There’s No Such Thing As An “Alcoholic”

AA perpetuates many myths about alcohol abuse

No one knows what the word means

Few words contain as much social stigma as the word “alcoholic.” It’s a label that no one wants or asks for. Yet, no one can tell you precisely what it means — not even Alcoholics Anonymous.

Here’s what AA has to say about alcoholism:

While there is no formal “A.A. definition” of alcoholism, the majority of our members agree that, for most of us, it could be described as a physical compulsion, coupled with a mental obsession.

I highlighted the “could-be” terms in that definition, showing that even Alcoholics Anonymous isn’t clear on the meaning. The word alcoholic is just a colloquialism, like “drunk” or “lush.” It has no clinical definition, and it’s not intended as a medical diagnosis.

The reason we should stop using such an antiquated word is simple: the term “Alcoholic” paints a misleading picture of a spectrum disorder.

If we can’t represent it accurately, how can we hope to treat it or stop it before it progresses?

We now have a better understanding of what the disorder is than AA had when they first used the term “alcoholism” in the AA Big Book in 1939 (before there was a cure for polio).

The medical term is…