Workplace Alcoholism In the United States, 17.6 million people, about one in 12 adults, abuse alcohol or are dependent on alcohol. (NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2012) The Mayo Clinic defines alcoholism as a chronic disease in which the body becomes dependent on alcohol (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010) and indicates that more than 100,000 Americans die each year due to alcohol. causes (Johnson) . In addition to the physical problems that alcohol addiction can create, there are often emotional and social complications. Alcoholism is a disease that harms not only the alcoholic, but also the alcoholic's colleagues and family. Society has given us stereotypical images of the alcoholic. Some of these stereotypes include a homeless person who is drunk every day, usually an older man, who fails to do well at work or home. While these stereotypes are not always true, some similarities exist among those who have been affected by this disease (Sarah Benton, 2009). The alcoholic usually has low self-esteem and feels guilty or ashamed most of the time. To compensate for their feelings of frustration, they may often blame others for their failures and outwardly appear to strive for perfection in everything they attempt. They often act on impulse, and when they fail, they are filled with self-pity and further frustration. At some point, almost everyone will experience something negative in their work environment that is directly related to alcohol abuse. A personal incident that comes to mind involves an occasion when my employer hosted a meeting to celebrate the achievements of several car dealers who had achieved or exceeded the salt…middle of paper…manpower. Retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/substanceabuse/index.htmlL'Etoile, M. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.opm.gov/employment_and_benefits/worklife/officialdocuments/handbooksguides/alcohol/index.aspEditorial Staff. (2012, February 24). The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Retrieved from http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/FAQs/General-English/Pages/default.aspxJohnson, S. (n.d.). Addiction Genomics Program. Retrieved from http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/mayo/research/gene_unit/upload/genomics_addiction.pdfNIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2012, January 24). Medlineplus. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alcoholism.htmlNIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2012, March 21). http://www.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000911.htm