CHENNAI : Alcoholism is a disease that could be controlled, if not cured, said Sivasankari, writer and founder-trustee of Awakened Group for National Integration (AGNI).

Stating that she began reading and researching about alcoholism about 30 years ago, she recalled how she had written three novels on the theme.

Addiction was also a family disease; she had noted through her story of a man, who returned to alcoholism, after rehabilitation, because his family was unable to give his responsibilities back to him. She urged the audience to understand how their bodies and minds functioned to enable self-awareness. Ms. Sivasankari was addressing members and counsellors of an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in Chennai on Sunday.

Nalini Krishnan, director, The Hindu , said the practices of AA were useful to all those interested in self-development. ``The practice of taking it one day at a time, making a daily inventory of our deeds and learning that we cannot change others, only ourselves, were especially useful'', she said.

Senior managers urged members to keep channels of communication open with colleagues in the organisation and bring in those who needed help.

Members of the group shared their experiences of how belonging to the AA enabled them control their alcoholism.

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