alcoholism: scope of the problem

the issue of alcohol abuse is one of our biggest health and social problems, ranking along with heart disease, mental illness, and cancer issues. yet, emphasis on the treatment of alcoholism has been greatly neglected and doesn’t reflect how serious the problem is.

in the united states, there are from 11 to 15 million alcoholics. the problem of alcoholism affects the individual, ruins his life, and destroys his self-respect. it affects his health, happiness, safety, life span, and family relationships.

alcohol takes its toll in many ways. approximately half of the traffic deaths each year are caused by a driver or pedestrian who had been drinking. at any given time, one-half of those in our jails have been booked on drinking-related charges. also, one-third of the homicides are linked to alcohol abuse, and of all suicides reported, about one-fourth are alcohol-related.

in the business world, many billions of dollars are spent each year because of alcoholism. about one-half of america’s alcoholics are employed and lose about two or three times more workdays per year than the average worker does. also, these employees have about three times more of the off-job accidents than other workers do. they endanger the safety of those around them and affect the morale and the efficiency of all workers.

contrary to what most of us believe, the majority of alcoholics are not skid row bums. only five percent of all problem drinkers would fall into this category. instead, the problem drinker lives among us. he is able to live and work, but not as effectively and successfully as he could if he were not suffering from alcoholism.

these alcoholics are your co-workers, the homemakers in your neighborhood, your friends, or maybe even someone in your family. in the usa, there are less female alcoholics than male alcoholics.

the effects of alcohol happen in stages. during the first stage, it affects their self-control and judgement. in the second stage, their memory, speech, physical reflexes, and thinking are affected.

the third stage finds him in a daze or even a coma. excessive and abusive use of alcohol over a long period of time can result in malnutrition and damage to the body organs, especially the brain and liver. d.t.’s, or as they are sometimes called, the shakes, can occur as the result of damage to the nervous systems.

there is no “one cause” of alcoholism. people seem to use alcohol to get away from something, to relieve anixety, or to help them face their problems. licquor is also used to cover up feelings of insecurity or guilt.

in the early stages, it is hard to tell a social drinker from a problem drinker, but there are some clues. these may include things such as promises to quit drinking; frequent drinking to relieve tension; increased tolerance to alcohol; and, changes in personality.

once in the middle state, the drinker usually tries to hide his drinking, and a morning drink is more likely to occur. also, during this time, the signs of drinking are more noticeable especially at work. the drinker finds it tough to feel good, or “high”, regardless of how much they drink.

the person now drinks daily out of necessity. once in the final stages of alcoholism, loneliness, isolation, and distress set in. the problem drinker lives to drink, neglects his health, and suffers personality changes. they are tense, irritable and booze becomes the most important thing in their life.

his health hits rock bottom, and physical weakness is brought on by his abuse of alcohol and the malnutrition that goes with it. the only solution to the problem of alcoholism is for the alcoholic to completely and totally quit drinking and never drink again!

alcoholism is considered a medical problem, and the american medical association urges hospitals to accept alcoholic patients. also, seeking treatment to help the alcoholic re-create his life without the use of alcohol is strongly recommended. restoring the health of the alcoholic is the first step. the second and most difficult step involves the revitalization and well being of the total person. this takes much longer.

the united states is dealing with a major problem–one that shows signs of increasing. this disease of alcoholism is treatable but before it’s too late, we should work together in not only controlling alcoholism, but in preventing it as well.