What Is An Alcoholic?
There are hundreds of different “tests” that can determine if someone is an alcoholic. You may think of an alcoholic with a bottle in a bag hanging on a street corner. You may imagine them to be like figures you have seen in popular films where they are destructive and wreaking havoc wherever they go, causing fights and getting violent. Most of us, at one time or another, have met someone who is an alcoholic.
An alcoholic is addicted to alcohol. Just like a drug addict is addicted to drugs, an alcoholic needs alcohol and cannot live without it. There are signs and symptoms of alcoholism, but the bottom line is that an alcoholic is not a social drinker. They need to have alcohol to live.
Most people do not seek treatment for alcoholism until it gets to the point where they do something drastic. In such cases, treatment is often court appointed. Some people never seek treatment for alcoholism but live with this disease that will shorten their life span significantly.
Alcoholism is a disease just like any other and should be treated just like any other disease. It is not something that someone wants or seeks out. Fortunately, alcoholism can be treated and there is much support for the millions who suffer from this common disease. Mark Houston Recovery is a drug and alcohol rehab center in Texas that helps individual recover from drug and alcohol addiction.
