People with this condition can’t stop drinking, even if their alcohol use upends their lives and the lives of those around them. While people with this condition may start drinking again, studies show that with treatment, most people are able to reduce how much they drink or stop drinking entirely. Other names for AUD include alcohol misuse, alcohol dependence, alcohol addiction, and alcoholism. Risk factors for developing AUD include a family history of alcohol misuse, mental health conditions, and starting sober house alcohol use at a young age. Although there are many risks to drinking alcohol, there also may be some benefits of moderate drinking. That means no more than two drinks a day for men and no more than one drink a day for women.

Treating alcohol use disorder

Before we dive too deeply into the repercussions of Alcohol Use Disorder, how to tell if you or someone you love might be experiencing alcohol abuse, and what types of help are available, let’s clarify definitions. People should also note that those with AUD may already be dehydrated, and further dehydration due to exercise may place people at an increased risk of seizures. Alcohol intoxication causes slowed speech and reflexes, difficulty in concentration and memory, and poor decision-making. The process creates what’s known as oxidative stress, or an imbalance between different types of molecules that results in inflammation. 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.

Ann is a psychotherapist making an impact at the intersection of mental health and Web3. After over 15 years of developing expertise and leading strong clinical teams in the mental health field, she pivoted to apply her deep knowledge of mental health in the tech industry. Each person’s journey to recovery is unique, and the most effective approach may vary from individual to individual. Most people require a blend of the above-mentioned options to create lasting change. Making significant life changes, such as cutting down on or stopping drinking, takes time and courage.

Researchers are still learning about exactly how alcohol affects hormones, according to the recent Surgeon General report. Plenty of factors influence how damaging acetaldehyde is to the body, Wakeman says. The most obvious is the amount of alcohol consumed; a heavy drinker will be exposed to more acetaldehyde than a light drinker, leading to more damage.

Symptoms of alcohol use disorder

Chronic excessive alcohol consumption can negatively affect virtually every organ system. Both men and women are more likely to develop alcoholism if they have a childhood history of being physically or sexually abused. Children and teens who have their first drink of alcohol between years of age are more at risk for developing drinking alcohol problems than those who do so when either younger or older. When healthcare providers screen for this condition, they look at drinking behavior patterns within the last year to determine a diagnosis. They use a set of 11 criteria established by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) to assess alcohol use severity. For most people who have an alcohol use disorder, the first alcohol-related life problems usually appear in the mid-20s to early 40s.

What Are the Symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder?

Mindfulness techniques such as yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, and visualization may be useful to some people for focusing their thoughts away from drinking. As with any chronic condition, proper nutrition is an important component of any recovery plan, but so is physical activity. Alcohol misuse can adversely affect a person’s health, quality of life, and relationships. By contrast, another 2023 study found similar rates of death between nondrinkers and light to moderate drinkers. Speak to a compassionate admissions navigator, learn more, and begin treatment today.

what is alcohol abuse

Prognosis of Alcohol Use Disorder

A blood alcohol test measures the level of Alcohol in your blood. A blood alcohol concentration (BAC) greater than 0.08% is an indicator of intoxication, it means that you have 0.08 g of alcohol for every 100 ml of blood in your body. All states in the United States have adopted 0.08% as the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle for drivers aged 21 years or older (except for Utah, which adopted a 0.05% legal limit in 2018). Drinking in pregnancy can lead to long-term harm to the baby, and the risk increases the more you drink.

Medications

Newer analyses show that no level of alcohol consumption is considered to be safe or beneficial. The World Health Organization in 2023 published a statement in The Lancet Public Health stating that when it comes to alcohol consumption, there is no safe amount that does not affect health. One frequently asked question about alcoholism is if it is hereditary. As with most other mental disorders, alcohol addiction has no one single cause and is not directly passed from one generation to another in families. Rather, it is the result of a complex group of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration to 0.08%—or 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter—or higher. If you think you need help with alcohol use, talk to your doctor. They can assess whether you have a risky drinking pattern, evaluate your overall health, help create a treatment plan, and refer you to programs or other healthcare providers if necessary. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08%—or 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter—or more. This typically happens if a woman has four or more drinks, or a man has five or more drinks, within about two hours. Once an individual commits to stop drinking, the physician will watch out for and treat withdrawal symptoms.

What differentiates alcohol abuse from alcoholism?

It affects 12.1% of males 12 and older and 9.1% of females in the same age group. It is important to understand that while not everyone who abuses alcohol goes on to become an alcoholic, alcohol abuse is one of the biggest risk factors to becoming an alcoholic. Treatment used to be limited to self-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (established in https://northiowatoday.com/2025/01/27/sober-house-rules-what-you-should-know-before-moving-in/ 1935). Now there are a variety of evidence-based treatments, including psychotherapy and medication, to treat alcohol use disorders. The limits are different for women and men because of known differences in how alcohol is absorbed, distributed and eliminated from the body. Thus, the risk goes up for men who drink more than four standard drinks in a day (or more than 14 in a week); for women, there is a lower limit of three drinks in a day (and seven drinks in a week).

The DSM is a guide that describes and classifies mental disorders, published and updated regularly by the American Psychiatric Association and used as a tool by medical professionals. The more familiar term “alcoholism” may be used to describe a severe form of AUD, but physicians, researchers, and others in the medical community tend not to use the word. Five stages of alcohol and substance abuse disorders have been identified.

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