Alcoholism is a true medical disease rooted in abnormalities in brain chemistry—biochemical aberrations that are inherited by the great majority of alcoholics and, in some cases, acquired through intense and sustained exposure to alcohol and/or other drugs.

When the alcoholic drinks, something different happens. This difference between alcoholics and non-alcoholics is not created by personaity disorders, emotional instability, character defects, or traumatic circumstances—it is a difference in the way the alcoholic’s body responds to the drug alcohol.

(Page 3, Beyond the Influence)