Alcohol Dependence: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

People with hazardous or harmful alcohol use are at higher risk of developing an alcohol-use disorder, but do not have to develop a diagnosable disorder to suffer harm. For people who have alcohol use disorder, stopping their drinking is an important first step. This process, however, can bring about the unpleasant https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/how-addictive-is-oxycontin/ and potentially serious symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

Alcohol addicts suffer from neurological, gastrointestinal, liver, cardiac, and skin conditions, among others. The deterioration is both structural and functional, and it can lead to chemical imbalances and cognitive issues. Alcohol also increases the risk of several types of cancer—mouth, throat, and liver cancer are the most common, but it has also been linked to breast cancer.

Treatment Options for Alcohol Dependence

Heavy drinking in this population is five or more drinks in one day or 15 or more drinks in a week. Heavy drinking in this population is four or more drinks a day or eight drinks a week. Those with mild to moderate symptoms may receive treatment in an outpatient setting. You should ask a loved one to stay with you during this process, and you may need to visit a clinician for daily monitoring. Research has shown that the terminology used does, in fact, influence how people with a substance use disorder view themselves as well as how others view them.

After-Hours Support for Real-Life Schedules

Understanding the distinction between alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse is essential. While both are forms of alcohol use disorder, they differ in severity and impact. Our rehabilitation programmes consist of the latest in proven alcohol addiction treatments; all are delivered by qualified professionals within a safe and secure inpatient rehab setting.

• It is a small molecule that is rapidly absorbed in the gut and is distributed to, and has effects in, every part of the body.
• In this situation it can be dangerous to stop drinking completely or too quickly without medical support.
• From a clinical perspective, a diagnosis of alcohol dependency is given when an individual requires alcohol to function.

Healthdirect Free Australian health advice you can count on.

Other ways to get help include talking with a mental health professional or seeking help from a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar type of self-help group. The first category of costs is that of treating the medical consequences of alcohol misuse and treating alcohol misuse. The second category of health-related costs includes losses in productivity by workers who misuse alcohol. The third category of health-related costs is the loss to society because of premature deaths due to alcohol misuse. There is a high prevalence of alcohol misuse (as well as mental and physical health, and social problems) amongst people who are homeless. The prevalence of alcohol-use disorders in this population has been reported to be between 38 and 50% in the UK (Gill et al., 1996; Harrison & Luck, 1997).

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 syndrome is a clinical diagnosis that relies heavily on the history and physical, which is also used to gauge disease severity. With the right support and motivation, many people can stop drinking or cut down to a lower-risk level of alcohol consumption. But remember, if you’re alcohol dependent, you should get medical advice before stopping completely, so you can do it safely. If you feel that you sometimes drink too much alcohol, or your drinking is causing problems, or if your family is concerned about your drinking, talk with your health care provider.

• However, ‘alcohol dependence’ and ‘harmful alcohol use’ are used throughout this guideline to be consistent with WHO’s International Classification of Mental Disorders, 10th Revision (WHO, 1992).
• Specific guidance applying to special populations will be referred to in the appropriate section in subsequent chapters.
• Genetics play a significant role, with heritability estimates suggesting that 50-60% of the risk is inherited.
• The largest and longest established such organisation is Alcoholics Anonymous.
• A common example of withdrawal is feeling a headache slowly develop when you forgo your morning coffee.

A UK study found 26% of community mental health team patients were hazardous or harmful drinkers and 9% were alcohol dependent (Weaver et al., 2003). In the same study examining patients attending specialist alcohol treatment services, overall 85% had a psychiatric disorder in addition to alcohol dependence. Eighty-one per cent had an affective and/or anxiety disorder (severe depression, 34%; mild depression, 47%; anxiety, 32%), 53% had a personality disorder and 19% had a psychotic disorder.

• Whilst undergoing detox, if carried out within one of our CQC-registered alcohol detox clinics, you will be medically monitored continuously and provided with therapeutic support.
• Treatments should be driven by a patient’s alcohol-related goals and the evidence behind them.
• You could speak to a health professional at your GP surgery, or there are also a number of national alcohol support services that you can confidentially self-refer to for advice and support.

While drinking and alcohol-use disorders are relatively rare under the age of 10 years, the prevalence increases steeply from the teens to peak in the early 20s. The UK has Drug rehabilitation the highest rate of underage drinking in Western Europe (Hibell et al., 2009). This is of particular concern because alcohol presents particularly serious consequences in young people due to a higher level of vulnerability to the adverse effects of alcohol.

Alcohol also contributes to unsafe sex and unplanned pregnancy, financial problems and homelessness. In more common language and in earlier disease-classification systems this has been referred to as ‘alcoholism’. However, the term ‘alcohol dependence’ is preferred because it is more precise, and more reliably defined and measured using the criteria of ICD–10 (Text Box 1).

In addition, 21% of adult men and 14% of women met the government’s criteria for binge drinking. Hazardous drinking among men varied from 24% in the West Midlands to 32% in Yorkshire and Humber, and in women from 15% in the East of England to 25% in the North East. Harmful drinking in men varied from 5% in the East Midlands to 11% in Yorkshire and Humber, and in women from 2% in the East of England to 7% in Yorkshire and Humber.

4.1. Family history

Patients with complex psychological issues related to trauma, sexual abuse or bereavement will require specific interventions delivered by appropriately trained personnel (Raistrick et al., 2006). Alcohol is rapidly absorbed in the gut and reaches the brain soon after drinking. This quickly leads to changes in coordination that increase the risk of accidents and injuries, particularly when driving a vehicle or operating machinery, and when combined with other sedative drugs (for example, benzodiazepines).