Alcoholism vs. Alcohol Abuse: Understanding the Difference When many of us think of alcoholism, we picture a person who drinks excessively, drives while intoxicated, hides or sneaks alcohol, and goes to great lengths to get another drink. Perhaps the person has lost his or her job, has problems with relationships, or has gotten into trouble with the law because of their drinking. In short, many of us picture someone whose life is falling apart because of alcohol. The reality, however, is that there are varying patterns of alcohol abuse that can negatively impact a person’s life. Let’s explore alcohol abuse in its various forms. Alcohol Use Disorder Problem drinking can be thought of in terms of alcohol use disorder, which the National Institutes of Health defines as “when your drinking causes serious problems in your life, yet you keep drinking.” People with alcohol use disorder typically need more and more alcohol to feel drunk, and stopping suddenly may cause withdrawal symptoms. But, what about occasions when a person simply got a little carried away with their drinking— that night at the bar they had a few more drinks than they intended, or the party they couldn’t remember clearly the next day? While many of us have had an experience where we drank too much, binge drinking and repeated nights of “overdoing it” may indicate a problem. A self-test can help you determine whether you have a pattern of problem drinking. Alcoholism vs. Alcohol Abuse Alcohol abuse is a pattern of drinking that results in harm to a person’s health, their ability to work, or their interpersonal relationships. Signs of alcohol abuse can include: ● Problems at work, home, or school ● Strain on interpersonal relationships ● Engaging in risky behaviors while drinking, such as having unprotected sex or driving while intoxicated ● Legal problems related to alcohol, such as being arrested for driving under the influence, or physically hurting someone while drunk ● Continued drinking, despite the consequences Continued heavy use of alcohol can result in alcohol dependency, also known as alcoholism, or alcohol addiction. Alcoholism is a chronic disease in which users: ● Have strong cravings for alcohol ● Have an inability to limit their drinking ● Continue to use alcohol despite physical, psychological, or interpersonal problems. Alcohol dependency can cause serious health problems, including depression and suicide, sleeping problems, high blood pressure, cancer of the esophagus, liver, colon, or other organs,
bleeding in the digestive tract, brain cell damage, and nerve damage, among other problems. Alcohol abuse also increases your risk for violence and can lead to serious birth defects in your baby if you are pregnant. How Much Is Too Much? It is a myth that beer and wine are “safer” to drink than liquor—while a standard beer contains more volume than a shot of vodka or a glass of wine, all of these drinks contain alcohol. A standard drink in the U.S. is equivalent to the alcohol found in: ● ● ● ●
12 ounces of beer (5% alcohol content) 8-ounces of malt liquor (7% alcohol content) 5-ounces of wine (12% alcohol content) 1.5 ounces (a “shot”) of 40% alcohol (80-proof) liquor, such as rum, vodka, gin, etc.
How Do Genes Affect Alcoholism? Certain genes have been shown to play a role in the development of alcoholism, but environment is equally a factor. Scientists who study epigenetics are still learning how genes affect a person’s risk for alcoholism and how genes may influence the effectiveness of alcohol treatments. For now, the best and most effective treatments are those that employ changes to behavior. Help Is Available If you or someone you love has a problem with alcohol, there is help. Affordable alcohol treatment programs, such as the comprehensive outpatient and residential treatment programs at Yellowstone Recovery in Orange County, California, help people cope with all aspects of addiction and get on the road to recovery.