From Christenings to Quinceañeras – from weddings to pachangas – as Latinos, we love to celebrate and have a good time. What’s a reventon without the music, tequila, and “cerveza”? It’s tradition!

But when is the love of a good time really an addiction – the need for a drink? Studies show that the tradition of drinking is taking a toll on the Latino community…And that Hispanics are out-drinking both Anglos and Blacks.

One in five Latinos between the ages of 12 and 17 say they’ve recently used alcohol.
One in ten admits to binge drinking – that’s having five or more drinks in one session.
That also means Latinos are suffering from the disease of alcoholism in astounding numbers.

Signs of Alcoholism Dependency:

• Problems fulfilling job or family responsibilities due to drinking
• Getting into legal trouble due to drinking
• Health deteriorating due to drinking   

Scott Robertson, Administrator for Glendale Adventist Medical Center- Alcohol & Drug Services says, “I would say that a more general definition of alcoholism, or drug dependency, would be a person who has lost their ability to control whether or not they drink or use alcohol or other drugs- and which are beginning to experience significant problems in other aspects of their life.  If they’re having big problems with their job, their family, their legal well-being, their finances, their education, their physical health –the problems in those areas that can be attributed to alcohol use – we would define them as probably having alcohol dependency.”

No one knows why some people are more likely to become alcohol-dependent than others. But for those who are prone to become alcoholics, it doesn’t matter how much they drink – only that they drink. “Just one drink, really, is all it takes for a person to be an alcoholic or have a problem with alcohol dependency. And what I mean is that a person could have two or three drinks, four drinks and enjoy them at a party on a weekend and they won’t be haunted by it. They won’t be thinking about alcohol later on. A person who is alcohol-dependent, on the other hand, has that first drink and it sets off a cycle of craving or desire for alcohol or for another drug. It really leads them out of control,” explains Robertson.

Alcoholism doesn’t discriminate – anyone of any race, any age – rich or poor – can become alcohol dependent.

When alcoholism invades a person’s life, family members may not know what’s happening – but they know something’s going on.

More Signs of Alcoholism Dependency

• Not engaged with your family or loved ones
• Hiding your drinking
• Having drinking buddies who you don’t want meeting your family

“The way you’d principally notice is through their absence. It might be their overt absence – like they’re gone all the time or it might just be their emotional absence. What I mean is that there are people who are there but are ‘not there’ -- people who have secrets in their lives – people whose lives are compartmentalized. They have a group of friends that they hang around with that they don’t introduce to the family. It’s a cardinal sign of potential alcohol or drug dependency among young people,” says Robertson.

If any of these signs sound familiar, alcohol may be controlling you more than you think.

Some of the classic symptoms of alcohol dependency are:

• Strong craving or urge to drink
• Can’t say no to more drinks once you’ve started drinking
• Anxiety, nausea, sweating or shakiness when you go without booze
• Needing to drink more alcohol than before to get the same feeling

Classic behaviors of alcoholics include:

• Attempting to control your drinking by changing the liquor of choice.
• Sneaking drinks
• Lying about drinking
• Hiding stashes of booze
• Drinking on the job
• Drinking alone
• Having blackouts
• Becoming malnourished or losing interest in eating
• In time, if you don’t get help, cirrhosis of the liver can set in  

Even then, sometimes it’s still too difficult to admit you need help.  

“People who have this disease are invested in convincing you that they don’t have the disease. Why? Unlike diabetes, alcohol is almost a self inflicted illness. You see, for an alcohol or a drug dependency to take place, the person has to pick up alcohol or another drug. Therefore, they feel responsible or complicit in their disease and as a result they’re usually very ashamed,” says Robertson.

Because of the shameful feelings, alcoholics get into a pattern of secret behavior and dishonesty about how much they are drinking.

It’s not uncommon for the alcoholism to lead to spousal abuse and even child abuse.

Why should you seek help? The incapacitating nature of this disease wreaks havoc on jobs and it can easily destroy a family.

If you believe someone you care about may have an alcohol abuse problem and doesn’t admit it – here’s how you might be able to help.  

“To help a person to get help who maybe doesn’t want it, many treatment programs provide intervention services. We do here. And what takes place in an intervention is that we’re educating the family about this disease, helping them to understand the symptoms of it, and then helping them set up a healthy boundary. It tells the person with the disease that unless they change their behavior related to alcohol, or another drug, that something in the relationship will change,” advises Robertson.

Where to get help:

• Alcoholics Anonymous - www.aa.org

Other alternatives:

• Al-Anon/ Alateen - www.al-anon.org
• Churches
• Hospitals
• Mental health facilities
• Crisis hot lines