The Definition of Alcoholism according to NCADD/ASAM
Alcoholism is a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by continuous or periodic: impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking, most notably denial.
Effects of Alcoholism
The relationship between alcohol consumption and health
outcomes is complex and multidimensional. Alcohol is causally
related to more than 60 different medical conditions.
Heavy drinking can increase the risk for certain cancers,
especially those of the liver, esophagus, throat, and
larynx (voice box). Heavy drinking can also cause liver
cirrhosis, immune system problems, brain damage, and harm
to the fetus during pregnancy. In addition, drinking increases
the risk of death from automobile crashes as well as recreational
and on-the-job injuries. Furthermore, both homicides and
suicides are more likely to be committed by persons who
have been drinking.
Alcoholism is not the same as Alcohol Abuse
Alcoholism, also known as “alcohol dependence,”
is a disease that includes four symptoms:
1. Craving: A strong need, or compulsion, to drink.
2. Loss of control: The inability to limit one’s drinking on any given occasion.
3. Physical dependence: Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, occur when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking.
4. Tolerance: The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol in order to “get high.”
People who are not alcoholic sometimes do not understand why an alcoholic can’t just “use a little willpower” to stop drinking. However, alcoholism has little to do with willpower. Alcoholics are in the grip of a powerful “craving,” or uncontrollable need, for alcohol that overrides their ability to stop drinking. This need can be as strong as the need for food or water.
What Is Alcohol Abuse?
Alcohol abuse differs from alcoholism in that it does not include an extremely strong craving for alcohol, loss of control over drinking, or physical dependence. Alcohol abuse is defined as a pattern of drinking that results in one or more of the following 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; and
• Continued drinking despite having ongoing relationship problems that are caused or worsened by the drinking.
Although alcohol abuse is basically different from alcoholism, many effects of alcohol abuse are also experienced by alcoholics.
Alcohol Abuse Recovery
People can and do recover from alcoholism
A National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related
Conditions (NESARC), a project of the U.S. National Institute
on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).survey found that
35.9 percent of American adults with alcoholism that began
more than a year prior to the survey were in full recovery
and showed no signs of either alcoholism or alcohol abuse.
They either abstained from alcohol or drank at levels
below those known to increase the risk of relapse. The
results are
First Step Admitting that you have a Drinking Problem
How can you tell whether you may have a drinking problem?
Answering the following four questions can help you find
out:
• 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 (as an “eye opener”) to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover?
One “yes” answer suggests a possible alcohol problem. If you answered “yes” to more than one question, it is highly likely that a problem exists. In either case, it is important that you see your doctor or other health care provider right away to discuss your answers to these questions. He or she can help you determine whether you have a drinking problem and, if so, recommend the best course of action.
Even if you answered “no” to all of the
above questions, if you encounter drinking-related problems
with your job, relationships, health, or the law, you
should seek professional help. The effects of alcohol
abuse can be extremely serious—even fatal—both
to you and to others.
Making the Decision to GET HELP
It is not easy accepting the fact that you need help for an alcohol problem, but the sooner you get help, the better are your chances for a successful recovery.
Any concerns you may have about discussing drinking-related problems with your health care provider may stem from common misconceptions about alcoholism and alcoholic people. In our society, the myth prevails that an alcohol problem is a sign of moral weakness. As a result, you may feel that to seek help is to admit some type of shameful defect in yourself. In fact, alcoholism is a disease that is no more a sign of weakness than is asthma. Moreover, taking steps to identify a possible drinking problem has an enormous payoff—a chance for a healthier, more rewarding life.
When you visit your health care provider, he or she will ask you a number of questions about your alcohol use to determine whether you are having problems related to your drinking. Try to answer these questions as fully and honestly as you can. You also will be given a physical examination. If your health care provider concludes that you may be dependent on alcohol, he or she may recommend that you see a specialist in treating alcoholism. You should be involved in any referral decisions and have all treatment choices explained to you.
Getting Well
Alcoholism Treatment
The type of treatment you receive depends on the severity of your alcoholism and the resources that are available in your community. Treatment may include detoxification (the process of safely getting alcohol out of your system); taking doctor-prescribed medications, such as disulfiram (Antabuse®) or naltrexone (ReVia™), to help prevent a return (or relapse) to drinking once drinking has stopped; and individual and/or group counseling. There are promising types of counseling that teach alcoholics to identify situations and feelings that trigger the urge to drink and to find new ways to cope that do not include alcohol use. These treatments are often provided on an outpatient basis.
Because the support of family members is important to the recovery process, many programs also offer brief marital counseling and family therapy as part of the treatment process. Programs may also link individuals with vital community resources, such as legal assistance, job training, childcare, and parenting classes.
Alcoholics Anonymous
Virtually all alcoholism treatment programs also include
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings. AA describes itself
as a “worldwide fellowship of men and women who
help each other to stay sober.” Although AA is generally
recognized as an effective mutual help program for recovering
alcoholics, not everyone responds to AA’s style
or message, and other recovery approaches are available.
Even people who are helped by AA usually find that AA
works best in combination with other forms of treatment,
including counseling and medical care.
Can Alcoholism Be Cured?
Although alcoholism can be treated, a cure is not yet
available. In other words, even if an alcoholic has been
sober for a long time and has regained health, he or she
remains susceptible to relapse and must continue to avoid
all alcoholic beverages. “Cutting down” on
drinking doesn’t work; cutting out alcohol is necessary
for a successful recovery.
Help for Alcohol Abuse
If your health care provider determines that you are not
alcohol dependent but are nonetheless involved in a pattern
of alcohol abuse, he or she can help you to:
• Examine the benefits of stopping an unhealthy drinking pattern.
• Set a drinking goal for yourself. Some people choose to abstain from alcohol. Others prefer to limit the amount they drink.
• Examine the situations that trigger your unhealthy drinking patterns, and develop new ways of handling those situations so that you can maintain your drinking goal.
Some individuals who have stopped drinking after experiencing alcohol-related problems choose to attend AA meetings for information and support, even though they have not been diagnosed as alcoholic.
Alcoholism Facts
A large number of people get into serious trouble because of their drinking. Currently, nearly 14 million Americans abuse alcohol or are alcoholic. Several million more adults engage in risky drinking that could lead to alcohol problems. These patterns include heavy drinking and binge drinking on a regular basis. In addition, 53 percent of men and women in the United States report that one or more of their close relatives have a drinking problem.
Alcoholism is Disease that affects people who are genetically predisposed to alcoholism brought on by drinking alcohol in sufficient quantities over a sufficient period of time. Some, who are 100% predisposed to alcoholism, are alcoholic from the first drink. Others, who may be only slightly predisposed, may have to drink a certain amount for a certain period of time before becoming an alcoholic.
