alcoholism
Sign in to saveAlcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic alcohol use has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated there were 283 million people with alcohol use disorders worldwide . The term alcoholism was first coined in 1852, but alcoholism and alcoholic are considered stigmatizing and likely to discourage seeking treatment, so diagnostic terms such as alcohol use disorder and alcohol dependence are often used instead in a clinical context.
AI overview
Alcoholism is a condition where a person continues to drink alcohol even though it causes serious problems in their life, and it often involves physical dependence on alcohol. It affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, though modern medical professionals tend to use less stigmatizing terms like "alcohol use disorder" to encourage people to seek help.
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Key facts
- Medical condition (new).name
- Alcoholism
- Medical condition (new).synonyms
- Alcohol addiction, alcohol dependence syndrome, alcohol use disorder (AUD)
- Medical condition (new).image
- A wife asking her drunkard husband to hand over a bottle Wellcome L0067935.jpg
- Medical condition (new).caption
- A French temperance organisation poster depicting the effects of alcoholism in a family, : "Ah! When will we be rid of alcohol?"
- Medical condition (new).field
- Psychiatry, clinical psychology, toxicology, addiction medicine
- Medical condition (new).symptoms
- Drinking large amounts of alcohol over a long period, difficulty cutting down, acquiring and drinking alcohol taking up a lot of time, usage resulting in problems, withdrawal occurring when stopping
- Medical condition (new).complications
- Mental illness, delirium, Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome, irregular heartbeat, cirrhosis of the liver, cancer, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, suicide
- Medical condition (new).duration
- Long term
- Medical condition (new).causes
- Environmental and genetic factors
Article
44 sectionsContents
- Signs and symptoms
- Long-term misuse
- Warning signs
- Physical
- Short-term effects
- Long-term effects
- Psychiatric
- Social effects
- Alcohol withdrawal
- Causes
- Availability
- Gender difference
- Genetic variation
- DNA damage
- Diagnosis
- Definition
- Alcoholism
- DSM and ICD
- Social barriers
- Screening
- Urine and blood tests
- Prevention
- Management
- Cessation of alcohol intake
- Psychological
- Moderate drinking
- Medications
- Research
- Dual addictions and dependencies
- Epidemiology
- Prognosis
- History
- Evolution
- Overview
- Fermented fruit consumption
- Ancestral ethanol consumption
- Hormetic effect
- Humans frugivory
- Modern alcoholism
- Society and culture
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic alcohol use has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated there were 283 million people with alcohol use disorders worldwide . The term alcoholism was first coined in 1852, but alcoholism and alcoholic are considered stigmatizing and likely to discourage seeking treatment, so diagnostic terms such as alcohol use disorder and alcohol dependence are often used instead in a clinical context. Other terms, some slurs and some informal, have been used to refer to people affected by alcoholism such as tippler, sot, drunk, drunkard, dipsomaniac, and souse.
Alcohol is addictive, and heavy long-term use results in many negative health and social consequences. It can damage all organ systems, but especially affects the brain, heart, liver, pancreas, and immune system. Heavy usage can result in trouble sleeping, and severe cognitive issues like dementia, brain damage, or Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome. Physical effects include irregular heartbeat, impaired immune response, cirrhosis, increased cancer risk, and severe withdrawal symptoms if stopped suddenly.