Alcohol use disorder is sub-classified into mild, moderate, and severe categories. Roughly 15 million people in the United States were diagnosed with an AUD in 2018, including 19.2 million men, 5.3 million women, and 401,000 adolescents ages 12–17. The exact mechanism that causes people to misuse alcohol is unclear. AUD refers to what is colloquially known as alcoholism, Overview Answer House which is a term that the DSM-5 no longer uses.

Reach Out To Receive Treatment

One size does not fit all and a treatment approach that may work for one person may not work for another. Treatment can be outpatient and/or inpatient and be provided by specialty programs, therapists, and health care providers. A health care provider might ask the following questions to assess a person’s symptoms. Alcohol use disorder can cause serious and lasting damage to your liver. When you drink too much, your liver has a harder time filtering the alcohol and other toxins from your bloodstream.

Medical Professionals

Alcohol addiction, also known as alcoholism, is a disease that affects people of all walks of life. Experts have tried to pinpoint factors like genetics, sex, race, or socioeconomics that may predispose someone to alcohol addiction. Psychological, genetic, and behavioral factors can all contribute to having the disease. Once an individual commits to stop drinking, the physician will watch out for and treat withdrawal symptoms. Depending on the amount and duration of drinking and any symptoms, detoxification (often simply called “detox”) from alcohol can be done as an outpatient, or as an inpatient in a hospital or drug treatment facility. During the withdrawal process, the doctor may prescribe a class of antianxiety drugs called benzodiazepines for a short period in order to reduce withdrawal symptoms.

• Misunderstanding this distinction leads to incorrect conclusions about a person’s condition, such as assuming a dependency exists when it does not or overlooking other factors influencing alcohol consumption.
• If you suspect that you or someone you love has an alcohol use disorder, your healthcare provider can conduct a formal assessment of your symptoms.
• A 2019 study found that people with substance use disorder in their late adolescence years were four times more likely to develop alcohol use disorder in early adulthood.

How Effective is the CAGE Questionnaire Compared to Full Diagnostic Assessments?

Wernicke-Korsaff syndrome is reversible if treated early and properly. Wernicke encephalopathy is a dangerous condition that can be avoided with proper treatment. It is typical for patients to experience a combination of these symptoms even if they do not experience all of them. These methods of thiamine reduction and the inability to utilize the thiamine present may result from chronic, heavy alcohol use.

• For example, if you’re receiving treatment for a condition related to alcohol use, like cirrhosis of the liver, you should ask your healthcare provider about changes in your body that may be new symptoms.
• If you think you or someone you care about has alcohol use disorder, here are some next steps you can take.
• Experts advise speaking with a healthcare professional to determine the best course of action.
• The test is free, confidential, and no personal information is needed to receive the result.
• There are also other support groups that don’t follow the 12-step model, such as SMART Recovery and Sober Recovery.
• Once an individual commits to stop drinking, the physician will watch out for and treat withdrawal symptoms.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or other 12-step programs can offer that social support. Drinking while pregnant can seriously harm the developing fetus, raising the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome, premature birth, and miscarriage. Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy.