Come to grips with the menace called "alcoholism"
The definition of alcoholism goes like this: "Any condition that results in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, despite negative, personal and social consequences".
Alcoholism creeps in imperceptibly and before the person realizes, he is deep into it. You can not make out when a social habit becomes an addiction because the dividing line is blurred and not clear. The problem with alcoholics is that they deny that they have a problem. They rationalize and come out with all the good reasons for their drinking.
Psychiatrists say that alcoholics should realize that this is a disease and should be ready to undergo treatment for curing it. It has been firmly established that regular intake of alcohol "rewires" and alters the circuits in the brain.
A great deal of counselling has to be done for the alcoholics and their families. This is because alcoholism affects the individuals, their families and eventually the entire society. Especially, the family of the an alcoholic faces a total devastation. Physical and mental abuses become a routine affair. The family members of an alcoholic start feeling guilty and withdraw themselves from the society.
Children of an alcoholic usually become alcoholics themselves and because of the extreme and impoverishing impact of this habit, its trickle-down and rippling effects on the upcoming generations of the family are incalculable. Alcoholics develop suicidal tendencies causing serious and sudden blows to their families.
We have seen alcoholism-related accidents on the road and at the work-place. Chronic alcoholism may lead to certain types of cancers, organ damage and nutritional disorders.
Several organizations help in curing and alleviating this dangerous habit plaguing alcoholics through sane counselling and relevant medication. But this habit can be combated and its effectiveness hinges on the cooperation of the entire family and especially, the individual who has become a victim of this traumatic disease. The first step in the right direction is to stop chastising these hapless people and to infuse confidence in them, after which only, treatment for quelling this menace starts.
