ALCOHOLISM faq
Thank you for visiting Alcoholism FAQ. Whether you're wondering if your own drinking is becoming a problem, or you're close to someone who drinks more than you think is "normal," the information we've collected here is intended to help you.
The line between "drinking" and "problem drinking" can be hard to determine. Lots of people like to have a few beers (that may turn into more than a few), enjoy a cocktail or two (or three, or more), or even have a glass of wine before bedtime (eventually looking for larger and larger glasses). When a person exceeds these self-imposed "limits," or they consistently "out-drink" others in social situations, these behaviors may indicate the seeds of a problem.
There are differences in how much certain people can tolerate when they drink. We've probably all heard of a man (or woman) who can drink companions "under the table." And, the opposite is also true: there are some people who can't "hold their liquor" past a glass of champagne.
How do we draw that "Drinking/Problem Drinking" line? Experts in the field of addiction say that how much, or how often, or even when or where someone drinks isn't what signals a potential drinking problem. They tell us that the difference between a person who drinks and a person who has a drinking problem is what happens when they don't drink.
Alcoholism, like all addictions, involves the phenomenon of craving. The dictionary defines craving as "to long for; want greatly; to require or need." Simply stated, drinkers like to drink; alcoholics need to drink.
If you're worrying about your own drinking, you might try making a personal commitment to go without drinking for a while, and see what happens. If you find you're unable to keep that commitment, or you realize you're obsessing about what you'll drink when you've passed the "deadline," you'll begin to understand the serious nature of addiction.
Medical experts view alcoholism (and all addictions) as a disease. In the same way a person with cancer needs treatment to halt the progression of their disease, so too does the alcoholic. Without treatment, either disease could be fatal. That may sound ominous, but it isn't meant to be a scare tactic-it's just the reality of the situation. Untreated alcoholism (like untreated cancer) is a progressive, chronic and incurable disease that can lead to premature death.
So how does someone with a drinking problem solve that problem? That's where treatment enters the picture.