what is alcoholism?
Alcoholism is a disease that includes the following four symptoms:
Craving—A strong need, or urge, to drink.
Loss of control—Not being able to stop drinking once drinking has begun.
Physical dependence—Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety after stopping drinking.
Tolerance—The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol to get drunk.
Alcoholism is only one type of an alcohol problem. Alcohol abuse can be just as harmful. A person can abuse alcohol without actually being an alcoholic—that is, he or she may drink too much too often, but still not be
dependent on alcohol. Some of the problems linked to alcohol abuse include not being able to meet work, school, or family responsibilities; drunk driving; and drinking-related medical conditions such as:
- Chronic diseases such as liver cirrhosis (damage to liver cells), pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), various cancers, including liver, mouth, throat, larynx (the voice box), and esophagus, high blood pressure, and psychological disorders.
- Unintentional injuries such as motor-vehicle traffic crashes, falls, drowning, burns and firearm injuries.
- Violence such as child maltreatment, homicide and suicide increase.
- Harm to a developing fetus if a woman drinks while pregnant.
Under some circumstances, even social or moderate drinking is dangerous. For example, moderate or social drinking is dangerous when driving, during pregnancy or when taking certain medications.
Alcoholism is a disease. The craving that an alcoholic feels for alcohol can be as strong as the need for food or water. An alcoholic will continue to drink despite serious family, health, or legal problems. Like many other diseases, alcoholism is chronic, meaning that it lasts a person’s lifetime; it usually follows a predictable course; and it has symptoms. The risk for developing alcoholism is influenced both by a person’s genes and by his or her lifestyle. Research shows that the risk for developing alcoholism does indeed run in families. Currently, researchers are working to discover the actual genes that put people at risk for alcoholism. Your friends, the amount of stress in your life, and how readily available alcohol is are also factors that may increase your risk for alcoholism.
But remember: Risk is not destiny. Just because alcoholism tends to run in families doesn’t mean that a child of an alcoholic parent will automatically become an alcoholic too. Some people develop alcoholism even though no one in their family has a drinking problem. By the same token, not all children of alcoholic families get into trouble with alcohol. Knowing you are at risk is important, though, because then you can take steps to protect yourself from developing problems with alcohol.
Alcoholism cannot be cured, but it can be treated. Alcoholism treatment programs use both counseling and medications to help a person stop drinking.
Alcoholism treatment works for many people. But like other chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, high blood
pressure and asthma, there are varying levels of success when it comes to treatment.
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. More than one
“yes” answer means it is highly likely that a problem exists. If you think
that you or someone you know might have an alcohol problem, it is
important to see your health care provider right away. They can help
you determineif a drinking problem exists and plan the best course
of treatment.
It is important to remember that you are not alone. Support groups
offered in most communities include Al-Anon, which holds regular
meetings for spouses and other significant adults in an alcoholic’s
life, and Alateen, which is geared to children of alcoholics. These
groups help family members understand that they are not responsible
for an alcoholic’s drinking and that they need to take steps to take care
of themselves, regardless of whether the alcoholic family member
chooses to get help.
You can call the National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing
Service (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment) at 1-800-662-HELP
(4357) for information about treatment programs in your local community
and to speak to someone about an alcohol problem.
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