There are over 100,000 alcohol related deaths each year. This includes deaths from auto accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and other alcohol related causes. That alone impacts a lot of different people including friends and family of those that die due to alcohol. Not only that but according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, alcohol kills 6 ½ times more young people than all other illicit drugs combined.
Joking about being an alcoholic
Because drinking is socially acceptable, it isn’t always apparent right away that someone we know may have an alcohol addiction. Moderate alcohol is considered two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women, but it isn’t always as easy as counting drinks to tell if someone is an alcoholic. Someone can have two drinks a day and be addicted to alcohol. The key is how dependent they are on the alcohol. Although most alcoholics do drink more than 2 drinks per day, it would be possible for someone who drank that little to be an alcoholic if they absolutely HAD to have those two drinks every day. It is the craving and the dependency on the alcohol that makes one an alcoholic.
Changes in behavior are often the first sign of alcohol addiction. They begin getting into more fender benders. They are irritable until they start drinking. Alcoholics will look for more and more opportunities to drink and may even joke about being an alcoholic even though they are not really realizing that is what they are. There is usually a bottle of alcohol in their rooms which they sometimes drink first think when they wake up and last thing at night.
There are four stages of alcohol addiction or alcoholism and with each one, the behaviors get worse. Becoming reclusive except in party situations is more obvious and they tend to draw more and more away from family. In the last stage, there is uncontrollable shaking and the drinking binges may last for days at a time. Intervention can and does help. An alcoholic may not be successful on the first try. In fact, many try several times but with persistence and support, it can work. Often it is a family member who first reaches out for information and help. It is an outdated theory that the alcoholic must decide to get help for themselves first. If you have a loved one, or a friend addicted to alcohol, talk to a drug and alcohol rehab counselor and find out what you can do.
