Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse: Definition, Disease, Symptoms, Statistics

Even after patients have completed rehab programs at alcohol addiction treatment centers, the risk is there. Aftercare is one of the best possible ways to prevent relapse. The cardiovascular system is affected, as heavy drinking raises blood pressure, increases cholesterol levels, and weakens heart muscles, leading to hypertension, arrhythmias, stroke, and alcoholic Drug rehabilitation cardiomyopathy.

Alcohol’s Effects on the Body

Drinking too much alcohol can weaken the immune system, making the body a much easier target for disease. Drinking a lot on a single occasion slows the body’s ability to ward off infections–even up to 24 hours later. Heavy alcohol use can disturb the endocrine system, disrupting the hormones that help maintain the body’s stability and health. There is also evidence that alcohol can disrupt or delay puberty.

What is alcohol use disorder?

The individual who abuses this substance tends to continue to use it despite such consequences. Alcohol use disorder involves a loss of control over the ability to drink moderately. This loss of control results in negative consequences that impact relationships, physical and mental health, and the ability to fulfill role obligations. Alcohol is used in increasing amounts to achieve the same effect, a phenomenon known as tolerance, and its absence results in withdrawal symptoms.

How Does Alcohol Addiction Develop Over Time?

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. It encompasses the conditions that some people refer to as alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, alcohol addiction, and the colloquial term, alcoholism. Considered a brain disorder, AUD can be mild, moderate, or severe. Lasting changes in the brain caused by alcohol misuse perpetuate AUD and make individuals vulnerable to relapse.

• You may need to seek treatment at an inpatient facility if your alcohol use disorder is severe.
• For instance, you might miss important family events or meetings with co-workers because you’ve been drinking.
• You should also see a professional before quitting alcohol if you have other health conditions.
• If your AUD is moderate or severe, you’re at risk of developing delirium tremens (DT), a life-threatening form of alcohol withdrawal.
• Too much alcohol affects your speech, muscle coordination and vital centers of your brain.

Treatment

Alcoholism, formerly called alcohol dependence or alcohol addiction, is the more severe end of the alcohol use disorder spectrum. It is a destructive pattern of alcohol use that includes tolerance to or withdrawal from the substance, using more alcohol or using it for longer than planned, and trouble reducing its use or inability to use it in moderation. The effects of alcohol addiction may also have a more serious impact on seniors, as aging changes how the body handles alcohol consumption. Alcohol abuse may worsen some health problems like diabetes, osteoporosis, memory loss, high blood pressure and mood disorders. It may also increase the likelihood of accidents such as falls and fractures.

• Discovering your child is drinking can generate fear, confusion, and anger in parents.
• Alcohol misuse can also lead to high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), or increased heart rate.
• The codependent person has a pattern of putting their own needs below those of others, likely has low self-esteem, and tends to engage in denial, excessive compliance, and control.
• Continuing to drink even though your alcohol use is causing problems in your relationships.
• While some people with alcohol use disorder can cut back or stop drinking without help, most are only able to do so temporarily unless they get treatment.
• A person who abuses alcohol may also be dependent on alcohol, but they may also be able to stop drinking without experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

Research and Statistics: Who Has Alcohol Use Disorder?

In addition to getting appropriate AUD treatment, there are things that you can do on your own that will make it easier to cope with and sustain your recovery. John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). For more information about alcohol and cancer, please visit the National Cancer Institute’s webpage “Alcohol and Cancer Risk” https://ecosober.com/ (last accessed June 6, 2024). Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. Expose your teen to healthy hobbies and activities, such as team sports, Scouts, and after-school clubs.

Lifestyle Quizzes

Worldwide, alcohol is thought to contribute to more than 200 illnesses and injuries, like liver disease, heart disease, and neurological problems. Alcohol-related deaths number more than 3 million per year globally, around 5% of all deaths worldwide. Among those aged 20–39 years, around 13.5% of total deaths are related to alcohol. Alcohol withdrawal can usually be treated outside of the hospital, but some severe cases do require hospitalization.

The body must rapidly process acetaldehyde to prevent its harmful effects. This is achieved through aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), another enzyme that converts acetaldehyde into acetic acid, a much less toxic substance. Acetic acid is further broken down into carbon dioxide and water, which the body expels through urine, sweat, and breath. Alcohol is used recreationally, medicinally, and industrially.

It may also increase the risk of stomach and pancreas cancers. 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. Online and community-based recovery groups can also be helpful during alcohol withdrawal and addiction treatment.

Health professionals also help the individual cope with any related problems, such as depression, job stress, legal consequences of drinking, or troubled personal relationships. Although there are many risks to drinking alcohol, there also may be some benefits of moderate drinking. That means no more than two drinks a day for men and no more than one drink a day for women. (A drink is defined as 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or 1½ ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.) Moderate drinking appears to lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other circulatory diseases. There is evidence that a small amount of alcohol can boost levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the beneficial cholesterol in your blood, as well as reduce the formation of plaque in blood vessels. Alcohol causes the release of dopamine in the ventral tegmental area, which is a part of the reward pathway.

Therapy

It affects people differently but can become life-threatening very quickly. Let your loved ones know that if they see any of these symptoms, they should call 911 or get you to a hospital right away. You can choose from different types of therapy such as alcohol counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, or couples or family therapy. For instance, you may start drinking so much that you black out (lose consciousness).