What Is Alcohol Abuse?
People are said to have an alcohol problem when their use of alcohol has negative effects on any aspect of their lives including their health, relationships, work or school and money. These problems can range from mild to severe. The type of alcohol a person drinks, how much he or she drinks, and how long he or she has been drinking are also considered when determining whether a person has an alcohol problem.
Many people drink alcohol lightly to moderately to relax and enhance their social activities. Using alcohol in this way is not harmful for most adults. However, alcohol affects different individuals in different ways.
Experts divide levels of alcohol use and abuse into the following categories in terms of risk for developing problems:
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Moderate drinking
is drinking that does not usually cause problems for the drinker or society and is considered low risk.
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At-risk drinking poses a risk of developing problems.
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Alcohol abuse
is a pattern of drinking that causes problems in at least one area of a person’s life, for example, health, relationships, work or school, financial, or legal. However, it does not involve physical dependence on alcohol.
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Alcohol dependence, also called alcoholism,
is a chronic and potentially fatal disease in which a person is addicted to alcohol. It cannot be cured, but it can be successfully controlled.
Alcohol dependence is characterized by three or more of the following occurring in a one-year period:
- Tolerance increasing amounts of alcohol needed to get the same effect.
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Withdrawal symptoms, such as shakiness, sweating, nausea, anxiety (See
Anxiety: How to Stop Worrying
) and depression
) when alcohol use is stopped after heavy drinking.
- Drinking larger amounts and for longer than intended.
- Inability to cut down or quit drinking.
- Spending a lot of time getting and drinking alcohol or recovering from its effects.
- Reducing or giving up important work or leisure activities.
- Continued use despite the physical or emotional problems it causes to the drinker or other people.
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Facts About The Effects Of Alcohol
- Almost 14 million Americans (1 in 13 adults) have problems with drinking alcohol. About 8 million of these are alcoholic people.
- Several million more Americans drink in ways that could lead to alcohol problems.
- About 50 percent of American adults have been affected by alcohol abuse or dependence in their family.
- About 1 in 4 American children (19 million) is exposed at some time before age 18 to alcohol abuse or dependence in their family.
- People with alcoholism in their family are more likely to start drinking before age 20 and become dependent on alcohol.
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Alcohol: How To Help Someone
