Do you know what alcoholism can do to a family? Watching someone you love destroy their life is devastating. Alcoholism has the power to break families and other relationships. Alcoholism is very common, and many people around you are or have been affected by this disease.

Alcoholism is defined as, “an addiction to the consumption of alcoholic liquor or the mental illness and compulsive behavior resulting from alcohol dependency.” With alcohol being a legal substance, you see a lot of people who are addicted to the consumption of alcohol and a lot of people who have the mental illness. In the United States alone, nearly 14 million, or one in every thirteen adults abuse alcohol or have an alcoholism problem. Think about how many families that is. Think about how many lives are affected by alcoholism. Alcoholics are everywhere and there are many people around you that have been hugely affected by the disease, whether you know it or not.
Some people think that alcoholism is not a disease or a sickness, they see it as a lifestyle. Alcoholism can be passed down genetically from generation to generation. If it was a lifestyle, how would that happen? If the child of an alcoholic witnessed the horrible things alcoholism can do to the person with it and the people around them, why would they possibly choose that “lifestyle” for themselves? Sober alcoholics are still alcoholics because their bodies still hold the disease of alcoholism. Sober or not, your body still will react the same toward alcohol if you relapse.

Alcoholism has been a large part of my life, both of my parents have the disease. My mom has been a sober alcoholic for as long as I can remember, and she is living proof that you can get help and you can quit. She does not drink at all, and she couldn’t be happier or healthier. However, my dad is a different story. My father is pretty much out of my life due to his drinking habits. He denied he had a problem, and he denied help. My dad constantly lied and hid his drinking from us while we were young and when I look back now, I’m pretty sure he was drunk a good majority of the time I spent with him. He drank so much that you could literally see no difference between when he was sober and when he was intoxicated. The reason my parents got divorced was because of my dad’s drinking. The reason I no longer see my dad is because of his drinking. The reason I used to be depressed and constantly upset was because of his drinking. Do you see the problem now?

Those who abuse alcohol believe that being intoxicated is the only way to cope with their life problems and stress. What happens is the person drinks all the time to numb themselves from life. That means they start to become used to the feeling of being drunk and begin to have to consume more and more alcohol to get the numb feeling they are looking for. That brings the drinker deeper and deeper into alcohol addiction and their problems begin to worsen. They begin to concern their family members and friends around them about their unhealthy drinking habits. The drinker will deny the fact that they have a problem; they will deny the idea of alcohol being removed from their life. The alcohol is their only escape, and they have no desire to let go of it. That causes families to begin to break apart because the drinker rejects the help and care of their loved ones who are only trying to save them.

There are many ways alcoholics can get help and get on the road to a sober lifestyle. One of the most common ways people get help is going to AA meetings, or Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. There are an estimated 1.4 million AA members in the United States. AA is where people go to receive help from fellow alcoholics who are sober. Anyone can go to Alcoholics Anonymous, no matter what your age is. In AA, the alcoholic can talk about their problems with alcohol and work with others to achieve a happy future that is alcohol free. Alcoholics Anonymous is completely anonymous, so no one would ever share your secrets, story, or your name with anyone outside of the meetings you attend. The alcoholics can also get help from therapists by talking to them about their drinking problems. Therapists can help pave the road to recovery by helping with the alcoholic’s problems.

If you are having trouble dealing with a family member, friend, or other loved one that is an alcoholic, you can try going to Al-Anon meetings. Al-Anon focuses on helping those who are concerned about someone who has alcoholism in their lives. Those who attend the meetings are all there for the same reason, and a lot of people find it easier to be happy once they are not emotionally wrapped up with the alcoholic’s self destructive behavior. There is also Alateens and Alakids for younger people dealing with alcoholic related grief in their lives.

Alcoholism is a disease that can destroy families, friendships, and other relationships. If people who have alcoholism can try to receive help, they can start on a path to sobriety and a much happier and healthier future. The people around them can also become happier and healthier too. Alcoholism is a disease that many people do not understand, and it should not be joked about at all. Those who are alcoholics should try to think about their families and friends, and how they are affected by their choices. The road to recovery may seem bumpy at times or even impossible, but it’s not. If you have the will to quit drinking and have a happier life, it is definitely achievable with patience and work.