What kind of disease is alcoholism?
Medically defined, alcoholism is a disease in which there is impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with alcohol, continued use of alcohol in the face of adverse consequences, and distorted thinking. Generally speaking, alcoholism is repeated drinking that causes trouble in the drinker’s personal, professional, family or school life. When alcoholics drink, they can’t always predict when they’ll stop, how much they’ll drink, or what the consequences of their drinking will be. Denial of the negative effects of alcohol in their lives is a common in alcoholics and those close to them. Like other diseases, alcoholism is an interaction between the host (the person who gets the disease and his/her genetic and biological makeup), the agent alcohol or other mood-altering chemicals, and the environment.
