Alcoholism (Alcohol Use Disorder) is linked to numerous physical and mental health conditions, including liver diseases (cirrhosis), various cancers (mouth, liver, breast, bowel), heart problems (high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy, stroke), and mental illnesses (depression, anxiety), plus brain damage, pancreatitis, digestive issues, and birth defects like Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) in offspring, significantly impacting overall health, safety, and social well-being.
Long-term effects of alcohol misuse
Potential short-term effects of alcohol include hangover and alcohol poisoning, as well as falls and accidents, conflict, lowered inhibitions and risky behaviours. Long-term alcohol consumption contributes to more than 200 different types of diseases and injury.
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) often co-occurs with other mental health disorders, and the conditions may develop simultaneously or in sequence. The prevalence of anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric disorders is much higher among persons with AUD compared to the general population.
Common Mental Health Disorders Among Alcoholics
You should definitely be aware that common mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression, often co-occur with alcoholism.
The single, unifying symptom for all individuals with alcoholism (Alcohol Use Disorder) is the inability to control drinking, often characterized by intense cravings and a compulsion to drink, even when it causes significant harm, with the core issue being a loss of control once drinking begins, leading to continued use despite negative consequences. While physical dependence (withdrawal) and tolerance are common, the fundamental commonality is this internal struggle to stop or moderate, a concept often called the "phenomenon of craving" in recovery literature.
The study found that there are five subtypes of alcoholics:
Excessive alcohol use can lead to:
Similarly, the types of personality disorders, including their combinations, found to be related to alcoholism are very heterogeneous. The most consistent have been: histrionic/dependent, paranoid, dependent/paranoid/ obsessive-compulsive, narcissistic/avoidant, antisocial, borderline, and avoidant/borderline (54).
The 1-2-3 drinking rule is a guideline for moderation: 1 drink per hour, no more than 2 drinks per occasion, and at least 3 alcohol-free days each week, helping to pace consumption and stay within safer limits. It emphasizes pacing alcohol intake with water and food, knowing standard drink sizes (12oz beer, 5oz wine, 1.5oz spirits), and avoiding daily drinking to reduce health risks, though some health guidance suggests even lower limits.
Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) refers to liver damage caused by excess alcohol intake. There are several stages of severity and a range of associated symptoms.
Addiction impairs judgment and rational thought, drastically changing an individual's personality and making it difficult to resist the urge to drink once it begins. Resistance to recovery can stem from fear of the difficulty involved, blaming others for their situation, or a belief that their problem is not severe.
If you do experience early symptoms of ARLD, these are often quite vague, such as:
Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome. Wernicke-Korsakoff (WK) syndrome is a serious brain condition that is usually, but not exclusively, associated with chronic alcohol misuse and severe alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Alcohol-Linked Diseases
Depressive disorders:
Depressive disorders are the most common comorbid mental health conditions with AUD. People with AUD are 2 to 3 times more likely to have depression. People with alcohol dependence are more likely to have a depressive disorder than those with alcohol abuse.
In addition, personality traits have been longitudinally associated with alcohol use. For example, Turiano et al. (5) found that higher neuroticism and extraversion, together with lower conscientiousness and agreeableness, were associated with higher alcohol use in midlife over a 9-year period.
Auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), also known as gut fermentation syndrome, is a very rare disorder. It is characterized by the endogenous production of alcohol. It typically presents with the signs of alcohol intoxication, such as staggering gait, slurred speech, gastrointestinal distress, and state of confusion.
Drinking too much alcohol on a single occasion or over time can cause health problems, including:
Drinking on a daily basis can subtly alter a one's appearance, resulting in changes that go beyond weight fluctuations. Alcoholism can cause dry and dull skin, dilated blood vessels, and a flushed complexion. The liver's stress may cause yellowing of the eyes and skin, indicating probable liver damage.
The problems caused by alcohol misuse are called alcohol related brain impairment (ARBI). A person with ARBI might experience problems with new learning, memory, thinking-related abilities and physical coordination.
The pattern of an alcoholic typically involves a progressive increase in alcohol consumption over time, loss of control over drinking, and negative consequences related to alcohol use. This may include health problems, relationship issues, and financial difficulties.
Your Brain on Alcohol
A family history of alcohol use disorders may increase the risk of a genetic predisposition to developing an alcohol use disorder, with risks heightened for parent-child transmission. Environmental factors also play a role in developing an alcohol use disorder when an individual has a family history of alcohol misuse.