Alcohol use disorder has been identified as something that happens when a person drinks so much or so often that it changes the chemical makeup of their brain. An alcoholic is known as someone who drinks alcohol beyond his or her ability to control it and is unable to stop consuming alcohol voluntarily. Most often this is coupled with being habitually intoxicated, daily drinking, and drinking larger quantities of alcohol than most. In general, an alcoholic is someone who suffers from alcoholism.
What are the Symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)?
- The exact mechanism that causes people to misuse alcohol is unclear.
- In 2021, 29.5 million Americans aged 12 or older met the diagnostic criteria for an AUD.
- The NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator can help you connect patients with the full range of evidence–based, professional alcohol treatment providers.
- Symptoms of alcohol use disorder are based on the behaviors and physical outcomes that occur as a result of alcohol addiction.
- Behavioral treatments—also known as alcohol counseling, or talk therapy, and provided by licensed therapists—are aimed at changing drinking behavior.
They may know that their alcohol use negatively affects their lives, but it’s often not enough to make them stop drinking. Recognizing the early signs and risk factors for AUD can help you seek early treatment and intervention to break alcohol misuse patterns. But alcohol misuse, also known as excessive drinking, has a more immediate impact, whereas the symptoms of AUD will be more prolonged. For example, any alcohol consumption by a pregnant person can be considered alcohol misuse, as well as drinking under the legal age of 21. Drinking alcohol too much or too often, or being unable to control alcohol consumption, can be a sign of alcohol misuse and, in some cases, alcohol use disorder (AUD).
What’s the outlook for a person with alcohol use disorder?
Care is integrated with patients’ other health care to improve treatment access, reduce costs, and promote better physical and mental health outcomes. Many people use the terms “alcohol abuse” and “alcoholism” interchangeably. However, alcoholism refers to alcohol addiction or dependence, where the individual has a physical or psychological compulsion to drink alcohol. Alcohol abuse refers to a pattern of behavior where a person drinks excessively in spite of the negative consequences. Alcoholism is a disease that can affect both children and adults, but it doesn’t affect everyone the same way. For some people, just one drink can result in intoxication, while for others, many more drinks are necessary to create the same effect.
Warning Signs of Developing Alcoholism
Over the long term, AUD may lead to serious health conditions, while worsening others. In addition, AUD is an addiction disorder, which means you may have a difficult signs of alcoholism time stopping alcohol consumption, even when you want to. The definition of AUD also includes the impact that such drinking has on your health and life.
About 62% of functional alcoholics work full time, and 26% possess a college degree or higher. This subtype makes up 19.5% of people addicted to alcohol in the U.S. Unless you have religious 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.
