What Is Alcoholism? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

Daily drinking can have serious consequences for a person’s health, both in the short- and long-term. Many of the effects of drinking every day can be reversed through early intervention. Discovering you aren’t just a casual drinker and are facing an alcohol problem can be shocking. And when you’re ready, learn about alcohol detox or other treatment programs or get started with online rehab. If you find yourself regularly thinking about your next drink, or if you’ve tried to cut back on drinking and never quite succeeded, you may have an alcohol addiction. The high-functioning alcoholic is perhaps the furthest from the alcoholic stereotype, leading many to be in denial about their addiction.

Of the five subtypes, they rate highest for other psychiatric disorders and abuse of other substances. Roughly 80% are from families that struggle with multigenerational alcoholism. Alcohol misuse refers to single episodes during which you might drink excessively. When this occurs repeatedly over time, and when it begins to impact your health and your life, alcohol misuse can become AUD.

How Is Alcohol Use Disorder Diagnosed?

1. Because denial is common, you may feel like you don’t have a problem with drinking.
2. Many people with alcohol use disorder hesitate to get treatment because they don’t recognize that they have a problem.
3. It also includes binge drinking — a pattern of drinking where a male has five or more drinks within two hours or a female has at least four drinks within two hours.
4. This can cause agitation, fever, hallucinations, confusion and seizures.
5. Your doctor or healthcare provider can diagnose alcohol use disorder.
6. It’s important that each person get involved in a recovery program that will support long-term sobriety.

Heavy drinking in conjunction with other behaviors can also signala problem. Many people who seek treatment are able to overcome the addiction. A strong support system is helpful for making a complete recovery. Your doctor or healthcare provider can diagnose alcohol use disorder. They’ll do a physical exam and ask you questions about your drinking habits.

AUDIT Alcohol Assessment Quiz

Typicalalcohol withdrawal symptoms include sweating, shaking, nausea, anxiety and insomnia. In severe cases, a person maydevelop delirium tremens, a potentially life-threatening condition that causes hallucinations, confusion, seizures andpsychosis. Not everyone with an alcohol use disorder develops a physical dependence to alcohol, but people may exhibit other physicalsymptoms. Regardless of the type of support system, it’s helpful to get involved in at least one when getting sober. Sober communities can help someone struggling with alcohol addiction deal with the challenges of sobriety in day-to-day life.

Unless you have religious alcoholic narcissistic mother or personal restrictions, a few drinks with friends or a glass of wine with dinner is usually not an issue. The problem starts, though, when you begin abusing the substance. In some people, the initial reaction may feel like an increase in energy.

Who is at risk for alcohol use disorder?

If you think you need help with alcohol use, talk to your doctor. They can assess whether you have a risky drinking pattern, evaluate your overall health, help create a treatment plan, and refer you to programs or other healthcare providers if necessary. The brain experiences the effects of alcohol right away, resulting in changes in mood, behavior, and judgment. The more alcohol you drink, the higher your blood alcohol levels and the greater your level of alcohol intoxication. Many people with AUD do recover, but setbacks are common among people in treatment. Seeking professional help early can prevent a return to drinking.

People with AUD represent about 20–35 percent of completed suicides. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), moderate drinking is typically defined as two drinks or fewer for men per day, or one drink or less for women. Alcoholics often have defective red blood cells that die prematurely, whats in whippits which can cause a lower-than-normal red blood cellcount. Gastrointestinal bleeding, a symptom some alcoholics experience, can also cause anemia, as can iron deficiency. Alcoholism can be difficult to detect from the outside, particularly early in the course of the disease.

Heavy drinking in and of itself doesn’t make someone an alcoholic. In fact, an estimated 40 million adults in America recovery group activities drinktoo much, and most — 90 percent — are not alcoholics. You may need to seek treatment at an inpatient facility if your addiction to alcohol is severe. These facilities will provide you with 24-hour care as you withdraw from alcohol and recover from your addiction. Once you’re well enough to leave, you’ll need to continue to receive treatment on an outpatient basis.

Symptoms

Therapy is useful to help teach someone how to manage the stress of recovery and the skills needed to prevent a relapse. Also, a healthy diet can help undo damage alcohol may have done to the person’s health, like weight gain or loss. These complications are reasons why it’s important to treat alcohol addiction early. Nearly all risks involved with alcohol addiction may be avoidable or treatable, with successful long-term recovery. Another complication is alcohol withdrawal syndrome, which may occur after you stop drinking and can cause symptoms such as nausea, shaking, and sweating.