For more information, consult a local health care professional. It's a chronic, progressive, and sometimes fatal disease. The reason why one person develops alcoholism and another doesn't has been the subject of much study. Although this research has produced no conclusive evidence, there does appear to be a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. According to the National Council on Alcoholism, a child of an alcoholic runs four times the risk of becoming an alcoholic than does a child of non-alcoholic parents.
Some alcoholics begin drinking to the point of intoxication from their first drink.
For others, the disease is progressive, beginning with acceptable social drinking, and later developing into alcohol abuse. Although family members and friends can take practical steps to help an alcoholic, the key to recovery is getting them to admit that they have a drinking problem. For more information about alcoholism, consult a health care professional in your area. These symptoms usually include the assumption of care-taking responsibilities, denial of feelings, perfectionism, fear, and dishonesty. A person exhibiting co-dependent behavior may or may not be chemically dependent, but usually has many of the same characteristics as the addicted person.