Definition Of Alcoholism

[admin]

Definition of Alcoholism
"Alcoholism is a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by continuous or periodic: impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking, most notably denial."

"Primary" refers to the nature of alcoholism as a disease entity in addition to and separate from other pathophysiologic states which may be associated with it.

"Primary" suggests that alcoholism, as an addiction, is not a symptom of an underlying disease state.

"Disease" means an involuntary disability. It represents the sum of the abnormal phenomena displayed by a group of individuals. These phenomena are associated with a specified common set of characteristics by which these individuals differ from the norm, and which places them at a disadvantage.

"Often progressive and fatal" means that the disease persists over time and that physical, emotional, and social changes are often cumulative and may progress as drinking continues. Alcoholism causes premature death through overdose, organic complications involving the brain, liver, heart and many other organs, and by contributing to suicide, homicide, motor vehicle crashes, and other traumatic events.

"Impaired control" means the inability to limit alcohol use or to consistently limit on any drinking occasion the duration of the episode, the quantity consumed, and/or the behavioral consequences of drinking.

"Preoccupation" in association with alcohol use indicates excessive, focused attention given to the drug alcohol, its effects, and/or its use. The relative value thus assigned to alcohol by the individual often leads to a diversion of energies away from important life concerns.

"Adverse consequences" are alcohol-related problems or impairments in such areas as: physical health (e.g., alcohol withdrawal syndromes, liver disease, gastritis, anemia, neurological disorders); psychological functioning (e.g., impairments in cognition, changes in mood and behavior); interpersonal functioning (e.g., marital problems and child abuse, impaired social relationships); occupational functioning (e.g., scholastic or job problems); and legal, financial, or spiritual problems.

"Denial" is used here not only in the psychoanalytic sense of a single psychological defense mechanism disavowing the significance of events, but more broadly to include a range of psychological maneuvers designed to reduce awareness of the fact that alcohol use is the cause of an individual's problems rather than a solution to those problems. Denial becomes an integral part of the disease and a major obstacle to recovery.
http://www.ncadd.org/facts/defalc.html

[annalittlebit]

With all I've read since getting sober I never looked this up------------- My being alcoholic is no different than having had Cancer----Didn't pick it-----Had to deal with it-------Couldn't do it alone------------------" Involuntary Disability " Disease
Thanks for posting this!!!!!!!!!

[ggdner93]

It took a long time for the American Medical Association to recognize it as a disease so who am I to argue. What I do know I am not cured but more like remission. It is still there but it is not inflicting any damage if I don't pick up.

[Friend_of_Bill_W]

"Alcoholic Anonymous - The story of how many thousands of men and women have recovered from alcoholism."

[McGowdog]

Originally Posted by annalittlebit

With all I've read since getting sober I never looked this up------------- My being alcoholic is no different than having had Cancer----Didn't pick it-----Had to deal with it-------Couldn't do it alone------------------" Involuntary Disability " Disease
Thanks for posting this!!!!!!!!!

You know, I never thought of that before. I don't think I picked being an alcoholic. Sure, my dad is from Ireland and I'm 1st generation Irish (not a prerequisite for being an alcoholic, but getting drunk and fighting sure was normal in my household), red-headed and a Leo and... but none of that made me an alcoholic.

Once I drink, I don't stop till something stops me and when I'm sober, a drink sure sounds good and my mind always takes me back to a drink and without God, I don't have a chance to stay or get sober.

If you'd have asked me if I wanted to sign up for this... I don't think I'd have chosen it. I really don't.

[Leadfoot]

You can't knock recovery though. If I wouldn't have been an alcoholic I would have never found AA. AA has brought me closer to God as I understand him than years of Catholic School where I was forced to learn about God as they understand him.
My upbringing had turned me off to God. Had I not been an alcoholic who was lucky enough to find AA there is a pretty good chance that I would have been just another lost soul that roams the planet.

[McGowdog]

Yeah, but there's some non-alkies out there who are pretty cool too.