skatingguy
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I'm not an expert in the subject, but there seems to be a few people who are confusing the two terms in the thread about Katya Alexdrovskaya's death. So I'm posting this here in the hopes of moving that discussion away from the specifics of her death, and the issues that up to it.
What is the Difference between Problem Drinking and Alcoholism?
Alcoholics are addicted to alcohol. They are physically and mentally dependent on it. Alcoholics find it hard not to drink and struggle with dependency every day. Alcoholics can achieve sobriety, but they will always be an alcoholic and at risk for relapse. They will often relapse after just one drink, no matter how long they have been sober.
Problem drinkers are not physically dependent on alcohol. They can go days, week, or months without drinking, if they want to. If they abstain, they will not have detox symptoms. They may drink a lot, or they may drink occasionally. The issue problem drinkers have is that when they do drink, it causes an issue in their life or in the life of someone they know. They may say and do things that hurt others or themselves. Drinking is not a problem for these individuals, but it does create problems in their lives.