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''But
l'm
too
YOUNG
to
be an
alcoholic
!''
While millions are concerned about
growing drug abuse, another age-old
menace is stalking the lives
of
untold thousands .
by
William F. Dankenbring
T
ISA HAO
her first drink when she
L
was 15. She had been un-
happy, lonely, and scared
most of her life. When she first en–
countered alcohol, it seemed like the
solution to all her problems - a way
to escape her emotional pain. Lisa
became a virtual "instant alcoholic"
- a type of alcoholic which re–
searchers are just beginning to rec–
ognize.
"I never drank socially," said
Lisa. "I drank as often and as much
as 1 could. My eventual goal was to
drink myself to death."
26
Waking Up to Reality
Soon after Lisa began abusing al–
cohol, she discovered that she was
having repeated hangovers, black–
outs, and trouble. One night, she
blacked out and drove her parents'
car down an embankment, ramrning
a steel yard fence.
The next moming, Lisa could
hardly recall what had happened.
She recounted, "1 do recalllying on
a cold cement floor and shredding
into little 'bits several .pieces of sto–
len identification cards, and washing
my face
in
the toilet bowl trying to
sober up, and screamiog hys–
terically ...."
But this experience didn't stop
her. Lisa cootinued to get into
trouble because of her drinking. Her
driver's license was revoked, she was
made a ward oftbe court, and when
she fouod out that her schooling
was interfering with her drinking,
she did what seemed the only logi–
cal thing - she quit school and ran
away from borne.
Lisa's problems seemed to in–
crease dramatically. The more she
PLAIN TRUTH April 1973