ALCOHOL ABUSE; THE EARLY WARNING SIGNS

[Music] alcohol it's one of the most visible features of everyday life a sign of good time of conviviality of the ease that comes at the end of the day [Music] for those of us who are classed as social drinkers that's all alcohol is a drink or two on special occasions a pleasure shared between family and friends but for 1 out of 10 of the drinking population 10 million americans alcohol is something far more grim an addictive drug the instrument of a complex and progressive disease that leaves its victims emotionally mentally and physically maimed or dead [Music] so [Music] alcoholism the number three killer in today's society it strikes across all age groups all ethnic and economic classes its symptoms are relatively clear clear that is to all except those who are themselves afflicted by the disease and for every man or woman it attacks countless other friends business acquaintances and family members are drawn into the circle of grief and misfortune that surrounds the alcohol victim but who are these victims of alcohol this unlucky 10 percent they may be you or me they are our friends our neighbors the people we pass on the street i'm what you call a social drink a little heavier than most maybe but nothing that i can't handle see a lot of it's got to do with the kind of work i do i travel see and as a salesman i do a lot of entertaining big accounts big people my last year or two since i've been in this field though i guess i've been putting away about a fifth a day [Music] it's all part of the job you might say it's expected [Music] funny thing though is since i started in this routine one drink just doesn't do it for me anymore it's got to be two three or more hey bill give me a refill will you i guess you can say i'm learning how to handle my booze wow how's it going good to see ya [Applause] though bob maitland doesn't know it yet he's got a serious problem increased tolerance with increased consumption of alcohol that's one of the early warning signs of the disease in the last scene and in those that follow ask yourself how many of these signs may apply to you or to someone you know hey give me a rag hey man i ain't no boozer yo hey i mean in high school that's a big thing right to get wasted man you had to be able to drink but you had to be able to hold it i guess i was just as good as anybody else when it came to that but i still had me some fun just about every night me and some guys i know man we get together and we down a few we don't mess around none of that lightweight stuff about nursing a drink all night man you want to drink your drink that's what it's all about that's perfectly right in fact that's what alcoholism is all about the need to gulp your drinks the desire to get high as quickly as possible that's one more of the early signs of dependency on the drug [Music] some of these mornings you wouldn't believe see it's not that i'm like a habitual drinker or anything like that it's just that like lately i don't know when to quit last night for instance everybody else at this party seemed to get by okay on four or five glasses of wine me i had to go and have nine or ten i don't even remember what happened it's like everything from 10 o'clock on is just completely black [Music] like the others sally has a problem blackouts not knowing when to quit all part of the lack of control that goes along with a developing addiction to alcohol when alcohol has begun to rule your life you're no longer a social drinker yeah yeah you're home yeah i'm home i think you're right on time i thought we'd have dinner at six o'clock yeah that's fine listen i am i really made a super dinner why don't you come in and see what i fix look i said i'd be ready listen would you get off my back as soon as i walk in that door she starts in on me there's no time to relax no time to get comfortable [Applause] oh lee hey please don't have that drink i thought we'd have a really nice evening we'll uh we'll have dinner and maybe we could talk see what i mean look you think it you think it's easy in that financial jungle out there you think that i don't have any any pressures any problems and and look the way i feel right now you just just be glad that i have a drink testiness irritability otherwise personality changes these are part of the shift in attitude that signals a growing alcohol habit the change is gradual but bit by bit you lose control this preoccupation with alcohol is shared by nancy mcnair but she deals with it in a different way [Applause] [Music] kenny doesn't know i keep it hidden there it's what i call my uh secret stash for rainy day like today the lions at the market you wouldn't believe it either those people are crazy or it's me but one sip or two of this smooths it all out and when my husband comes home i can be a nice little housewife again now it's not as though i i like to drink now you understand that but you know i figure i need all the help i can get after all housewifing isn't exactly one of your glamour jobs you know drinking alone hiding a bottle it seems like a clever cure-all at first but it's really one more of the commonest danger signs on the route to alcoholism the desire for alcohol has become a desperate need look at that messy look at that please too short stop to it but you do approve of the pattern and we can start cutting right but get those sketches on my desk by noon miss your signature please talk about a glamour job i guess i've got it and all the headaches that go with it yeah martin who told you to use that fabric i said to hold it for the bloomingdale line those are my expressive instructions right right are you wondering about this my stabilizer helps me make it through the day look everybody i know pops pills so i start the day with a little booze like they say every man his own poison but don't get me wrong i'm no lush oh maybe i have two or three belts in the afternoon if things get a little crazy but if it wasn't for this i doubt if i could stay afloat if our friend took the time to figure it out she would realize that something serious has begun to happen in her life the signs are easy to read when you need a drink to get through the day you've fallen victim to an increased dependence on alcohol [Music] end of the line man do i ever feel it oops almost forgot this little lady's birthday and i got her something kind of special and i know she'll be waiting for it in fact i can't wait to see the look on her face so will you check out that 24 7 hey lyn you need a lift home yeah man but it's only he said i'm 30. you going without me uh i'll find me a ride i'll see you tomorrow [Music] anytime i won't [Music] for the alcoholic allegiance to alcohol takes precedence over all other commitments neglect of the bonds of family is one of the common warning signs but from home the problem soon spreads to work murphy you didn't come in until 10 this morning then you take an extra half an hour on your break i it's that tooth again acting up i i think it's an abstinence i'm going to give you one more chance murphy after that you're out he falls forward every time [Laughter] sure i tied one on last night and then again this morning to get started i had a nip or two on the break you see i keep a fifth in the john they know it they threatened me a couple of times i let it slide off my shoulder what do i care john murphy thinks that only his job is at stake but he's ignored another of alcohol's danger signs loss of pride in himself and in his work from here the road leads only downhill [Applause] [Applause] can't do it man i used to be able to race around this park but lately it's all sort of falling apart [Applause] [Music] hey i used to be the best around when i was playing ball everybody knew my name i don't know what happened yeah i know the moves i tried to quit lots of times once for almost a week but it didn't work and here i thought i could lick anything hey there's willy free hey [Music] for will the warning sign is unmistakable when a drinker tries to quit and fails you can be sure his dependence on alcohol has reached a dangerous stage and now the toll will grow daily more severe that you inquired about on the 15th mr harris the order on the 15th was shipped earlier this week and i look forward to seeing you on your next visit to the coast sincerely yours etc etc mr harris are you all right of course i'm all right here get this off right away to uh san francisco yes oh i know what you're thinking you think i'm an alcoholic but i'm not sure i drink but i'm in control don't worry about me i'm doing just fine eventually alcoholism extracts its price through physical and emotional deterioration now the danger signs are abundantly clear for all to recognize ten people from ten walks of life each one believing himself to be in control of the drug that controls his life but this is the fine line that separates the social drinker from the alcoholic the line that some have already crossed let's take another look at those warning signs of alcohol abuse and this time keep track of how many apply to you or to someone close to you warning sign number one increased tolerance with increased consumption i haven't seen you in at least what two days do you think it's been yeah yeah that ain't your dollar man that's these boys warning sign number two increased desire for alcohol sign number three lack of control sign number four personality changes i thought we'd have really a nice evening warning sign number five an increasing tendency to drink alone [Music] the inability to get through the day without a drink number seven an increasing tendency to put alcohol above family commitments eight an increasing tendency to let alcohol interfere with your job number nine the inability to quit on your own [Music] warning sign number 10 advancing physical and emotional deterioration as a result of developing alcohol addiction if any of these case histories seems to reflect your life or that of anyone you know then the chances are that you or they have a serious problem with alcohol and one thing is certain unless you quit alcohol will destroy you as it has tens of millions of others alcoholism you see is a progressive disease and a tough one to fight but it's not necessarily a dead end for the disease can be controlled there is after all only one way to combat alcoholism and that's through complete and total abstinence one day at a time impossible not at all in fact one million alcoholics have quit and today live healthy sober and productive lives each of these men and women is alive today because he or she took the all-important first step by admitting to a drinking problem and then seeking expert help before it was too late you are not alone help for the victim of alcohol abuse is readily available through the fellowship of alcoholics anonymous for medical and psychiatric counseling services from the national council on alcoholism and from state and local alcoholism councils in all major cities if you suspect that you or someone close to you has a drinking problem contact one of these agencies without delay your request for help could be a giant step on the road to recovery from one of the most deadly of all diseases the disease of alcoholism [Music] [Applause] [Music] you