Originally Posted by
ScottFromWI 
Alcoholism is an equal opportunity disease. It doesn't care where you live, what you look like, how much you have (or don't have).
The difference between alcoholism and other afflictions is that it is 100% treatable. Imagine someone just diagnosed with diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's or any other condition sitting in the office. The doctor then comes back in the office and says....I have a plan that will completely prevent any further damage from your disease, and the ONLY condition is that you simply follow a plan...and the plan is 100% effective as long as you follow it.
That is the opportunity each and every one of us have, each and every day. We can choose to get better, or we can choose to drink.
As always Scott makes some excellent points, part of the reason for this disease we call alcoholism is the fact it is deemed a socially acceptable activity, the pull of it is within our own heads like most things in life and we can control it.