Alcohol addiction is commonly known as alcoholism and has been causing trouble in humanity ever since men first crushed grapes, so it’s not exactly a modern problem! It is estimated, that globally, 1 in 10 people will develop an alcohol dependency problem. For most people the dependency creeps up on them and develops over years of seemingly fun-loving, social drinking. However, for some folks it can progress very quickly, often leading into other issues such as drug addiction, family and health issues.

It is common for the alcoholic’s family and friends to notice that their drinking is causing them problems long before they are ready, or able to admit it. At this stage of the addiction, the addicted individual usually embarks on spending many years trying to get their drinking under control to prove they don’t have a problem. This denial period can be a very difficult time for their family. They can sense something is deeply wrong but feel they have no other choice but to go along with it, and they often enable the alcoholic in this illusion of regaining control. Any reasonable suggestion that the person may have a problem and should stop drinking is not always well received. A clear sign that someone is most probably an alcoholic, is the countless vain attempts and broken promises to stop or moderate. In the addiction treatment field, we can distinguish the alcoholic from the heavy drinker or non-alcoholic. The simple test, is that when given sufficient reason, the non-alcoholic can stop or moderate, but of course the alcoholic cannot. From that point, it’s simply a matter of waiting until the addiction sufferer and their family become willing to admit that enough is enough, and outside help is going to be needed (reaching rock bottom).