Alcohol Use Disorder: What It Is, Symptoms & Treatment

Characterized by liquor usage that leads to significant personal and relational stresses, alcohol use disorder is a chronic condition that’s dangerous when left untreated. If you think you may have alcohol use disorder, you’re not alone. Realizing you may have an issue is the first step toward getting better, so don’t hesitate to talk to a healthcare provider.

• Drinking while pregnant can seriously harm the developing fetus, raising the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome, premature birth, and miscarriage.
• You may not recognize how much you drink or understand the connection between alcohol use and the problems in your life.
• In most cases, people with alcoholism require intensive medical care and mental health support to quit drinking safely.
• Studies show that people who drink early in life (before 15 years old) have a higher risk of developing long-term alcohol abuse and addiction.

Treatment for alcohol misuse

This disorder also involves having to drink more to get the same effect or having withdrawal symptoms when you rapidly decrease or stop drinking. Alcohol use disorder includes a level of drinking that’s sometimes called alcoholism. Several evidence-based treatment approaches are available for AUD. One size does not fit all and a treatment approach that may work for one person may not work for another. Treatment https://www.reviews.ac/prescription-drug-abuse-addiction-types-and/ can be outpatient and/or inpatient and be provided by specialty programs, therapists, and health care providers. If you’re considering quitting alcohol, there are many benefits to consulting your healthcare professional about how to do so safely.

• The diagnosis of AUD is established using the criteria in the DSM-V.
• The fact that not every person who drinks alcohol will necessarily experience a loss of control and progression to addiction indicates that AUD is not solely driven by exposure to alcohol.
• Alcohol use disorder (sometimes called alcoholism) is a medical condition.
• Alcohol use disorder involves difficulty with stopping or managing alcohol use, even when it affects your daily life.
• Common mental health conditions that co-occur with AUD are depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma- and stress-related disorders, other substance use disorders, and sleep disorders.

Pearls and Other Issues

Contact the First Step Behavioral Health specialists to learn more about diagnosing AUD or to explore your treatment options. Tolerance occurs when the body adjusts to a certain amount of alcohol. People with alcohol tolerance may need Twelve-step program to drink more to get “buzzed.” Or, people may be able to drink a lot without appearing intoxicated. Kate Hanselman is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC). She specializes in family conflict, transgender issues, grief, sexual orientation issues, trauma, PTSD, anxiety, behavioral issues, and women’s issues.

The Stages of Alcoholism

Among the surest signs of alcoholism is the toll on your physical and mental health. Physical health issues related to alcoholism can include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and damage to the brain, nervous system, pancreas, heart, and liver. Alcoholism is referred to as alcohol use disorder (AUD) in clinical settings and is a complex and often misunderstood condition that affects physical and mental health.

People who begin drinking before turning 15 have higher chances of developing alcohol use disorder as adults. Alcohol abuse refers to a What is alcohol use disorder pattern of drinking alcohol that does not stop despite negative results. According to the DSM-IV, alcohol abuse was diagnosed when one or more of the following criteria were met in a 12-month period.