The Horror of AlcoholismAlcoholism is a confusing and powerful disease. It affects all people from all walks of life. It has been medically proven and recognized by most members of society as a disease. However, for some people who either have not been affected or simply have no knowledge of the disease, it is instead seen as a weakness of character. Alcoholism has many effects, on the alcoholic himself, on his family and friends, and on his health, on his spouse and children, mentally and physically, but the good thing is that there is help for all of these people. the most widely used and abused drug in the United States today. It is found in all beers, wines and whiskeys. The alcohol in all these drinks is the same, only the alcohol percentage and the flavor of the drinks are different. From a chemist's point of view, alcohol would be considered ethyl alcohol or ethanol (Berger 17). Alcoholism is a condition in which individuals drink alcohol regularly and to excess. They continue to drink alcohol even though it causes serious harm to their physical and mental health (Berger 11). Alcoholics are compulsive drinkers, individuals who cannot control their drinking. Alcoholics intend to drink only one or two drinks, but find it impossible to stop and end up drinking more. Once started, alcoholics will almost always drink to the point of intoxication (Berger 19). “Alcoholism does not necessarily mean getting drunk every day” (Berger 11). The American Medical Association states: Alcoholism is a disease that can be stopped but not cured. One of the symptoms is an uncontrollable desire to drink. Alcoholism is a progressive disease. As long...... middle of paper ...... December 1997. CD-ROM. Thesis Statement: Alcoholism has many effects, on the alcoholic themselves, on their family and friends, and on their health, on their spouse and children, mentally and physically, but what is good, is that there is help for all these people. IntroductionA. HookB. ThesisII. AlcoholicA. Effects of the alcoholic1. Towards the family2. Towards friendsB. Health effects III. FamilyA. Effects on the spouse1. Mentally2. PhysicallyB. Effects on children1. Mentally2. PhysicallyIV. HelpA. For the alcoholicB. For the spouseC. For childrenV. Conclusion