Alcohol Abuse

Definition

Alcohol abuse is defined as a pattern of drinking that results in one or more of the followingalcohol situations within a 12-month period:

  • Failure to fulfill major work, school, or home responsibilities
  • Drinking in situations that are physically dangerous, such as while driving a car or operating machinery
  • Having recurring alcohol-related legal problems, such as being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or for physically hurting someone while drunk
  • Continued drinking despite having ongoing relationship problems that are caused or worsened by the drinking.

Alcoholism, or alcohol dependence, is the most severe form of alcohol abuse. It is a chronic disease characterized by the consumption of alcohol at a level that interferes with physical and mental health and with family and social responsibilities. An alcoholic will continue to drink despite serious health, family, or legal problems.

Alcoholism is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Alcoholism is chronic:  It lasts a person’s lifetime. It usually follows a predictable course and has recognizable symptoms.

Alcohol abuse and alcoholism cut across gender, race, and ethnicity.  More men than women are alcohol dependent or have alcohol problems. Alcohol problems are highest among young adults ages 18-29 and lowest among adults ages 65 and older. Also, people who start drinking at an early age have a greater chance of developing alcohol problems at some point in their lives.

Alcohol’s effects vary with age. Slower reaction times, problems with hearing and seeing, and a lower tolerance to alcohol’s effects put older people at higher risk for falls, car crashes, and other types of injuries that may result from drinking. More than 150 medications interact harmfully with alcohol.

Alcohol also affects women differently than men. Women become more impaired than men do after drinking the same amount of alcohol, even when differences in body weight are taken into account. In addition, chronic alcohol abuse takes a heavier physical toll on women than on men. Alcohol dependence and related medical problems, such as brain, heart, and liver damage, progress more rapidly in women.

Symptoms

Alcohol Dependence

Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence, is a disease that includes:

  • Craving: A strong need, or compulsion, to drink
  • Loss of control: The inability to limit one’s drinking on any given occasion
  • Physical dependence: Includes evidence of tolerance and withdrawal
  • Tolerance: The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol in order to get drunk
  • Withdrawal symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, sweating, shakiness, hallucinations (visual or auditory), anxiety, and even seizures. These symptoms can occur in individuals who have been heavy drinkers over a period of time.

Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol abuse differs from alcohol dependence in that

  • It does not include an extremely strong craving for alcohol
  • A person may experience some loss of control over drinking, which may lead to problems with work, home, school, relationships, or the law
  • It usually does not include signs of physical dependence.

Answering the following four questions can help you find out if you or a loved one has a drinking problem:

  • Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
  • Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
  • Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
  • Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?

One yes answer suggests a possible alcohol problem. A yes to more than one question indicates that it is highly likely a problem exists. In either case, it is important to consult a doctor or other health care provider immediately to determine if you have a drinking problem and, if so, initiate the best course of action.

Even if you answered no to all of the above questions, you may still need help. You should seek a professional if you encounter drinking-related problems with your job, relationships, health, or the law. The effects of alcohol abuse can be extremely serious—fatal—to you and to others.

Side effects

  • Higher incidence of unemployment
  • Higher incidence of domestic violence
  • Legal problems
  • Health Hazards
  • Increased incidence of cancer, particularly cancer of the larynx, esophagus, liver, and colon
  • Alcoholic hepatitis, an acute syndrome reported by patients who have ingested about 100 grams of alcohol (about eight ounces of 100-proof whiskey, 30 ounces of wine, or eight 12-ounce cans of beer) daily for over one year. Symptoms can include fever, jaundice, and enlarged liver
  • Acute and/or chronic pancreatitis—inflammatory disease of the pancreas
  • Cirrhosis of the liver—alcohol abuse can cause alcoholic hepatitis, which then can lead to cirrhosis, or fibrotic changes in the liver
  • Alcoholic neuropathy—or degenerative changes in the nervous system affecting nerves responsible for sensation and movement
  • Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
  • High blood pressure
  • Nutritional deficiencies—vitamin B12, folate, and thiamine
  • High blood pressure
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Cessation of menses
  • Fetal alcohol syndrome in the children of women who drink during pregnancy
  • Depression
  • Traffic fatalities
  • Accidental deaths
  • Increased risk of suicide
  • Alcohol dementia
  • Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome or Wernicke’s encephalopathy: a syndrome of central nervous system changes resulting from thiamine deficiency where an individual becomes confused, loses balance while walking, and shows loss of vision.