Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol Addiction is a physiological dependence on alcohol, which is indicated by evidence of tolerance or symptoms of withdrawal. Because withdrawal from alcohol can be unpleasant and intense, individuals with alcohol addiction may continue to consume alcohol, despite adverse consequences, to avoid or relieve withdrawal symptoms. Once a pattern of compulsive use develops, individuals may devote substantial periods of time to obtaining and consuming alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is often used in larger amounts than was intended. These individuals often continue to use alcohol despite evidence of adverse psychological or physical consequences, such as depression, blackouts, or liver disease.

The consumption of alcohol greatly intensifies the effects of other drugs in the body, often creating a medical crisis. Alcohol addiction can lead to many medical complications, including injuries, gastritis, stomach or duodenal ulcers, liver cirrhosis, and pancreatitis. Heavy alcohol users experience an increased rate of cancer of the esophagus, stomach, and other parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Alcohol addiction also commonly leads to low-grade hypertension and an elevated risk of heart disease.

Alcohol addiction has a variable course that is frequently characterized by periods of remission and relapse. A decision to stop drinking, often in response to a crisis, is likely to be followed by weeks or more of abstinence, which is often followed by limited periods of controlled or non-problematic drinking. However, once alcohol intake resumes, it is highly likely that consumption will rapidly escalate and that severe problems will once again develop.

Alcohol addiction often has a familial pattern, and at least some of the transmission can be traced to genetic factors. The risk for alcohol addiction is three to four times higher in close relatives of people with alcohol addiction.* Family members and significant others are severely affected and hurt by alcohol addiction.

Almost half of Americans aged 12 and older (46.6 percent) reported being current drinkers of alcohol in a 2000 survey. This translates to an estimated 104 million people. Heavy drinking was reported by 5.6 percent of the population aged 12 and older, or 12.6 million people. Binge and heavy use rates for college students were 41.4 percent. Past month alcohol use was reported by 62.0 percent of full-time college students. One in ten Americans aged 12 and older in 2000 had driven under the influence of alcohol at least once in the prior 12 months.**

Signs and symptoms of alcohol addiction: