ALCOHOL USE DISORDER • Alcohol use disorder is a pattern of drinking in which you have trouble controlling your drinking. • Preoccupied with alcohol or continued drinking even when it causes problems for you. SYMPTOMS Alcohol use disorder can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on how many of the symptoms you have. Signs and symptoms include: 1. Being unable to limit how much you drink. 2. Trying to cut back or trying without success. 3. Spending a lot of time drinking, getting alcohol, or recovering from alcohol use. 4. Having intense cravings or cravings for alcohol. 5. Being unable to keep up with important obligations at work, school, or home because of repeated drinking. 6. Continuing to drink alcohol even though you know it is causing physical, social, occupational, or interpersonal problems. 7. Giving up or limiting social, work, and hobbies in order to drink alcohol. 8. Drinking alcohol in unsafe situations, such as while driving or swimming. 9. Developing a tolerance to alcohol, so that a person needs to drink more to feel an effect or feels less of an effect from the same amount. 10. Having withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, and shakiness, when not drinking, or drinking to avoid these symptoms. What is considered a drink? The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines a standard drink as any of the following: • 12 ounces (355 milliliters) of regular beer (about 5% alcohol) • 8 to 9 ounces (237 to 266 milliliters) of malt liquor (about 7% alcohol) • 5 ounces (148 milliliters) of wine (about 12% alcohol) • 1.5 ounces (44 milliliters) of hard liquor (about 40% alcohol) RISK FACTORS • Consistent use over time • Starting at a young age • Family history • Depression and other mental health problems • History of trauma • Social and cultural factors Having friends or a partner who drink regularly might increase your risk for alcohol use disorder. COMPLICATIONS Impact on safety: • Car accidents and other types of accidental injuries, such as drowning • Relationship problems • Poor performance at work or school • Increased likelihood of committing violent crimes or being a victim of a crime • Legal, employment, or financial problems • Problems with other substance use • Engaging in risky, unprotected sex • Increased risk of sexual assault • Increased risk of attempting or actually committing suicide Health problems • Liver disease: (Fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis) • Digestive problems: (Gastritis, stomach and esophageal ulcers, pancreatitis) • Cardiovascular problems: (Cardiomegaly, heart failure or stroke, arrhythmias) • Complications linked to diabetes • Problems with sexual function and menstruation: (Erectile dysfunction, amenorrhea) • Eye problems: (Nystagmus) • Birth defects • Bone damage: (Osteoporosis) • Neurological complications: (Dementia, amnesia). • Weakened immune system. • Increased risk of cancer. DIAGNOSIS • Medical History and Physical Examination • Laboratory and office studies to assess complications TREATMENT • Psychotherapy • Group Therapy • Medication: Naltrexone, Acamprosate, Disulfiram, Topiramate. Bibliography: Sadock, Benjamin J.; Sadock, Virginia A.; Ruiz, Pedro. (2015). Kaplan & Sadock Synopsis of Psychiatry 11th Ed.. USA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Questions or contact for personalized attention: [email protected] #alcohol #alcoholism #adhd #adhd #hyperactivity #mentalhealth #psychiatrist #sadness #letstalkaboutmentalhealth #anxiety #anxietydisorder #schizophrenia #bipolardisorder #dementia #delirium #Suicidalbehavior #attentiondeficitdisorder