Today, many people have some sort of stressor pertaining to their home life or even their job. Seventy-five percent of the general population experiences at least "some stress" every two weeks (National Health Interview Survey), and half of those, experience moderate or high levels of stress during the same two-week period. Most of these individuals seek refuge in the world's most common and legal drug, Alcohol. They also may not see it, that is, their stress may contribute to the development of Alcoholism. This is because Alcoholism is usually a slow process affecting the person.
             Everyone has their definition of Alcoholism, yet all have one thing in common; it is a disorder. But what is the real definition of Alcoholism, and why do many people become affected by this ever-growing disease? Alcoholism is a disease in which the affected individual is addicted to alcohol. One sign of an alcoholic is that they may not drink for months or even years, but they have difficulty stopping when they do. This is the only sure sign of an alcoholic, a consistent lack of control. Many use alcohol to boost self-confidence and to relax around others. They may drink to forget problems or to 'relieve stress. There have been poems and scenes in plays that show that consuming alcohol is a great way to forget about stress. "The Greek poet Alcaeus suggested drinking as a way to cope with distress and even Shakespeare in a scene in his play Julius Caesar" [Alcohol research and Health v23 no. 4: 1999; pg250-5]. As the Alcoholism progresses, they may begin having financial, work, or family problems. An alcoholic may get drunk without planning to and make promises to limit or stop drinking, but fail. They may also lie about their drinking, sneak drinks at work or school, have blackouts, go through personality changes, or drink in the morning to cure a hangover.
             Many people are especially ignorant when it comes to Alcoholism and stress. They just believe ...