T: The American Medical Association officially recognized alcoholism as a disease in 1991. Like any disease, alcoholism follows a pattern, starts out slowly and builds to more harmful levels of addiction.
B: My name is Bill and I’m 66 years old. I am a recovering alcoholic.
T: Alcoholism statistics report that individuals who start using alcohol before the age of 15 are four times more likely to become alcoholic at some time in their lives, compared to those who start drinking at the legal age of 21.
B: My Mom and Dad gave me some beer when I was about 8 years old and they gave me enough beer that I got drunk.
T: A number of scientific studies have verified a link between genetics and alcoholism. The Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) cites compelling evidence that alcoholism does run in families.
COGA notes that children of alcoholic parents, especially sons of alcoholic fathers, are four to nine times more likely to have problems with alcohol than children of non-alcoholic parents.
B: I believe my father had a drinking problem, but it’s not for me to say he was an alcoholic. He was the same way I was. Once he started drinking, he didn’t stop until he was drunk.
T: Alcohol is the top drug of choice for children and adolescents with approximately 7000 children in the U.S. under the age of 16 taking their first drink.
B: My drinking became pretty consistent at about the age of 15 and 16. Once I consumed alcohol, I didn’t quit until I was drunk.
T: Research verifies that alcoholism is a disease that progresses through various alcoholism stages. Early in the disease a person starts to depend on the mood altering capabilities of alcohol.
B: Well, in my 20’s and 30’s, I didn’t get drunk every day. I sometimes didn’t even drink on the weekends. It’s just that if you went to a friend’s house or played cards and that friend drank, then I would start drinking and it was like, you know, off to the races and I would drink until I was drunk.
T: In the second stage of alcoholism tolerance increases, the person drinks because of his or her dependence on alcohol, rather than because of stress relief. Drinkers in this stage start to resort to denial of their problem.
B: I suspected I had a drinking problem for most of my life. I just didn’t admit it. Or, didn’t want to admit it.
T: In the third stage of alcoholism, the loss of control becomes more noticeable. For example, once the individual takes the first drink, he or she can no longer control what will happen, even though the intention might have been to have at most two or three drinks. At this stage of the disease, rather than experiencing an increase in tolerance, the drinker usually experiences a DECREASE in alcohol tolerance.
B: When I quit drinking, I would say I was in stage 3. I had problems with my spouse. I was angry all of the time. I was very emotional. I drank until I blacked out. So, I would say stage 3 would be about where I was at.
T: Alcoholism affects families and can cause more damage and pain than any other internal or external influence on the family and has long-term implications.
B: My drinking caused problems at home. You know, the wife would get upset and I would tell her that I would never drink again but once I started drinking, I just didn’t quit. It made for an unhappy family life, that’s for sure.
T: The fourth and final stage of alcoholism is characterized by a continued loss of control. In the earlier stages of the disease, the alcoholic had a choice whether he or she would take the first drink. After taking the first drink, the alcoholic usually lost all control and would then continue drinking. In the last stage of alcoholism, however, alcoholics no longer have a choice: they must drink in order to function.
B: I was going to a marriage counselor and the marriage counselor suggested that I go to an addiction counselor. After 3 sessions, the addiction counselor advised me to go to 3 AA meetings before our next weekly session. My sobriety date is October 14, 2003. I’ve been sober for the past six years.
T: Alcoholism is a treatable disease and many treatment programs and approaches are available to support alcoholics who have decided to get help, but no medical cure is available.
B: I’ll never be cured of alcoholism. There is no cure for it. If I take alcohol into my body it will basically be just like I never stopped and before long I’ll be right back where I started six years ago only it will probably get worse in a shorter period of time.
T: In the AA recovery program, they have what is called a 24-hour plan.
B: I stay sober by using the tools of AA which is to get a sponsor, go to meetings, if I have a problem, call my sponsor and discuss it with him. If I can’t get a hold of my sponsor, I’ll call another AA member. When I get up in the morning, I ask God to keep me sober. When I go to bed at night I thank God for keeping me sober. I’ve only got today. I can only do this program one day at a time.
T: Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other so that they may solve their common problem and help others. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.
B: If someone suspects they have a drinking problem, the first thing to do is to admit it. Then seek help. Seek help through the AA program. Any kind of help that you can find. But get support from people that know about alcoholism. That right there is about the best advice I can give anybody. AA does work if you want to work it.
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