He was an alcoholic himself who with the help and support of his wife was able to overcome the disease and lived sober to cure others of this dreaded disease.
Nobody wants to accept that one is an alcoholic, relatives and friends push alcoholism under the carpet and ignore to recognize it as a disease.
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Alcoholism is a tunnel with darkness @ the end.[/caption]Who is an alcoholic, the Medical Dictionary -( http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/alcoholism) defines alcoholism as :
Alcoholism or alcohol dependence is defined by the American Medical Association (AMA) as "a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations."
A complex definition, but in simple terms anyone who craves for a drink at any time of the day and cannot limit oneself to moderate consumption of alcohol is an alcoholic.
Alcoholism is gender neutral and both Men and Women succumb to the disease, many famous personalities have faded into sunset with a glass of alcohol as a companion to revile in their days of glory and adulation.
Alcoholism destroys the alcoholic, their family, relationships, career and much more. It also brings in economic hardship and a sometime leads to a path of crime and other related activities to keep the habit alive and creates a sense of gloom and hopelessness.
Alcoholic Anonymous is the foremost group of sobered/former alcoholics and their families who help other alcoholics to give up their dependence on alcohol and help themselves to be liberated them from alcoholism.
If you have any friend or a family member who is an alcoholic do make sure that you contact your local Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) Chapter so that they can help the alcoholic.
First recognize that alcoholism is a problem and then act on it, you will be saving a life a family a career and much more.
Here are some useful links about AA.
http://www.aa.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholics_Anonymous
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/12steps/a/aa030315a.htm
Please share this post with your friends and family, there is always someone who needs help, love and care.
P.S. : I am not a teetotaler.
