What Is Alcoholism?

"Alcoholism is an illness in which the pursuit of the intoxicated state becomes more and more the only focus of a person's life; to the exclusion of everything else," says Dr. Ally Bloom, a medical director and owner of Pasadena Recovery Center. He is psychiatrist with four years experience in treating alcoholism. "There is obviously increased anxiety within people, a tendency to put oneself in a variety of circumstances where alcohol is more served."

According to mayoclinic.com, alcoholism is a chronic, often progressive disease that can be fatal if left untreated. The user perpetually surrounds themselves with alcohol. Alcoholics continue to abuse alcohol despite serious adverse health, personal, work-related and financial consequences. Alcoholism is caused by over consumption, but there are genetic, psychological and social factors that contribute to this condition.

"Eventually, an alcoholic begins to miss work, and also excludes themselves from family activities," says Bloom. "There are periods of greater and greater absence, and generally they are not meeting any work or social obligations."

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcoholism is a disease. The craving one feels for alcohol is as strong as the need for food and water. Alcoholics will continue to drink despite serious health, family or legal problems. The disease is chronic and will last a person's lifetime. "The risk for developing alcoholism is influenced both by a person's genes and by his or her lifestyle," the website says.

There is a study that states certain geographic areas have higher rates of natural occurring alcoholism than other geographic areas.

"For example, alcoholism was particularly strong in Irish people, among Germans and Russians and among American Indians, whereas the absolute rate of alcoholism appears to be somewhat diminished in French and Italians even though they are all in cultures in which alcohol plays a significant part," says Bloom. "Then of course the general atmosphere of the culture in which the people grow up."

Research shows that the risk of developing alcoholism is genetic. Currently, researchers are working to discover the actual genes that put people at risk for alcoholism.

"The behaviors of parents and other significant adults around them while growing up also influence it," says Bloom. "Also, people who have coexisting mental disorders use alcohol to self medicate as well."

Risk is not destiny says NIAAA. Just because alcoholism tends to run in families doesn't mean that a child of an alcoholic parent will automatically become an alcoholic too. Some people develop alcoholism even though no one in their family has a drinking problem. Knowing a person is at risk will protect a person from developing problems with alcohol.