Temptation has once overwhelmed all of us in our lives and as long as you do not allow yourself to consume it, then you are in a healthy state of mind. However, when temptation becomes a source of social and personal death, then it has metastasized into an addiction. Alcohol use in a community where older adults reside is common, and the line between “social” or moderate drinking and alcohol abuse and physical dependence is often unclear. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines excessive alcohol consumption as more than 14 drinks per week and/or more than 4 drinks in the same sitting. One definition of addiction is having an addiction to a particular substance and whether that substance can cause a person's life to change from a stable path to a sudden reversal and disaster. Alcoholism, obsession and personal failures are usually the kind of things people prefer to keep hidden. Augusten Burroughs goes in the opposite direction in his confessional book Dry. Burroughs poignantly describes the trials and tribulations one goes through to break one's addiction to alcohol. Stress can be one of many factors that lead a person to drink periodically. It can release tension and allow a person to gain perspective on what needs to be done, however, when alcohol consumption goes from periodically to daily and alcohol has become a means of obsession with its ability to enable someone to escape your situation and be at ease. comfortable with life and not having burdens has become a problem. By reading Dry, you are drawn into the life of an advertising agent who has to deal with annoying clients and demanding bosses. He begins by describing that he is a social drinker who sometimes gets carried away when he is out on the town after a long day at the office and drinks until he remembers the night before. The routine goes on until it begins to affect his work and he can no longer be counted on to carry out expected tasks. This destructive pattern I can imagine is not uncommon among adults with demanding careers who have not found a way to relieve the stress that builds up doing the same thing day after day.