Alcoholism, more appropriately referred to as alcohol use disorder
(AUD), is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in mental
and/or physical health problems ranging anywhere from mild and
imperceptible without special testing to severe and grossly overt. The
disorder was previously divided into two types: alcohol abuse and
alcohol dependence. In a medical context, alcoholism is said to exist
when two or more of the following conditions are present: a person
drinks large amounts of alcohol over a long time period, has
difficulty cutting down, acquiring and drinking alcohol takes up a
great deal of time, alcohol is strongly desired, usage results in not
fulfilling responsibilities, usage results in social problems, usage
results in health problems, usage results in risky situations,
withdrawal occurs when stopping, and alcohol tolerance has occurred
with use. Alcohol use can affect all parts of the body, but it
particularly affects the brain, heart, liver, pancreas and immune
system. Alcoholism can result in mental illness, delirium tremens,
Wernickeâ€"Korsakoff syndrome, irregular heartbeat, an impaired immune
response, liver cirrhosis and increased cancer risk. Drinking during
pregnancy can result in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Women are
generally more sensitive than men to the harmful effects of alcohol,
primarily due to their smaller body weight, lower capacity to
metabolize alcohol, and higher proportion of body fat. In a small
number of individuals, prolonged, severe alcohol abuse ultimately
leads to frank dementia.Environmental factors and genetics are two
factors affecting risk for alcoholism, with about half the risk
attributed to each. Someone with a parent or sibling with alcoholism
is three to four times more likely to become an alcoholic themselves,
but only a minority of them do. Environmental factors include social,
cultural and behavioral influences. High stress levels and anxiety, as
well as alcohol's inexpensive cost and easy accessibility, increase
the risk. People may continue to drink partly to prevent or improve
symptoms of withdrawal. After a person stops drinking alcohol, they
may experience a low level of withdrawal lasting for months.
Medically, alcoholism is considered both a physical and mental
illness. Questionnaires are usually used to detect possible
alcoholism. Further information is then collected to confirm the
diagnosis. Alcoholism Biography, NetWorth, Height, Age, Weight, Family, Married, Son, Daughter