Deeply Rooted Traumas Are What
Drive Most Alcoholics To Drink

by Darline Turner Lee, Physician Assistant, ACSM Exercise Specialist

Article Last Reviewed: Sept. 9, 2006

This past July my uncle died. His death certificate will list the cause of death as liver cancer, but the actual cause of death was alcoholism.

Some say my uncle had been drinking since the age of thirteen, sneaking out and drinking with older boys. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know that whenever I saw my uncle, he was usually drunk. Sometimes he was just tipsy, and was actually kind of funny. Other times he was loaded, and quite scary.

There wasn’t a lot of talk about my uncle’s drinking-at least not publicly. But why did he drink so much, and for so long? Was it addiction or did he drink to ease other emotions such as frustration or depression? It’s too soon to ask my aunt anything and it’s likely too painful to ask his children. Asking my father and his other siblings have garnered vague, if any, responses. What is the big secret?

“There’s usually a No Talk rule amongst families of alcoholics,” states Susanne Slay-Westbrook, LPC, LMFT, a counselor in private practice. Family dysfunction, in the form of denial, is often an issue.”

Pain as a result of a deep-seated trauma seems to be the most common reason alcoholics initially begin drinking. This theme was reiterated by Alonzo Bradley, the substance abuse minister at Greater Mount Zion Baptist Church and members of Oficina Intergrupal Hispana, a Spanish speaking division of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

“The person just wants the pain to go away, and alcohol is a great escape,” say members of Oficina Intergrupal. “If you can’t talk about what’s bothering you, you can’t get help. Likewise, you have to get the right help. Talking to another alcoholic over a drink is the wrong help.”

Bradley says, “For many people, there is such a deep void from the pain. Drinking soothes the pain and keeps the person from dealing with reality.”

So why don’t people get help? Why didn’t my aunt, get my uncle help or force him into treatment?

“You can’t force people to get help. They have to want to get help for themselves and that means acknowledging that they have a problem.” Say members of Oficina Intergrupal. “This is the first rule of AA. If you confront an alcoholic with his problem, he’ll say you have the problem. Alcoholics are often blind to how their drinking is affecting their lives or the lives of their loved ones. Still, they must be the ones to initiate treatment. Most alcoholics come to AA as a result of court appointment. Unless they’re willing to accept they have a problem with drinking, and want to do the work to get to the root of the problem, as soon as they have ‘served their time’ they leave. AA supplies them with information and, hopefully, a place they know they can come to for help when they’re ready.”

“In the meantime, spouses and loved ones should attend Al-Anon, Alateen and other support groups so they can learn how to live with an alcoholic,” says Bradley.

An important revelation for me was learning that alcohol often masks other mental disorders.

“Alcohol is often used to medicate other problems,” says Slay-Westbrook. “Frequently, an individual comes off alcohol and bipolar disorder or anxiety disorders become apparent.”

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) states that nearly fourteen million Americans abuse alcohol or are alcoholics. The National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence (NCADD) reports that more than half of all adults have a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking. More than nine million children live with a parent dependent on alcohol and/or illicit drugs.

If an individual thinks he has a problem, he can ask himself these questions: 1) Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking? 2) Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking? 3) Have you ever felt badly or guilty about your drinking? 4) Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover? If your response is “yes” to any of these questions, you likely have a problem and should seek medical help. If you answered “no” but are still concerned, ask your healthcare provider for help.

The physical damage from alcoholism is substantial. Consuming three or more drinks per day can result in premature death from liver disease, enlarged heart, stroke, irregular heart rhythms, pancreatitis, an increased risk of infection, various forms of cancer, sexual dysfunction and infertility in both sexes, and fetal alcohol syndrome in babies born to alcoholic mothers.

The societal damage is equally devastating with alcohol being the leading cause of traffic fatalities, homicides, suicides, recreational fatalities and other accidental deaths. The estimated cost to our society for alcohol related illnesses, injuries, crime and lost productivity is $276 million per year (NCADD). The NCADD and NIAAA continue to search for optimum treatments for alcoholism. Currently treatments consist of combinations of medications and behavioral therapies.

It’s likely that I’ll never know what caused my uncle to drink himself to death. The experts and resources have provided much appreciated insight into a disease about which I had little understanding. It’s too late for my uncle, but perhaps someone reading this article will reach out for the help that he or she needs.