Disease Concept of Alcoholism

Most in our society blame the alcoholic for their alcoholism. These same people believe that weak and bad people are alcoholics; undesirable persons are alcoholics; alcoholics are unkempt, uneducated, and offer no value to society 

No, people become alcoholics; good people, nice people, the well-educated, the rich, the poor. Any person from any racial and socio-economic background has the potential to become an alcoholic. 

Our society tends to have a broader understanding if one is afflicted with high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. The stigma associated with being alcoholic is undeniable. 

Alcoholism is a disease and it usually starts very innocently. Most people in our society can go out and have an alcoholic beverage or two, and then stop. But for the alcoholic, they cannot stop with one or two alcoholic beverages, and it is that inability to stop that causes so much pain and suffering. 

Flight attendants need to be aware of behaviors which may be indicative of a serious problem with alcohol.  

• Do you begin the partying in the van before reaching your layover hotel?
• Do you carry your own liquor on trips?
• Are you using Listerine, cough syrup, or other over-the-counter items as sources of alcohol?
• Are you barely making the required drinking cut off time?
• Are you drinking beyond the cut off time?
• Are you taking liquor off the aircraft?
• Are you having more conflicts with others?
• Have you heard crewmembers talk about your behavior, and you have no recollection of any of those behaviors?
• Are you frequently oversleeping beyond the ‘set’ time for your crew departure from the hotel after nights of drinking? 
• Are you concerned that you might smell of alcohol when you are on duty?
• Have you been told that you smell of alcohol when you are on duty? 
• Are you drinking alone? Do you only go out with crewmembers who like to drink?
• Are you eager to separate from your crew to start drinking? Do you find a bar at an overnight away from the hotel, so that you do not run into crewmembers? 
• Are you starting to fall into dependability issues with your company? Is it now becoming a chronic pattern?
• Are you mixing your prescriptions with alcohol, even when the label says not to?
• Are you changing bases due to problems with co-workers or supervisors, because you need to get away from being “on the radar”?

If you are displaying any of these behaviors when you are drinking, then it could be time that you call a FADAP peer for assistance.  

FADAP

Phone: 855-33-FADAP                    Direct Line: 202-355-6337           
                  855-333-2327