Z Cherry Blog

Alcohol Abuse, Alcoholism and Intervention

September 13th, 2008

Is an alcoholic intervention more successful when the person is an alcohol abuser but not alcohol dependent?  This question addresses one of the main differences between alcohol abuse and alcoholism.  When a person is addicted to alcohol, this addiction is mainly a brain disease.  In order to avoid withdrawal symptoms, the alcoholic has to drink on a daily basis. At this point, the alcoholic’s brain will not deviate from this pattern.  If the person doesn’t get his or her “fix” everyday, he or she will experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms.  An alcohol abuser, on the other hand, by definition, is not addicted to alcohol and therefore does not have this brain disease.  If an alcohol abuser stops drinking, he or she should not experience withdrawal symptoms.  In short, a person who is an alcohol abuser but who is not an alcoholic should have better reasoning skills, better decision-making skills, and perhaps most important of all, will not have an established system of denial that is anywhere comparable to the level of denial manifested by alcoholics.  So to answer the original question, yes, in most instances, an alcoholic intervention will be more successful with a person who is an alcohol abuser and not an alcoholic.

Entry Filed under: Health