Alcohol abuse precedes alcohol dependence (alcoholism) and is marked by excessive drinking of alcohol despite negative consequences. The person suffering with alcohol abuse still maintains majority control over when and how much they consume.

When a baby is born they are given 100% of the shares of the entity known as “self” but their parents have all the voting rights. As a person ages they take back those voting rights until they are in control of 100% of the shares (Adulthood). An individual starts to vote more and more of those shares as they see fit. When a person meets the criteria for alcohol abuse they occasionally give up some voting rights to an inanimate object (Vodka, Scotch, Wine, Beer). As time goes on in their drinking careers they give up control of more and more voting rights until they are no longer in control of the majority. As soon as a person loses control of more than 50% of those shares, alcoholic thinking begins to make decisions for the individual. They move from alcohol abuse to alcohol dependence. Their life is no longer their own; they are now dependent upon alcohol. A person faces complete destruction when the bottle becomes the decision maker. The answer is help from outside of self. If a person thinks they don’t need help they are in primary denial. Everyone needs help at different points in their life, everyone! If a person thinks not, then ask them to cut their own hair sometime. There is nothing wrong with seeking help. What’s wrong is not seeking help. Each day that passes in an inebriated state is another day of damage. It’s another opportunity squandered and another day of feeling helpless and shameful.