Alcoholism or Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a serious medical condition in individuals that is characterised by the chronic alcohol drinking habit. Individuals with this condition display high alcohol tolerance and an inability to quit drinking. This can further reflect in their lifestyle and personality with increased irritability, avoidance of responsibilities in work, family, and social life, lack of accountability, and increased relationship conflicts.
Alcohol Use Disorder affects not only the individual but also the people around them, especially their family. Many individuals experience the realization that they are addicted to alcohol, but either fail to admit it or to move further from just the realization. In the U.S. itself, roughly around 27.9 million people aged 12 and above suffer from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).
Many families suffer and shatter due to the chronic alcohol drinking habit of a family member. If you are curious whether your loved one is also addicted to alcohol, here is your checklist to confirm it. In this article, you will learn what Alcohol Use Disorder is, why it occurs, and what the signs are that you need to look out for. Let’s dive in.
What is Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)?
As per the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is defined as the inability of an individual to stop consuming alcohol even when it is inflicting severe damage on the person’s life.
This is not just a lack of self-control but rather a brain disorder, where the person’s physical and mental health falls at risk and even leads to death.
When people consume alcohol (ethanol), it directly affects their central nervous system (CNS). Alcohol, when reached in the blood stream, it will slow down or depress the actions of the CNS. But after prolonged consumption, the CNS gets used to this situation, where it works harder to overcome the slowing down.
A person’s increased alcohol tolerance signals an overexcited CNS that works tirelessly to balance the body and keep it functioning while alcohol tries to slow it down. But when the alcohol content in the person’s bloodstream suddenly reduces or becomes absent, the CNS will be unable to switch back to its normal pace.
With no depressant to counterbalance the overexcited CNS, the body will show dysregulation, known as alcohol withdrawal symptoms. They appear in the form of headache, nausea, shaking, insomnia, high blood pressure, increased heart rate, etc. In severe cases, the person can even experience hallucinations, seizures, and delirium, which can be life-threatening.
Signs of Alcohol Dependence
If you suspect that your loved one or a person you know is affected by Alcohol Use Disorder, then it is important to make sure about it first, if you want to offer help. To know whether they are suffering from Alcohol Use Disorder, there are several warning signs they will display that you can look out for. They include:
Alcohol for Stress Relief: Many people start drinking and slowly make it a habit to escape from stress. Many of these reasons can be trivial, yet they might find it a great excuse to have a drink. A person with AUD will resort to alcohol the moment they fall into an uncomfortable or stressful situation. By making it a habit, they often try to run away from daily life situations and find alcohol as their rescue.
Social Drinking: For an alcohol abuser, social drinking can become something they cannot avoid. While they try not to miss any social events that involve drinking, they might also get irritated and avoid any events that do not involve drinking. They might even find family and commitments irrelevant compared to the opportunity for a drink during celebrations.
Increased Alcohol Tolerance: People with AUD show high tolerance to alcohol, which often leads them to consume more. While the people around them pass out after having a small amount of alcohol, they will enjoy multiple drinks without getting drunk. Often in the drinking circles, this high tolerance will be praised without realizing the actual reason.
Defensive Nature: Most people with AUD tend to defend when they are asked about their alcoholism. When their family or close friends bring up their drinking habit, they feel overwhelmed and get highly defensive about it. They might also bring various excuses to trivialize the consequences of their drinking and even get aggressive.
Personality Change: As a depressing agent, alcohol can also suppress a person’s fear. That is why many individuals act entirely differently under the influence of alcohol. Meanwhile, a person with AUD might even show up with a different personality. An introvert and soft-spoken individual can become more outgoing, while an aggressive person can get violent and attack their loved ones.
Acting Impulsively: Since the fear factor is almost absent under the influence of alcohol, persons with AUD often make impulsive decisions. They act without considering the consequences and make risky choices. This can lead to a fight in the bar, a violent act to hurt someone or themselves, or a dangerous or adventurous act that they normally would avoid.
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms: These include a range of symptoms that often appear when they suddenly stop drinking or reduce their usual amount. Although at the initial stage, it can appear as insomnia, nausea, headache, anxiety, etc., in the later stages, it can develop into hallucinations, seizures, and even lead to the highly critical delirium temens, which demands immediate medical help.
Bottom Line
Alcohol dependence does not appear the same for every person. While some individuals drink daily, some individuals opt for binge drinking. Daily drinkers often drink a few amounts everyday and can display withdrawal symptoms when they skip the daily dose at their usual time. Meanwhile, those who binge drink might often have periods with no alcohol at all, but they often end up consuming a huge amount in a row when they drink.
AUD affects and appears in different people differently. Many people who have developed AUD show reluctance to get treated. Their highly defensive nature and other personality changes can make it extremely difficult for their loved ones. However, with timely intervention, proper care, and supporting environment, many individuals have come back to their lives.
FAQ
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is an inability to quit alcohol consumption found in individuals who are prolonged consumers of alcohol, even when their life is at risk.
Yes. Drinking alcohol will directly affect the person’s central nervous system (CNS) by slowing down body functions. Habitual drinking leads the CNS to develop the habit of working excessively to overcome the conditions and keep the body functioning, turning it into a brain disorder.
Alcohol withdrawal involves a range of symptoms from mild to severe that appear when a person with habitual alcohol consumption stops drinking or reduces the usual amount.
Yes. A person with a family history of alcohol abuse can develop a drinking habit and high alcohol tolerance, which later turns into alcohol use disorder.
