease. The disease Alcoholism has been shown in studies to be the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

Alcoholism can have a damaging affect on every organ system in the human body. Knowing this, we can see that the Alcoholic is someone who is going to suffer long-term from the results of this very devastating disease. The damage is not only to the sufferer’s body, but also to every aspect of life – work, home, socially. The outward appearance and mannerisms of an alcoholic does not endear them to those who might otherwise offer, through compassion, some assistance to them. An alcoholic does not wear a sign proclaiming that he is suffering from a disease. Society looks at the alcoholic and may see instead invisible signs that say: low-life, scum, deserter, waste, bum etc. Society as a whole tends to blame the alcoholic for the destruction surrounding them and demands that they just “get their act together and stop immediately”. The sad fact is, that the alcoholic cannot stop drinking immediately. Treatment for alcoholism is many faceted and involves time and commitment, because of the addictive nature of the disease.

According to the US National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Study, the person suffering from Alcoholism can be seen in the following statistics:

Those who currently drink alcohol – 44%

Those who formerly drank alcohol – 22%

Those who abused or were dependent on alcohol over the past year – 7.5-9.5%

Lifetime occurrence – 13.5-23.5%

The person suffering from Alcoholism can be male, female, elderly, middle-aged, young adult, a teen, even a child as young as twelve or thirteen. One shudders to think of any younger possibilities. You may also find this person in the company of family members who also suffer from this same disease.

The Alcoholic can also be seen in the affects that alcohol renders on the body’s systems promoting further diseases such as Cirrhosis of the liver, or breast, mouth and oropharyngeal, liver and esophageal cancers. Alcoholism can even contribute to hemorrhagic stroke.

We notice the Alcoholic in the following scenarios playing the part of the accused, victim, participant or as a statistic in some national news story:

Vehicular accidents

Homicides

Suicides

Divorces

Domestic Violence

Alcoholism affects not just the one who consumes alcohol; it has a devastating affect on the lives of those around them as well. You can find the Alcoholic mirrored in the sad eyes of three quarters of all American foster children and in the eyes of the 60 – 70% of abused spouses and partners who suffer from domestic violence and report it.

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