Many people in society drink alcohol sometimes for the good feelings they get from it, but alcoholics feel the need to drink alcohol all the time.
Alcoholics think about alcohol a lot.
They may not think they have a problem with it and can quit drinking any time, but when they drink, they cannot stop before they get drunk. Abusing alcohol is not something people do because they are bad or weak. It is a disease that can be passed down from a parent or even a grandparent who also was an alcoholic. You may just drink a lot of alcohol without being a real alcoholic, but if you continue to abuse alcohol, you can become one. Alcohol abuse grows worse over time.