What is an addiction? An addiction is when a person cannot control the extent to which that person engages in the activity or just how much of the drug they consume. Addiction can also mean the person will continue to abuse the substance despite the obvious harm they are causing to their bodies.
             The psychological dependence on alcohol can seriously damage or harm the individual in many ways. A person dependant on alcohol may not be able to function on every day activities, such as: spending time with family or friends, going to work or school. The person may continue to use alcohol for immediate gratification regardless of their welfare. That person becomes so involved in their immediate gratification that the ramifications of what they are doing to themselves doesn't matter. Often, a psychological addiction is so overwhelming that the person can feel discomfort or panicked if they are held back from their drinking.
             What is alcoholism? Alcoholism is obviously an addiction to alcohol. What differentiates an alcoholic from a person who drinks alcohol is alcoholics cannot control how much they drink. Alcoholics can be daily drinkers or periodic drinkers, but what makes that person an alcoholic is the fact that they drink excessively. Alcoholics also have a tendency to drink at the wrong time and in the wrong places. This is because the addiction controls the alcoholic. Usually the criteria for addiction to alcohol is an increase in tolerance for how much alcohol is consumed and for longer periods of time. An alcoholic can sometimes try to control their urge to drink but they are never successful. The addiction is too strong too powerful for the person to quit. The symptoms that are common for alcoholics is temporary amnesia or blackouts. The temporary amnesia is a period of time when the person has no idea what they had said or done. Yfet when an alcoholic is in a blackout they can do embarrassing, violent or criminal behavio...