Medically defined, alcoholism is a disease in which there is impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with alcohol, continued use of alcohol in the face of adverse consequences, and distorted thinking. Generally speaking, alcoholism is repeated drinking that causes trouble in the drinker's personal, professional, family, or school life.

When alcoholics drink they can't always predict when they'll stop, how much they'll drink, or what the consequences or their drinking will be. Denial of the negative effects of alcohol in their lives is common in alcoholics and those close to them.

Like other diseases, alcoholism is an interaction between the host(the person who gets the disease and his/her genetic and biological makeup), the agent alcohol and other mood-altering chemicals, and the environment.

There is no known cure for alcoholism. The disease can be arrested through complete abstinence from alcohol and other addictive drugs. Once abstinent, most alcoholics recover from the damage caused by their drinking. More than 1.5 million Americans are currently in recovery from their own alcoholism.

Alcoholism is also a family disease, directly affecting others close to the alcoholic. These other individuals need and deserve appropriate help to recover as well. Effective alcoholism treatment programs include a family component and referrals to appropriate self-help support groups modeled on the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) twelve steps of recovery.