Alcoholism Library

  • A Tale of Two Diseases
    In early 2000, Darryl Strawberry once again pleaded “no contest” to charges of cocaine possession and that, this time, he was suspended from baseball for one full year came as a surprise and disappointment to ...
  • Are You a Responsible Drinker?
    While alcohol use is accepted in our society, it is critical for each of us to achieve a responsible approach to social drinking. This approach can best be achieved through several methods. These include: Thinking about ...
  • An Introduction to Alcoholism
    What is alcoholism? According to the American Medical Association, "alcoholism is an illness characterized by significant impairment that is directly associated with persistent and excessive use of alcohol. Impairment may involve physiological, psychological or social ...
  • Treatment of Alcoholism
    To understand treatment and make the right treatment choices, it helps to have an overview. Treatment is often seen as having four general phases: Getting started (assessment and evaluation of disease symptoms and accompanying life problems, ...
  • Symptoms of Alcoholism
    DSM-IV Criteria for Alcohol Dependence A maladaptive pattern of substance use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by three (or more) of the following, occurring at any time in the same 12-month period: ...
  • Stages of Change
    Almost 20 years ago, two well-known alcoholism researchers, Carlo C. DiClemente and J. O. Prochaska, introduced a five-stage model of change to help professionals understand their clients with addiction problems and motivate them to change. ...
  • My Parent Has a Problem with Alcohol
    If you are the child of an alcoholic, you are suffering from this disease as well. More than likely you have lived with the pain of a broken family that is full of secrets and ...
  • Frequently Asked Questions about Alcoholism
    Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about alcoholism, and their answers. How can I have a drinking problem if I can hold my liquor? Anyone who drinks too much liquor in too short ...
  • Dealing with Denial in Alcoholism
    Denial is a characteristic distortion in thinking experienced by people with alcoholism. For decades, people who treat alcoholics, and recovering alcoholics themselves, have puzzled over why alcoholics continue to drink when the link between alcohol ...
  • Children of Alcoholics
    More than 28 million Americans have seen at least one parent suffer alcohol's serious adverse effects, leading to serious family problems. More than 78 million Americans, or 43 percent of the adult population, has been ...
  • My Child Has a Problem with Alcohol
    Children see drinking all around them—at home, in restaurants, at family celebrations and on television—and they are naturally curious about alcohol and the way it affects people. You should always answer your child's questions honestly, ...
  • Dating Without Alcohol
    If you’re single and dating, you may find yourself spending a lot of time in restaurants or bars where alcohol is available. Drinking on dates can quickly become a habit, but the National Institute of ...
  • Teens and Drugs: What a Parent Can Do to Help
    (Although I’ll talk about this important issue in terms of a boy’s behavior, it could just as easily be about a girl.) It’s an all too familiar story. A young teen who was once loveable, ...
  • Stress and Drinking
    Studies indicate that many people drink as a means of coping with modern life and its accompanying economic stress, job stress and marital discord. Today's fast-paced society offers little in the way of social support. ...
  • Alcohol and Depression
    Alcoholism is a disorder that produces many similar signs and symptoms required for diagnosis of Major Depression. Although alcohol often initially causes a "good mood," alcohol is a depression-causing drug. While no studies have shown that ...