Conditions InDepth: Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

by Amy Scholten, MPH

Alcohol abuse is a disorder characterized by a desire for alcohol and the continuation of drinking even when there are alcohol-related occupational, legal, health, and family problems. Alcohol abuse can progress to alcohol dependence or alcoholism. Alcoholism is a condition in which a person becomes physically dependent on the effects of alcohol and drinks to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Several factors contribute to alcohol abuse and alcoholism, including:

• Genes
• Brain chemicals that may be different than those normally found in the brain
• Social pressure
• Emotional stress
• Pain
• Depression and other mental health problems
• Problem drinking behaviors learned from family and friends

It is estimated that nearly 17.6 million people in the United States abuse alcohol or are considered to be alcoholics. More men than women are alcohol dependent or have alcohol problems. Alcohol problems are highest among young adults, age 18 to 29, and lowest among adults age 65 and older.

Risks Associated With Alcoholism

Alcoholism can increase your risk of the following:

• Accidents and injury, including motor vehicle accidents and falls
• Violence, murder, and suicide
• Domestic violence
• Family dysfunction
• Failed relationships
• Lost jobs
• Problems with the law, including drunk driving
• Depression
• Drug interactions
• Certain cancers, especially cancer of the liver, esophagus, throat, larynx, and pancreas
• Pancreatitis
• Diabetes
• Hepatitis
• Gastrointestinal problems (eg, bleeding, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, ulcers, and inflammation of the esophagus)
• Nerve damage
• Sexual disorders, including impotence
• Reproductive problems
• Postoperative complications (eg, infections, bleeding, and delayed healing)
• Other addictions
• Neurological problems and brain damage (in long-term use)
• Liver damage, including cirrhosis
• Heart and circulatory problems
• High blood pressure
• Pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome
• Osteoporosis
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Hormonal problems in both sexes
• Fetal alcohol syndrome (in the babies of women who drank during their pregnancy)
• Malnutrition
• Disorders of the immune system and increased risk of infection

REFERENCES:

Alcoholism. National Library of Medicine website. Available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alcoholism.html.

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. Text Revision. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2000.

Carson RC, Butcher JN, Mineka S. Abnormal Psychology and Modern Life. 11th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon; 2000.

Grant BF, Dawson DA, Stinson FS, Chou SP, Dufour MC, Pickering RP. The 12-month prevalence and trends in DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence, United States, 1991-1992 and 2001-2002. Drug Alcohol Dependence. 2004;74:223-234. National Institute on Alcohol Ause and Alcoholism website. Available at: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh29-2/79-93.htm. Accessed April 15, 2007.

3/5/2010 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php: Tramacere I, Scotti L, Jenab M, et al. Alcohol drinking and pancreatic cancer risk: a meta-analysis of the dose-risk relation. Int J Cancer. 2010;126(6):1474-1486.

 

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Last reviewed August 2010 by Ryan Estevez, MD, PhD, MPH
Last Updated: 8/23/2010