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What is alcoholism?
Alcoholism is a
disease. People who have the disease have lost control over their
drinking and are not able to stop without help. They also lose
control over how they act when they drink.
How does
alcoholism start?
Doctors don't know all
the reasons why people become alcoholics. Some start out drinking
a little bit and end up hooked on alcohol. A person might drink
to forget problems or to calm nerves, but then they end up
needing alcohol to feel normal. Once a person loses control over
drinking, he or she needs help to stop drinking.
If the alcoholic is
sick why doesn't he or she just go to the hospital?
At first, the
alcoholic is not aware that he or she is ill. Even when the
alcoholic becomes aware that something is wrong, he or she may
not believe that alcohol is the problem. An alcoholic might keep
blaming things on other people, or might blame their job, or the
house, or whatever. But, really, it's the alcohol that's the
biggest problem.
Is there an
"average" alcoholic?
No. There is no such
person as the average alcoholic.
Alcoholics can be young, old, rich, poor, male, or female.
What is the cure for alcoholism?
There is no cure for
alcoholism except stopping the disease process by stopping the
drinking. People with alcoholism who have completely stopped
drinking are called "recovering alcoholics". Recovering
alcoholics can lead healthy, happy, productive lives.
Can family members
make an alcoholic stop drinking?
No. It is important to
know that an alcoholic needs help to stop drinking, but no one
can be forced to accept the help, no matter how hard you try or
what you do. It is also important to know that family members by
themselves cannot provide the help that an alcoholic needs. An
alcoholic needs the help of people trained to treat the disease.
How many children
in the United States have at least one alcoholic parent?
About eleven million
children in our country are growing up with at least one
alcoholic parent. There are probably a few in your class right
now. And remember, some adults grew up with alcoholic parents
too.
What can I do to make
myself feel better?
Talk to someone you
TRUST about the problem. Talk to a teacher, a Scout leader, a
coach, a school counselor. Also, there is a group for kids who
have alcoholic parents called "Alateen". Alateen has
meetings, like a club, and the kids share tips on how to make
life easier. You can look for the phone number of Alateen in the
phone book or call directory assistance for the number of
Alateen. Someone at Al-Anon or the Alcoholics Anonymous answer
line can probably tell you how to find the meetings too. Ask at
school if there are any Alateen groups or school-sponsored
support groups.