SJW
As you must brew, so you must drink
- Joined
- 10/3/04
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This is Wikipedia's decription of Alcoholism. So whats yours? Mines in my signature
Alcoholism is a term with multiple sometimes conflicting definitions, but with no formal recognition of the divergence of meaning. In common and historical usage, alcoholism typically refers to any condition that results in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages despite negative personal and social consequences. Medical definitions describe alcoholism as a disease which may result in a persistent difficulty in controlling alcohol consumption. Alcoholism may also refer to a preoccupation with or compulsion toward the consumption of alcohol and/or an impaired ability to recognize the negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption. Although not all of these definitions specify current and on-going use of alcohol as a qualifier, some do, as well as remarking on the long-term effects of consistent, heavy alcohol use, including dependence and symptoms of withdrawal.
While the ingestion of alcohol is, by definition, necessary to develop alcoholism, the use of alcohol does not predict the development of alcoholism. The quantity, frequency and regularity of alcohol consumption required to develop alcoholism varies greatly from person to person. In addition, although the biological mechanisms underpinning alcoholism are uncertain, some risk factors, including social environment, emotional health and genetic predisposition, have been identified.