Alcohol Abuse Info

Like the distinctions between abuse and addiction as they relate to drugs, alcohol use also has the potential to go from occasional use to obsession. The problem is, there’s no way of knowing who can drink without negative consequences and who will sink into the depths of alcoholism.

Alcohol has the same capacity to numb emotions, bring on euphoria, and alter perception as many types of drugs. Unlike illicit drugs, alcohol is widely available and socially acceptable. It is almost a rite of passage for young people (even those under the legal age to drink) to over-indulge at some point before they reach adulthood. As a result, the number of young people entering treatment facilities for alcoholism rises each year.

Drinking is widely accepted—even celebrated—in this country. Alcohol is a regular part of Cinco de Mayo, St. Patrick’s Day, New Years Eve and other holidays and special occasions. For most people, drinking at these festive events can be enjoyed in moderation. For the alcoholic, however, moderation simply isn’t possible.

Throughout history, actors and comedians have made countless audiences howl with laughter at the mannerisms of the “funny drunk.” But drunkenness ceases to be funny when you learn that more than 100,000 Americans die each year as a result of alcohol abuse.

In about 1934, two self-described “hopeless drunks” met each other. The world has come to know them as Bill W and Doctor Bob. These two men discovered that one person with an addiction had a unique ability to reach another person who was also addicted. From that day forward, neither man drank another drop of alcohol. When they began helping others who were addicted to alcohol, the most effective form of treatment for alcoholism and drug addiction was born.

What we know today as the 12 Steps represent the collected wisdom and experience of those first members of a group that became Alcoholics Anonymous. Their simple-to-follow plan is designed to uncover and change behaviors that feed the addictive personality. Because it has achieved that objective for countless men and women, the “Steps” have become the foundation for almost all addiction treatment programs.