Like depression and other mental illnesses, addiction is a very real medical disorder that is rooted in brain changes. Alcohol addiction is a complex disease with psychological, biological and social components, and like other chronic illnesses, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission.
In 1980, the third edition of the Manual, DSM-3, identified alcoholism as a subset of a mental health disorder. The current edition, DSM-5, classifies alcoholism, now referred to as Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) or Substance Use Disorder (SUD), as a mental disorder presenting both physical and mental symptoms.
Axis I disorders commonly associated with alcoholism include bipolar disorder, certain anxiety disorders (e.g., social phobia, panic disorder, and post–traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]), schizophrenia, and major depression (Helzer and Przybeck 1988; Kessler et al.
Considered a brain disorder, AUD can be mild, moderate, or severe. Lasting changes in the brain caused by alcohol misuse perpetuate AUD and make individuals vulnerable to relapse.
Generally, people drink to either increase positive emotions or decrease negative ones. This results in all drinking motives falling into one of four categories: enhancement (because it's exciting), coping (to forget about my worries), social (to celebrate), and conformity (to fit in).
Research has found that the occurrence of personality disorders in those diagnosed with alcohol disorders rangesfrom as low as 22–40 percent to as high as 58–78 percent.
Can alcohol cause depression or vice versa? Research has shown that there seems to be a bidirectional relationship between alcohol use disorder (AUD) and depressive disorders. Both disorders can exist together, each disorder increases the risk for the other disorder, and each disorder can worsen the other.
Alcohol can make some people more emotional than usual, causing them to cry more easily. However, for some, alcohol can cause anger and aggression, which can become a real problem.
It describes a strong, often uncontrollable, desire to drink. Although it isn't a term that is used anymore as part of medical care, some people who are recovering from dependence still use the term 'alcoholic' to describe themselves. Alcoholism is also known as alcohol addiction, alcohol misuse or alcohol dependence.
Alcohol interferes with the brain's communication pathways and can affect the way the brain looks and works. Alcohol makes it harder for the brain areas controlling balance, memory, speech, and judgment to do their jobs, resulting in a higher likelihood of injuries and other negative outcomes.
Generally, alcoholics seem to have the same kinds of personalities as everybody else, except more so. The first is a low frustration tolerance. Alcoholics seem to experience more distress when enduring long-term dysphoria or when tiresome things do not work out quickly. Alcoholics are more impulsive than most.
Alcohol contains empty calories, filling the stomach without providing the nutritional value usually obtained from food [9]. An alcoholic's sense of taste and smell is dulled due to loss of zinc through excessive urination, further suppressing hunger [10].
“Heavy drinkers report a lot of pleasure from a drink of alcohol. That's why we think drug treatment could be effective – if we can block that high, eventually they'll learn that drink isn't worth it anymore,” said Mitchell.
Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems including: High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems.
Suggest activities that don't include drinking alcohol. Point the person toward helpful resources and tools, such as those found at Rethinking Drinking. Encourage counseling or attending a group meeting. Offer to drive the person to and from these meetings.
Among alcoholic subjects the COGA study found an increased prevalence of depressive syndrome (i.e., depression that may or may not occur in conjunction with increased drinking). This combination of alcoholism and depression tends to run in families.
There are many mental health conditions that can co-occur with alcohol abuse. Some of the most common conditions include depression, bipolar disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Each mental illness affects alcoholism in a different way, depending on the longevity and severity of the disorder.
People who are seeking addiction treatment often describe themselves as nonconformists. They consider themselves as fundamentally different from their peers due to their interests, values, and goals.
Most people who drink excessively are not alcohol dependent | CDC Online Newsroom | CDC.
And not everyone who develops a drinking problem is an alcoholic. In fact, there are plenty of healthy adults who drink every day without ever developing an addiction to alcohol. This is one of the reasons why managing alcohol consumption is a very different process than managing drug use.