What is an Alcoholic?

What Is An Alcoholic?
Someone who cannot predict what will happen after taking the first drink in any day. On some occasions alcoholics find it possible to have one or two drinks but on others, for no particular reason, they go off into a binge.

There appears to be a haphazard switch in the mood centre of an alcoholic’s brain. Sometimes the first drink in any day turns it on and the alcoholic craves for more. At other times it does not. This unreliability causes great confusion in the alcoholic and in everyone concerned for him of her. Congratulations turn to disappointment. Then hope reappears only to be shattered again.

The overall progression of alcoholism follows a wavy path of deterioration in mood, behaviour and damaging consequences. At some times the problems level off or even slightly improve. At others they plummet down again. As time goes on these pits become deeper and they occur more frequently. The true situation is therefore seen by averaging out the deterioration over a period of time, rather than looking at one particular moment.

Eventually it is vital that alcoholics diagnose themselves. This happens when the pain of staying as they are is greater than their perception of the pain they would experience in giving up alcohol altogether.