 What is alcoholism?
 Alcoholism is a disease.
People who have the disease have lost control over their drinking and
are not able to stop without help. They also lose control over how they
act when they are drunk.
How does alcoholism
start?
Doctors don't know
all the reasons why people become alcoholics. Some start out drinking
a little bit and end up hooked on alcohol. A person might drink to forget
problems or to calm nerves, but then they end up needing alcohol to
feel normal. Once a person loses control over drinking, he or she needs
help to stop drinking.
If the alcoholic
is sick why doesn't he or she just go to the hospital?
At first, the alcoholic
is not aware that he or she is ill. Even when the alcoholic becomes
aware that something is wrong, he or she may not believe that alcohol
is the problem. An alcoholic might keep blaming things on other people,
or might blame their job, or the house, or whatever. But, really, it's
the alcohol that's the biggest problem.
Is there an "average"
alcoholic?
No. There is no such
person as the average alcoholic. Alcoholics can be young, old, rich,
poor, male, or female.
What is the cure
for alcoholism?
There is no cure for
alcoholism except stopping the disease process by stopping the drinking.
People with alcoholism who have completely stopped drinking are called
"recovering alcoholics". Recovering alcoholics can lead healthy,
happy, productive lives.
Can family members make
an alcoholic stop drinking?
No. It is important
to know that an alcoholic needs help to stop drinking, but no one can
be forced to accept the help, no matter how hard you try or what you
do. It is also important to know that family members by themselves cannot
provide the help that an alcoholic needs. An alcoholic needs the help
of people trained to treat the disease.
How many children in the
United States have at least one alcoholic parent?
About eleven million
children in our country are growing up with at least one alcoholic parent.
There are probably a few in your class right now. And remember, some
adults grew up with alcoholic parents too.
I know I can't make my
alcoholic parent stop drinking, so what can I do to make myself feel
better?
Talk to someone you trust about
the problem. Talk to a teacher, a Scout leader, a coach, a school counselor.
Also, there is a group for kids who have alcoholic parents called "Alateen".
Alateen has meetings, like a club, and the kids share tips on how to
make life easier. You can look for the phone number of Alateen in the
phone book or call directory assistance for the number of Alateen. Someone
at Al-Anon or the Alcoholics Anonymous answer line can probably tell
you how to find the meetings too. Ask at school if there are any Alateen
groups or school-sponsored support groups.
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