Our culture seems to say that it is “cool”, “macho”
or sophisticated to drink alcohol. Think of ads you see in magazines.
Remember yourself and your friends when you were growing up and how you
looked on drinking. To many teens and young adults a bottle of beer is
a way of telling peers that they are “cool” and “belong to the crowd”.
In fact, with some teens it is considered an achievement to get drunk on
graduation night, at a party or at a fraternity initiation.
The
value systems and habits we adopt as young people often carry over to
adulthood. Even when we discover that it was a mistake to look at
drinking as “cool” or “macho”, the discovery may come too late. We may
now use alcohol (and perhaps other drugs) as “crutches” – ways to escape
worry, anxiety, loneliness or stress. We are “hooked”. The habit has
become so deeply ingrained that we need outside help to deal with our
situation – not only with treatment, but even to admit we have a problem.
ALCOHOLISM
AND AMERICA’S WORKFORCE
Between five and ten percent of working people in
the United States suffer from alcoholism. Employees with drinking
problems are absent sixteen (16) times more often from their jobs than the
average employee. They have an accident rate four (4) times greater, use
a third more sickness benefits and have five (5) times more compensation
claims while on the job. Forty percent of industrial deaths and
forty-seven percent of injuries can be traced to alcohol abuse.
ALCOHOLISM
AND THE FAMILY
The
devastation of alcohol abuse likewise impacts the family. Spouses and
children live in constant uncertainty – never sure what changing mood they
will encounter – whether it will be with the caring and kind person whom
they love, or with the frightening “other self” which emerges after a
binge and which they fear because of the scenes of vivid rage, anger and
depression.
Family
members of alcoholics tend to carry dysfunctional behavior patterns into
adulthood. Some of the most common are: an inability to follow through
with instructions, problems in expressing emotions or in trusting people,
a subconscious need to be immersed in crises, difficulty in maintaining
intimate relationships and a tendency to be highly self-critical.
ALCOHOLISM
AND THE INDIVIDUAL
Above
all, alcoholism causes untold mental, physical and spiritual damage to the
afflicted individual.
Physical
Effects: Alcoholics have a life expectancy twelve years less
than the average citizen. Alcoholism ranks with heart disease, cancer and
mental illness as one of the major causes of disability in the United
States. The alcoholic is accident-prone. He or she is also subject to
cirrhosis of the liver, peptic ulcers, neuritis, cerebrovascular disease
and heart disease. Taken excessively, alcohol is truly a “killer”.
Emotional Effects:
Alcohol is typically taken as a means of self-medication, a way to drown
out or deaden painful emotions. However, pushing the painful emotions
into the background does not get rid of them. They remain and until they
are dealt with, these painful emotions can continue to cause harm to the
individual and others who share his or her life. Likewise, many
alcoholics develop a pattern of denial and lying as a way of hiding their
addiction. While they can be pleasant and cheerful friends on the
surface, the lying and denying is underneath and carries over into many
aspects of their relationships.
SIGNS
OF ALCOHOLISM
Alcoholism is a dependence on alcohol and
lack of control over drinking behavior. The loss of control may develop
very slowly over a long period of time, or it may develop very quickly –
almost as soon as a person begins drinking.
Many people think of an “alcoholic” as
someone who is on Skid Row. That is a misperception. Only about 3 to 5
percent of alcoholics fit that category. In reality, alcoholics are found
in every segment of American society – rich and poor, young and old, white
collar and blue collar workers, men and women. The greatest majority of
alcoholics have jobs and outwardly appear much like their neighbors and
fellow citizens.
If
you are close to someone with an alcohol problem, you can see more than
most observers. Some indicators of an alcohol problem are:
If
you answered “yes” to just one of the above questions, you have a problem.
WHAT
TO DO
Alcoholism IS A TREATABLE DISEASE.
These are two important things that must be done to overcome its
devastation:
Stop
the Denial. Denial is
the greatest barrier to the problem – denial on the part of the alcoholic
and denial on the part of family and loved ones. Face the truth and seek
help.
Get
Help and Treatment. Once
the barrier of denial has been crossed, there are many options open for
help. One of the most effective is Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization
that has helped thousands overcome the disease. AA Chapters are found in
virtually every community in the United States and elsewhere in the
world. Your local telephone directory will help you identify Chapters in
your own community. Additionally there are many treatment facilities
across the United States that provide detox for those who need it and
structured recovery programs for the alcoholic and family members.
If
you want more information on how to deal with problems of alcohol abuse –
or any other situation which is hurting your life – help is available.
