Alcoholism: DEFINITIONS AND TERMINOLOGY
Let us understand this. Alcoholism is definitely not a disease. It is a matter of choice. You picked up a glass of alcohol, and drank it. First, you started with social drinking consuming a little alcohol for relaxation and as a pleasant social activity. This is done, when you are with your family and friends.
A number of people have become alcoholics, just because they did not know when to stop drinking. One should understand that excess of alcohol consumption is dangerous to health. Everybody knows that, but like cigarettes, they cannot beat the alcohol habit. Not only is your brain affected but the digestive system and your central nervous system is also affected. You can also be more prone to cancer, and cirrhosis.
Therefore, the correct definition of alcoholism is going to be "dependence upon a substance in the shape of alcohol, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the body, once it gets addicted to alcohol. This is going to include a compulsion or a craving to have a drink." Many people do not know that alcohol and prescription drugs do not mix. The moment a person thinks of stopping his alcohol consumption, he is going to suffer from withdrawal symptoms.
Alcoholism also consists of an inability to stop consuming alcohol or to control its consumption. After sometime, an alcoholic finds that his body is getting more tolerant to the amounts of alcohol that he is consuming. That makes him need to consume even more alcohol in order to get punch drunk. These are the main points, which show a dependence on alcohol and are the signs of a true blue alcoholic.
