Alcohol abuse effects include on-the-job accidents, recreational accidents, and Cirrhosis of the liver. Alcohol abuse are even connected with certain cancers.
Alcohol intoxication is considered to be associated with about 50 percent of the nation's traffic fatalities, and is directly related to many cases of suicide and crimes, including homicides and rapes every year.
Alcohol misuse also commonly leads to significant family and job problems. These misuse behaviors costs society billions of dollars each year.
Alcohol Misuse Disorder
The pattern and characteristics of alcohol consumption dictate which type of alcohol misuse disorder is present, as there are two categories/
- Alcohol abuse
- Alcohol dependence (alcoholism)
What is Alcohol Abuse?
The definition of alcohol abuse is a pattern of drinking that is accompanied by one or more of the following situations within a 12-month period:
- Failure to fulfill major work, school, or home responsibilities.
- Drinking in situations that are physically dangerous, such as while driving a car or operating machinery.
- Recurring alcohol-related legal problems, such as being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or for physically hurting someone while intoxicated.
- Continued drinking, despite having ongoing problems, such as family, work or legal, that are caused or worsened by the effects of alcohol.
- Excessive drinking to the point of impairment of judgment, vomiting, lethargy and “hangovers”.
- The individual who abuses alcohol may feel guilty, remorseful and/or angry about drinking, as well as become irritable, violent or moody.
Alcohol Dependence
As an individual continues to abuse alcohol, drug dependence may develop. However, some people may continue to abuse alcohol for years, without ever becoming dependent. Alcohol dependence is a progressive disease, taking an estimated 5 years of alcohol abuse to develop.
Moderate drinking is generally defined as daily consumption of up to two drinks for young and middle-aged adult men; one for women and elderly persons. A standard drink is considered a 12-ounce beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.
Those who become alcohol dependent suffer all the symptoms of abuse, with several key additions, including cravings, tolerance, and physical dependence. Alcohol dependents crave alcohol and are physically dependent on it, having a strong need or compulsion to drink, regardless of the time of day. The dangers of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence can lead to premature and preventable illnesses, disability and death.
Alcohol Abuse Facts on Dependence
Alcohol becomes a basic need and the more alcohol consumed, the higher the tolerance for alcohol becomes. It is not unusual for an alcohol dependent individual to have withdrawal symptoms when alcohol use is abruptly stopped. The person may experience nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, as well as in severe cases, DT’s (delirium tremens). Withdrawal symptoms are usually relieved by drinking alcohol, which perpetuates the cycle. A person with alcohol dependence may also display any or all of the following characteristics:- A need to drink frequently to “get through the day”
- An inability to stop drinking or cut down.
- Can’t control how much they drink, even though they recognize they drink “too much”
- Drinks alone, makes excuses to drink, lies about drinking or hides it
- Spends much of their time getting and drinking alcohol and recovering from its effects
- Neglects personal appearance
- Has memory blackouts
- Experiences abdominal cramps, nausea
- Drinks to combat shaky and/or dizzy feelings the morning after drinking
- Has facial redness or spidery veins on the face, especially the nose
- Losses appetite or has a poor diet
Alcohol Abuse in Marriage
A spouse's drinking problem affects the entire family. Imagine a worry free life where...
- You no longer lay awake waiting for your spouse to come home.
- You spend time laughing with new friends.
- You are able to concentrate and be productive at work again.
- You enjoy time with your kids.
- You take up a new hobby.
- Maybe you will even travel...
Alcohol Abuse in Teenagers
Alcohol use occurs in adolescents as young as 12 years old, despite the fact that the legal age or drinking in all 50 states is age 21. Adolescents who begin drinking before the age of 15 are believed to be four times more likely to have alcohol elated problems in adulthood. By their senior year of high school most adolescents have used alcohol and been drunk at least once.
The highest incidence of alcohol abuse among all age-groups occurs in young adults, 21-34 years old. Alcohol abuse in adolescence and young adulthood is commonly motivated by the need to feel accepted and belong, as well as to leave behind inhibitions and shyness. Getting intoxicated - “wasted”, “mangled”, is a prime goal of drinking for many teens and college students. Keg parties, doing shots and playing drinking games, are examples of common drinking practices in these age-groups. Binge drinking and weekend drinking are common among both young adults and adolescents.
Each year thousands of teens and young adults across the nation die from alcohol poisoning, aspiration of vomitus or alcohol-induced accidents. In pregnant women, alcohol consumption has harmful effects on the development of the fetus' brain and other parts of its central nervous system, an effect known as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation in children, yet over 8,000 American babies are born with FAS each year.
Alcohol Abuse in Middle Adults
Alcohol misuse in middle adulthood may be a carryover from adolescence or early adulthood drinking patterns, or it may first develop during this period. Alcohol is a prime way many adults cope with stress, including financial, personal or work-related problems. Drinking may be an effort to escape reality, to “kill the pain” or cope with a situational crisis. Adults are also likely to consume alcohol to “unwind” after work.
Alcohol Abuse in Aging Adults
Alcohol misuse is less common in the elderly than in younger persons. The rate for alcohol abuse and dependence in the older population is under 10 percent, with the majority of the cases being a carryover from alcohol misuse in middle adulthood. However, a greater percentage of elderly persons are likely suffering from alcohol related health problems from misuse in earlier years. It is common for many elders to have a “nightcap” before going to bed and/or cocktails before dinner.
Relatively small amounts of alcohol can have more prolonged and severe effects on older individuals. This is due in part to decreased hepatic metabolism with aging, which may lead to higher blood levels in older persons after similar alcohol intake. The aging brain is also more sensitive to the effects of alcohol, so that at the same alcohol blood level, an older person is more likely than a younger person to become intoxicated.
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