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Alcoholism Defined
Q:  Who is an Alcoholic?
A:  Alcoholics are those people who:
  • Cannot with any predictability control their drinking
  • Suffer consequences or problems in major areas of their lives.
Some researchers assert that alcohol is a habit-forming drug and “anyone can get caught in the downward spiral of alcohol addiction, if they drink enough alcohol over a long enough period of time.” (Robert Fleming)

Alcoholics Anonymous literature tells us that if alcohol is interfering with any area of a person’s life, be it work, family relationships or health, the chances are that the person is an alcoholic.

In a country like South Africa ,where heavy drinking is the norm rather than the exception, it's easy to point to the poor soul scraping out a living begging and sleeping on a park bench as a typical example of an alcoholic. After all, our mates at the braai can hardly be called alcoholic. Can they? What about those long business lunches? Do I have a problem? Do my associates?

The following information may help to make a diagnosis.

Problematic Drinking patterns:
  • Drinking a set amount at the same time every day. This may not seem to be a problem, except that when the user tries to stop, he or she experiences shakes and discomfort.
  • Drinking in a controlled fashion during the week, but drinking excessively on weekends.
  • “Topping up”. The user drinks throughout the day but never appears to be under the influence.
  • Periodic or binge drinking. Here the user can stop drinking for a few days, or even for a few months, but every so often goes on a binge for a day or a few days, or even a week. Once they start, cannot stop.
  • Continual drinking: At the critical stage of the disease the alcoholic will drink continually throughout the day. Sneaking alcohol before work, during working hours and then continuing after work, and in some cases throughout the night.
A person has become alcoholic when they cannot at all times control their drinking. And when, because of that, they begin to experience life problems.