Learn the signs of alcoholism, effects of alcoholism and how
you can treat it.
Alcoholism FAQ Sheet:
What is alcoholism and how does it affect us? Alcoholism, also known as
alcohol dependence, is a disease that includes the following four symptoms:
craving, Loss of Control, physical dependence and tolerance. Below we
discuss several of these topics in much greater detail.
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.
In this
article, we will look into the signs of alcoholism, the effects of alcoholism, learn
the symptoms of alcoholism, etc. so you that you will be
able to identify it immediately when you see it.
Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence, 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 "high."
For clinical and research
purposes, formal diagnostic criteria for alcoholism also have been
developed. Such criteria are included in the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, published by the American
Psychiatric Association, as well as in the International Classification
Diseases, published by the World Health Organization. (See also
"Publications,"
Yes, 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.
The risk for developing
alcoholism is influenced both by a person's genes and by his or her
lifestyle. (See also "Publications,"
Alcohol Alert No. 30:
Diagnostic Criteria
for Alcohol Abuse and Dependence.)
Research shows that the risk for developing alcoholism does indeed run
in families. The genes a person inherits partially explain this pattern,
but lifestyle is also a factor. 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 also are 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. (See also "Publications,"
No, alcoholism cannot be
cured at this time. Even if an alcoholic hasn't been drinking for a long
time, he or she can still suffer a relapse. To guard against a relapse, an
alcoholic must continue to avoid all alcoholic beverages. (See also
"Publications/Pamphlets and Brochures,"
Yes, alcoholism can be
treated. Alcoholism treatment programs use both counseling and medications
to help a person stop drinking. Most alcoholics need help to recover from
their disease. With support and treatment, many people are able to stop
drinking and rebuild their lives. (See also "Publication,"
A range of medications is used to treat alcoholism. Benzodiazepines
(Valium® , Librium®) are sometimes used during the
first days after a person stops drinking to help him or her safely
withdraw from alcohol. These medications are not used beyond the first few
days, however, because they may be highly addictive. Other medications
help people remain sober. One medication used for this purpose is
naltrexone (ReVia™). When combined with counseling naltrexone can reduce
the craving for alcohol and help prevent a person from returning, or
relapsing, to heavy drinking. Another medication, disulfiram (Antabuse®),
discourages drinking by making the person feel sick if he or she drinks
alcohol.
Through several medications
help treat alcoholism, there is no "magic bullet." In other words, no
single medication is available that works in every case and/or in every
person. Developing new and more effective medications to treat alcoholism
remains a high priority for researchers. (See also "News Releases,"
Jan. 17, 1995:
Naltrexone Approved
for Alcoholism Treatment and "Publication," Alcohol
Alert No. 33:
Neuroscience Research and Medications Development.)
Alcoholism treatment works for many people. But just like any chronic
disease, there are varying levels of success when it comes to treatment.
Some people stop drinking and remain sober. Others have long periods of
sobriety with bouts of relapse. And still others cannot stop drinking for
any length of time. With treatment, one thing is clear, however: the
longer a person abstains from alcohol, the more likely he or she will be
able to stay sober.
No. 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 and 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 arrests and
car crashes; and drinking-related medical conditions. Under some
circumstances, even social or moderate drinking is dangerous--for example,
when driving, during pregnancy, or when taking certain medications. (See
also "Publications/Pamphlets and Brochures,"
Alcohol abuse and
alcoholism cut across gender, race, and nationality. Nearly 14 million
people in the United States--1 in every 13 adults--abuse alcohol or are
alcoholic. In general, though, more men than women are alcohol dependent
or have alcohol problems. And alcohol problems are highest among young
adults ages 18-29 and lowest among adults ages 65 and older. We also know
that people who start drinking at an early age--for example, at age 14 or
younger--greatly increase the chance that they will develop alcohol
problems at some point in their lives. (See also "News Releases,"
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 a doctor or other health care provider right away. They
can help you determine if a drinking problem exists and plan the best
course of action.
It depends. If that person
has been diagnosed as an alcoholic, the answer is "no." Alcoholics who try
to cut downon drinking rarely succeed. Cutting out
alcohol--that is, abstaining--is usually the best course for recovery.
People who are not alcohol dependent but who have experienced
alcohol-related problems may be able to limit the amount they drink. If
they can't stay within those limits, they need to stop drinking
altogether. (See
This can be a challenge. An alcoholic can't be forced to get help
except under certain circumstances, such as a violent incident that
results in court-ordered treatment or medical emergency. But you don't
have to wait for someone to "hit rock bottom" to act. Many alcoholism
treatment specialists suggest the following steps to help an alcoholic get
treatment:
Stop all "cover ups." Family members often make excuses
to others or try to protect the alcoholic from the results of his or her
drinking. It is important to stop covering for the alcoholic so that he or
she experiences the full consequences of drinking.
Time your intervention. The best time to talk to the
drinker is shortly after an alcohol-related problem has occurred--like a
serious family argument or an accident. Choose a time when he or she is
sober, both of you are fairly calm, and you have a chance to talk in
private.
Be specific. Tell the family member that you are worried
about his or her drinking. Use examples of the ways in which the drinking
has caused problems, including the most recent incident.
State the results. Explain to the drinker what you will
do if he or she doesn't go for help--not to punish the drinker, but to
protect yourself from his or her problems. What you say may range from
refusing to go with the person to any social activity where alcohol will
be served, to moving out of the house. Do not make any threats you are not
prepared to carry out.
Get help. Gather information in advance about treatment
options in your community. If the person is willing to get help, call
immediately for an appointment with a treatment counselor. Offer to go
with the family member on the first visit to a treatment program and/or an
Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
Call on a friend. If the family member still refuses to
get help, ask a friend to talk with him or her using the steps just
described. A friend who is a recovering alcoholic may be particularly
persuasive, but any person who is caring and nonjudgmental may help. The
intervention of more than one person, more than one time, is often
necessary to coax an alcoholic to seek help.
Find strength in numbers. With the help of a health care
professional, some families join with other relatives and friends to
confront an alcoholic as a group. This approach should only be tried under
the guidance of a health care professional who is experienced in this kind
of group intervention.
Get support. 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. (See Question 19 for referral to support groups.)
Center
for Substance Abuse Treatment)
at 1-800-662-HELP for information about treatment programs in your local
community and to speak to someone about an alcohol problem.
For most adults, moderate alcohol use--up to two drinks per day for men
and one drink per day for women and older people--causes few if any
problems. (One drink equals one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler,
one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.)
Certain people should not drink at all, however:
Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant
People who plan to drive or engage in other activities that require
alertness and skill (such as using high-speed machinery)
People taking certain over-the-counter or prescription medications
People with medical conditions that can be made worse by drinking
No, drinking during
pregnancy is dangerous. Alcohol can have a number of harmful effects on
the baby. The baby can be born mentally retarded or with learning and
behavioral problems that last a lifetime. We don't know exactly how much
alcohol is required to cause these problems. We do know, however, that
these alcohol-related birth defects are 100-percent preventable, simply by
not drinking alcohol during pregnancy. The safest course for women who are
pregnant or trying to become pregnant is not to drink alcohol at all. (See
also "Publications"
Alcohol's effects do vary with age. Slower reaction times, problems
with hearing and seeing, and a lower tolerance to alcohol's effects put
older people at higher risk for falls, car crashes, and other types of
injuries that may result from drinking.
Older people also tend to
take more medicines than younger people. Mixing alcohol with
over-the-counter or prescription medications can be very dangerous, even
fatal. More than 150 medications interact harmfully with alcohol. (See
Question 18
for more information.) In addition, alcohol can make many of the medical
conditions common in older people, including high blood pressure and
ulcers, more serious. Physical changes associated with aging can make
older people feel "high" even after drinking only small amounts of
alcohol. So even if there is no medical reason to avoid alcohol, older men
and women should limit themselves to one drink per day. (See also
"Publications/Pamphlets and Brochures"
Age Page: Aging and Alcohol
Abuse and
Alcohol Alert No. 40:
Alcohol and Aging.)
Yes, alcohol affects women
differently than men. Women become more impaired than men do after
drinking the same amount of alcohol, even when differences in body weight
are taken into account. This is because women's bodies have less water
than men's bodies. Because alcohol mixes with body water, a given amount
of alcohol becomes more highly concentrated in a woman's body than in a
man's. In other words, it would be like dropping the same amount of
alcohol into a much smaller pail of water. That is why the recommended
drinking limit for women is lower than for men. (See
In addition, chronic
alcohol abuse takes a heavier physical toll on women than on men. Alcohol
dependence and related medical problems, such as brain, heart, and liver
damage, progress more rapidly in women than in men. (See also
"Publications,"
Studies have shown that moderate drinkers--men who have two or less
drinks per day and women who have one or less drinks per day--are less
likely to die from one form of heart disease than are people who do
not drink any alcohol or who drink more. It's believed that these smaller
amounts of alcohol help protect against heart disease by changing the
blood's chemistry, thus reducing the risk of blood clots in the heart's
arteries.
If you are a nondrinker, however, you should not start drinking solely
to benefit your heart. You can guard against heart disease by exercising
and eating foods that are low in fat. And if you are pregnant, planning to
become pregnant, have been diagnosed as alcoholic, or have another medical
condition that could make alcohol use harmful, you should not drink.
If you can safely drink
alcohol and you choose to drink, do so in moderation. Heavy drinking can
actually increase the risk of heart failure, stroke, and high blood
pressure, as well as cause many other medical problems, such as liver
cirrhosis. (See also "Publications,"
Possibly. More than 150
medications interact harmfully with alcohol. These interactions may result
in increased risk of illness, injury, and even death. Alcohol's effects
are heightened by medicines that depress the central nervous system, such
as sleeping pills, antihistamines, antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs,
and some painkillers. In addition, medicines for certain disorders,
including diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, can have
harmful interactions with alcohol. If you are taking any over-the-counter
or prescription medications, ask your doctor or pharmacist if you can
safely drink alcohol. (See also "Publications,"
There are many national and
local resources that can help. The National Drug and Alcohol Treatment
Referral Routing Service provides a toll-free telephone number,
1-800-662-HELP, offering various resource information. Through this
service you can speak directly to a representative concerning substance
abuse treatment, request printed material on alcohol or other drugs, or
obtain local substance abuse treatment referral information in your State.
See (
Alcoholism Common Questions - Learn how much
alcohol is "too much" to put you over the limit,
alcohol blood tests and breath tests, etc.
Driving While Intoxicated - Driving drunk has
stiff penalties. This example from New Jersey is
just one example of how most states deal with the
offense.
Alcoholism FAQ Sheet - Learn the signs of
alcoholism, effects of alcoholism and how you can
treat it.
Drinking and Driving - Drinking and Driving is
serious and knowing its effects could save your life
or a loved one.
Alcohol Penalties - Penalties for drunk drivers
are increasing rapidly. Even first time alcohol
violations have been increased severely for alcohol
related incidents.
