Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Signs, Symptoms, and Diagnosis

The overall effect of alcohol consumption on the global cardiovascular disease burden is detrimental (see table 2). Cardiovascular disease is a general category that includes several specific conditions, and alcohol’s impact differs for the different conditions. For example, the effect of alcohol consumption on hypertension is almost entirely detrimental, with a dose-response relationship that shows a linear increase of the relative risk with increasing consumption (Taylor et al. 2009). A similar dose-response relationship exists between alcohol consumption and the incidence of atrial fibrillation4 (Samokhvalov et al. 2010b). Irregular heavy drinking occasions, however, can nullify any protective effect.

Today, we know that the symptoms of alcoholism can vary from one person to the next. Because the condition is progressive, these symptoms may increase over time in terms of the number of symptoms, their severity, and their impact. Regardless of the type of support system, it’s helpful to get involved in at least one when getting sober. Sober communities can help someone struggling with alcohol addiction deal with the challenges of sobriety in day-to-day life.

Health Challenges

Researchers frequently have pointed out that personality characteristics, such as a propensity for risk-taking, sensation-seeking, and sexual compulsivity, may be involved in the risk of HIV infection. Indeed, a recent consensus meeting determined that there is not yet sufficient evidence to conclude that alcohol has a causal impact on HIV infection (Parry et al. 2009). People who drink too much alcohol are at risk of developing a host of health conditions and disorders including certain types of cancer, liver disease, and heart disease. Excessive alcohol consumption can damage the brain and other organs, and it also increases the chances of developing sleep problems, depression, and other mental health problems. Alcohol can interfere with a person’s ability to care for their other medical conditions or make other medical conditions worse.

Coping and support

In general, treatments for alcohol use disorder aim to alleviate withdrawal symptoms, stop or reduce alcohol use, and give patients behavioral skills and knowledge that can help them either stop drinking or maintain a healthy level of alcohol use. In general, alcohol consumption is considered too much—or unhealthy—when it causes health or social problems. This broad category of alcohol consumption comprises a continuum of drinking habits including at-risk drinking, binge drinking, and AUD. For example, if you’re receiving treatment for a condition related to alcohol use, like cirrhosis of the liver, you should ask your healthcare provider about changes in your body that may be new symptoms. If you’re receiving counseling, ask your provider about handling high-stress situations when you may feel like you need some additional mental health support. Alcohol withdrawal after periods of excessive drinking can cause debilitating symptoms hours to days later.

Physical Signs of Alcoholism

Unlike most disease symptoms, the loss of control over drinking does not hold true at all times or in all situations. The alcoholic is not always under internal pressure to drink and can sometimes resist the impulse to drink or can drink in a controlled way. The early symptoms of alcoholism vary from culture to culture, and recreational public drunkenness may sometimes be mislabeled alcoholism by the prejudiced observer. In the general population, variation in daily alcohol consumption is distributed along a smooth continuum. This characteristic is inconsistent with the medical model, which implies that alcoholism is either present or absent—as is the case, for example, with pregnancy or a brain tumour. For such reasons, the sociological definition regards alcoholism as merely one symptom of social deviance and believes its diagnosis often lies in the eyes and value system of the beholder.

What causes alcohol use disorder?

1. For more information about alcohol’s effects on the body, please visit the Interactive Body feature on NIAAA’s College Drinking Prevention website.
2. If you drink more alcohol than that, consider cutting back or quitting.
3. Another complication is alcohol withdrawal syndrome, which may occur after you stop drinking and can cause symptoms such as nausea, shaking, and sweating.

Excessive alcohol use is a term used to describe four ways that people drink alcohol that can negatively impact health. After withdrawal, doctors recommend that patients continue treatment to address the underlying alcohol use disorder and help them maintain abstinence from or achieve a reduction in alcohol consumption. Drinking heavily over long periods of time may lead to changes in how the brain functions, from memory slips to more debilitating conditions. The impact depends on when a person started drinking, how long they’ve been drinking, and how often and how much they drink.

Ultimately, sobriety is the responsibility of the person who has the alcohol addiction. It’s important to not enable destructive behaviors and to maintain appropriate boundaries if the person with the alcohol addiction is still drinking. This can mean cutting off financial assistance or making it difficult for them to fulfill the addiction. Binge drinking is when you drink enough alcohol to raise your blood alcohol content (BAC) to 0.08% or higher. For men, that typically is about five standard alcoholic drinks within a few hours; for women, this is four alcoholic drinks within the same period.

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). Unlike cocaine or heroin, alcohol is widely available and accepted in many cultures. It’s often at the center of social situations and closely linked to celebrations and enjoyment.

It should be noted that this drunkenness at fiestas is a choice and does not produce regret. If the sociological model were entirely correct, alcoholism should often be expected to disappear with maturation as is the case with many other symptoms of social deviance. When a person has uncontrolled and problematic drinking, he or she may have a health condition called alcohol use disorder (AUD), commonly known as alcoholism.

Talk to your healthcare provider if you’re under stress and think you may be at risk for relapse. Many people with AUD do recover, but enabling behavior definition setbacks are common among people in treatment. Seeking professional help early can prevent a return to drinking. Behavioral therapies can help people develop skills to avoid and overcome triggers, such as stress, that might lead to drinking.