George Clooney, alcoholic or just having a good time?

Okay, I said I'd stay out of this thread, but a COH lurker alerted me to some of the things being said.

My past professional life was in the medical field, when I participated in treating addicted adolescents. I think I've mentioned here before that I grew up in a family of high-functioning alcoholics. I've sought counseling with Adult Children of Alcoholics, and I revisit that every few years to help keep myself in balance. So, while I don't call myself an expert, I'm certainly not "uneducated" on the subject, and can say with a decent level of certainty that I know something about this subject.

First of all, alcoholism is not defined by how much a person drinks. Alcohol addiction is feeling and acting upon the chronic and persistent compulsion that alcohol is necessary to function, and continuing to drink past the point that the behavior has negatively effected everyday life -- health, family, work, relationships.

Can anyone who's coming down on the "George Clooney is an alcoholic" side of this topic show any evidence that this is true of him? Share it, please. Otherwise, try to be less imperative in what you say about this.

A housewife who needs just a couple of drinks to get through her day can be an alcoholic; a guy who gets drunk on his ass every single weekend hanging out with his friends may not be. It depends on how the drinking has been incorporated into one's day-to-day functioning.

Also, there are genetic predispositions to alcoholism that factor into both having the addiction, and recovering from it. Some Native Americans, for instance, are missing a biochemical substrate that helps in the breakdown of alcohol. That's the reason that not only is alcoholism a prevalent problem among Native Americans, but health issues affect them sooner, and relapse is more likely. "Willpower" has less to do with recovery than in the general population; as a rule, there's no such thing as a social drink for a Native American alcoholic.

And, the tenets of Alcoholics Anonymous require its followers to accept that there is a "higher power" than oneself. That does not translate to "God" for everybody. Some people believe in the cosmic power of the universe itself. Some people believe in the power of collective positive thought. Any number of things could be a "higher power." Believing in God is not a necessity to recovery through AA.

Finally, I have never read a study that showed that alcoholics were more intelligent as a group. While there may be some professions that have a high incidence of alcoholism, and those professions may be characterized by successful people, that does not mean that alcoholics are collectively smarter. I've never even heard of a study that widely tested the IQ of alcoholics and compared them to the general population, which is what would be required to back up a statement like that. So, if anyone can provide documented and verifiable proof that that's true, I'd love to read it.

I just think it's wise to be careful and certain in what we pass off as "fact," especially when speculating about someone's -- anyone's, not just George Clooney's or any other celebrity's -- health and well-being.

Now, I'm really done here.

phys major wrote:Carla to you it may be an odd comparison, having been hit on my whole life by older men I find it somewhat Gross..
I don't find alcoholism to be Gross nor do I find any disease to be..

Ok, for you it is gross.
I´m not going to get any deeper on this. Off topic anyway.
I find alcoholism to be gross. Because it doesn´t only ruin the life of alcoholic but everyone close to one.

Yet, I like people who can drink, sometimes too much even, it´s normal. Usually people who work hard, are really talented and have a strong drive- well they drink to relax, to forget or whatever...

@ WAY .... I gave you a greeny ...well said   

Definition of alcoholism:

noun (Pathology)
a chronic disorder characterized by dependence on alcohol, repeated excessive use of alcoholic beverages, the development of withdrawal symptoms on reducing or ceasing intake, morbidity that may include cirrhosis of the liver, and decreased ability to function socially and vocationally.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

IMO, based on above definition, from overall observation available, George seems to just let loose every now and then.  Yes...he enjoys a few drinks & unwinds.
Didn't he once attribute it to his Irish roots?   
If there was cause for caution, then he modified it. His close friends & family care enough to tell him.