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Alcoholism is something that cannot be defined in simple terms. Alcoholism in general refers to the
condition whereby there is a compulsion in man to keep consuming beverages with alcohol content
which is harmful to health. The condition of alcoholism does not allow the person addicted to have any
control over consumption in spite of being aware of the negative consequences resulting from it.
Even if the person who is an alcoholic faces social ridicule, family pressure, abuses, insults, etc he is in
a condition whereby he cannot give up the habit or obsession which is beyond his control. His senses
are totally under the influence of alcohol and any kind of an effort put forth by him to give up the habit
does not work. He is thus totally dependent on the beverage.
An alcoholic has such a craving to drink that even if he happens to get into alcohol related trouble like
drunken driving, losing his job, etc it does not stop him from considering giving up the habit.
Not everyone who consumes alcohol is an alcoholic. A person who consumes alcohol in limited quantities
and is able to say no when he does not want to is not termed an alcoholic. He or she is just a social
drinker.
One interesting theory proposed by writers is that alcohol in early days was discovered to replace the
scarcity of unpolluted and safe drinking water. People preferred to die a slow death rather than dying
overnight after drinking the extremely polluted and harmful water which carried many bacteria’s, viruses
and diseases.
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse refers to the condition when a person who is under the influence of the beverage refuses
to stop the undesirable practice in spite of facing problems repeatedly. Problems could be social, legal
or personal. Damage caused from this could be both at the physical and mental level.
People who are under influence of alcohol generally do not bother about the condition or situation
when they consume the beverage i.e. they do not bother to stay away from drinks even if they have to
necessarily drive. Due to this they are at a risk of getting into trouble with the law.
Personal problems may arise due to intolerance of family members towards the attitude of irresponsibility
which invariably arises out of this condition. Personal relationships get affected and life becomes filled
with tension, stress and complexes.
Social problems may include misbehaviour in public causing embarrassment to oneself, one’s family or
friends who are around. People under the influence of alcohol generally tend to get loud and boisterous,
or may become sober and melancholic. Their gait is also imbalanced and more often than not, they
stagger and sometimes even fall down. They may even, without being conscious about it, abuse people
around causing unpleasantness.
