3. Frequency of drinking episodes. One who gets drunk three or four times a year is less liable to be labeled alcoholic than someone who gets drunk every week. 4. The effect of drunkenness upon self and others. Persons who commit deviant sexual acts or beat their mates while drunk are more likely to be labeled alcoholic than those who quietly get drunk without bothering others. The effects of drunkenness on others and the reactions of others to the drunkenness determine if and how the person is labeled alcoholic. 5. Visibility to labeling agents. The police; the courts; school personnel; welfare workers; employers; and, in some situations, family, friends, and helping agents–psychiatrists, physicians, lawyers–are the key sources of alcoholic labeling. 6. The social situation of the person. Each class and status group in our society has set different standards. How one does or does not conform to the standards of one’s own group determines whether a person is labeled an alcoholic and, therefore, is reacted to as an alcoholic. The following sources can help you sort out the specific traits of alcoholism in a person: The person’s family physician or clergyman An Alcoholics Anonymous or Al-Anon group An alcoholism clinic or alcoholism information and referral center A public health nurse or a social worker A community mental health center The Department of Veterans Affairs or a general hospital A health, welfare, or family service agency The person’s employer or labor union Local affiliates of the National Council on Alcoholism Only a physician or clinical psychologist can make a medical diagnosis of alcoholism. Treating Alcoholism About 70 percent of alcoholic people are married and live with their families; hold a job, often an important one; and still are accepted and reasonably respected members of their communities. For those of this group who seek treatment, the outlook is optimistic. Alcoholism is a treatable illness from which as many as two-thirds of its victims can recover. Yet because a number of myths and misunderstandings persist, the problem drinker has difficulty seeking and getting needed help. We still think of alcoholism as a form of moral weakness rather than an illness. That stigma causes problem drinkers and their families to hide their “sins” rather than tell of their problems and seek treatment. In addition, many people, laymen and medical personnel alike, still consider alcoholism to be untreatable. They regard  the  person  with  alcohol  problems  as unmanageable and unwilling to be helped. None of those assumptions are true. Generally, the treatment of alcoholism involves three steps, although all persons may not need all three: 1. 2. 3. Managing acute episodes of intoxication to save the person’s life and to help the person overcome the immediate effects of excess alcohol Correcting the chronic health problems associated with alcoholism Changing the long-term behavior of alcoholics so that they don’t continue destructive drinking patterns The Navy provides numerous kinds of treatment techniques for the many different types of drinking problems. Its main challenge is to identify the needs of each person and to match the needs with the most appropriate therapy. The Navy is meeting that challenge through the Navy Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program. Preventing Alcohol Problems and Alcoholism The primary responsibility for alcohol abuse prevention rests with the individual. The Navy, however, sets and firmly enforces policies, programs, and procedures designed to prevent alcohol abuse. Consumption of alcoholic beverages just before or during working hours reduces productivity. Each Navy member has the freedom to make a personal choice about whether to use alcoholic beverages. However, the use of alcohol must not have the following effects: 1. Interfere with the efficient and safe performance of the individual’s military duties 2. Reduce the person’s dependability 3. Reflect discredit upon the individual personally or upon the Navy To minimize commands should the  incidence  of  alcoholism, make every effort to eliminate 3-19