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Definition of Alcoholic fuzzier

Definition of Alcoholic fuzzier? Rubbish. The person putting forward the view that the definition of an alcoholic is now difficult to specify is wrong. This person talks about the wide spectrum of drinkers and how their drinking affects their lives. Some people drink relatively little with a consequential large effect on their lives and visa-versa. This is correct but it has no bearing on how one ascertains whether a person is alcoholic or not.

The only question to ask is whether the alleged alcoholic is unable to control his/her drinking. Is the pull/desire to drink such that she/he has to drink at a certain time or is he able to say "No" and do something else. In short, is he addicted? If, yes he is an alcoholic. That is the definition.

It is likely that an alcoholic drinks a lot before he becomes addicted. It is in fact certain as it takes a long time to train the brain to become addicted.

I really think that this person who is saying these things is just doing it for a bit of PR.
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Comments

  1. Anonymous20 February 2008 at 00:18

    I can control my drinking. If my wife calls me up and says, get your ass home, I stop and go home. That may be after 1 or 6. But I can control it.

    If I have to go to work early I can intentionally set out to have just a couple and quit so I can function.

    I can go for days without a drop and never have any physical reactions from not drinking.

    But..... I drink a lot. So even though I can control my drinking, I think I am an alcoholic.

    So I don't your definition is accurate.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Michael Broad LLB, ARPS20 February 2008 at 00:25

    Thanks for the comment. If you can control your drinking (genuinely) then you are not an alcoholic, even if you drink a lot.

    But some people (I am not saying you) fool themselves into thinking that they can control their drinking.

    Alcoholics tend to fool themselves all the time until they really want to change their lives.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous9 June 2008 at 01:52

    Hi,Addiction is a ferocious disease, one that never goes down with a fight. It should perhaps go without saying, then, that the early stages of drug withdrawal can be traumatic for recovering addicts.To recover from this please log on to this website.
    _______________
    Nancy
    Alcohol abuse affects millions. This site has a lot of useful information.

    Alcohol Abuse

    ReplyDelete
  4. Michael Broad LLB, ARPS9 June 2008 at 02:13

    Hi,

    I agree, alcoholism is ferocious. It is very hard, for some impossible, to succeed in reprogramming the brain. It is almost intangible, very slippery and hard to pin down. It is about mind games and we as humans are always trying to "feel" better. Alcohol gives us that feeling for a while at a high price. We must accept feeling uncomfortable sometimes because this is the way life if meant to be.

    ReplyDelete

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I'd like to hear the experiences of both alcoholics and the victims of alcoholics, please.

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