For most people, even today, the word alcoholic still carries a lot of shame. It suggests a damaged person, somebody who is different from the rest of society, who has a different psychological or genetic makeup and therefore can’t drink. It is very difficult for most people to admit that they are different in any way from everyone else; it is even more difficult if that difference carries with it a sense of shame.
Consider how difficult it is to admit being different, if that means having to give up something that most people enjoy without any problem. Drugs are very popular among young people. Recreational drugs addiction is the use of psychoactive substances to have fun, for the experience, or to enhance an already positive experience. National laws prohibit the use of many different recreational drugs and medicinal drugs that have the potential for recreational use.
Many other recreational drugs on the other hand are legal, widely culturally accepted, and at the most have an age restriction on using and/or purchasing them. These include alcohol, tobacco, betel nut, and caffeine products. It is often difficult to detect if a person is an alcoholic because they may have been drinking and yet doing all the work and activities that any normal person does. They are called functional alcoholics as they are very unaware of their problem, having always been able to perform all the day-to-day activities. Seeking help from a trained professional is the wisest thing that you could do.
