For those who feel that alcoholism is a disease of the mind and body, it makes perfect sense that alcoholics lie. They have a mental obsession with alcohol. Mr Magic has been of the alcohol for 16 years and the thought to drink still crosses his mind at least twice a day. If that isn't a mental illness, I don't know what is.
For those who haven't been off the drink for long, that obsession is very strong. It can actually drive them to drink. Once they take that first drink, they have no control of how much they will drink. They may or may not get drunk every time, but eventually it will get ahold of them.
When the disease is in control, there is a lot of shame. It has driven them to let everyone they care about down. They know that drinking is not the answer, but they don't have a better one to stop the nagging obsession that drives them. They don't want to face the disappointment and hurt in the eyes of their loved ones. So they lie.
I am one who believes that alcoholism is a mental illness. I can see the same compulsion in the obsessive/compulsive person who feels it necessary to turn the light on and off 400 times, or wash their hands till they are raw. They don't have control of their mind, and they are driven to do things that don't make sense. They know, but they have no other alternative. They feel shame but that can't stop the mental impulse.
Mental illness is a terrible and devestating thing. People resist getting help because they feel ashamed and weak for not being able to overcome it on their own. They face many in society who would reinforce this idea.
Knowing that someone has a mental illness doesn't mean that I should subject myself to abuse or allow that disease to hurt me, but it does help me to seperate myself enough to have compassion rather than anger. I don't have to take their behavior personally.
I can somewhat relate their obsession with alcohol (or other substances) to my own inability to control my own obsessions. I have had obsession with other people, food, shopping, and other behaviors that, though they give temporary relief to the way I feel, ultimately result in causing disruption, and even chaos in my life.
Not everyone sees alcoholism in this light. I don't claim to have the answer. I just know that this way of viewing alcoholism has helped me to have some peace with the situation. Hugs, Magic