Alcohol Use Disorder: What It Is, Symptoms & Treatment

Recognizing the early signs and risk factors for AUD can help you seek early treatment and intervention to break alcohol misuse patterns. If you have a history of withdrawal symptoms, see a health professional before quitting. You should also see a professional before quitting alcohol if you have other health conditions. For example, any alcohol consumption by a Overview Answer House pregnant person can be considered alcohol misuse, as well as drinking under the legal age of 21.

Research and Statistics: Who Has Alcohol Use Disorder?

• Though at-risk and binge drinking can result in a range of adverse consequences, not all people who engage in these kinds of unhealthy alcohol use have alcohol use disorder.
• The CAGE Questionnaire is a simple screening tool designed to help identify potential alcohol use disorders and, when adapted as the CAGE-AID, substance use disorders, including drugs.

According to a report by Brown Health University, about 37% of people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) also have a serious mental health illness. The CAGE Questionnaire has the advantage of simplicity, making it a quick and accessible tool for screening alcohol dependency in both clinical and self-assessment contexts. Despite these limitations, the CAGE remains a valuable resource for efficiently detecting potential alcohol dependency, especially in settings where time constraints necessitate concise assessments. Though Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome can occur in people without chronic alcohol misuse who have a thiamine deficiency, it is most commonly observed in people with severe alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Drinking patterns

• It has the possibility to yield false positives for individuals whose answers reflect temporary or situational drinking.
• With improvement, successful treatment can also confirm the diagnosis.
• Therefore, screening is very important, whether primary care physicians or friends and family do it.
• You can prevent alcohol use disorder by limiting your alcohol intake.

In more severe cases, people may also have seizures or hallucinations. It is important to remember that AUD is not due to an individual’s lack of self-discipline or resolve. Long-term alcohol use can produce changes in the brain that can cause people to crave alcohol, lose control of their drinking and require greater quantities of alcohol to achieve its desired effects. It can also cause people to experience withdrawal symptoms if they discontinue alcohol use. Alcohol use disorder is considered a progressive disease, meaning that the effects of drinking alcohol become increasingly more severe over time.

• In June, at least 56 people in southern India died after consuming methanol-laced liquor.
• In order to be diagnosed with AUD, a person must experience any two of these symptoms within the same 12-month period.
• You can access and download the CAGE questionnaires in PDF format along with the full form and guidance for its use.
• Once you’re well enough to leave, you’ll need to continue to receive treatment on an outpatient basis.
• The CAGE Questionnaire is used to screen for alcohol use disorders.

What questions should I ask my healthcare provider?

• When alcohol use suddenly stops, the body is not accustomed to being alcohol free.
• In some cases, customers have been misled to believe they were buying a legitimate drinks at a bargain price.
• Alcohol use disorder is a complex disorder that affects several brain systems, including the mesolimbic dopaminergic system of the brain, among other areas.
• However, while it is a useful first step, self-assessment using the CAGE has limitations, as it needs more professional context to interpret answers fully.
• Wet brain is one of many life-threatening health effects that can result from untreated alcohol use disorder.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), moderate drinking is typically defined as two drinks or fewer for men per day, or one drink or less for women. A healthcare professional may also be able to recommend resources and support. A 2019 study found that people with substance use disorder in their late adolescence years were four times more likely to develop alcohol use disorder in early adulthood. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), heavy alcohol use is defined as consuming more than four drinks a day for men or more than three drinks a day for women. As the loved one of someone struggling, remember that it’s ultimately up to them to manage the condition. Don’t forget to take care of yourself, too; consider seeking out your systems of support or even medical help if you’re having trouble.

Symptoms and Signs of Alcohol Addiction: Am I Addicted to Alcohol?

If you drink alcohol regularly, no matter how much, consider whether you can manage your intake and whether it’s negatively affecting other areas of your life, like your family, job, and social life. The number of the above criteria you match determines the severity of alcohol use disorder. Healthcare professionals diagnose alcohol use disorder using criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Around 1.7% of people ages 12 to 17 (414,000 adolescents) in the United States had alcohol use disorder in the same time frame. Social support from friends and family as well as online or in-person support groups can help prevent feelings of isolation and shame and provide a sense of security and hope about your sober future. Family members and loved ones can also benefit from this type of support and may consider groups like Al-Anon and Alateen.

What Questions Are Included in the CAGE Questionnaire?

After weaning from alcohol, medication in some cases can help reduce cravings. Two medications that fit in this category are naltrexone and acamprosate. As an alternative, sometimes the drug disulfiram may be prescribed. Disulfiram does not reduce craving, but it creates an incentive not to drink, because drinking alcohol while taking it causes nausea and vomiting. An antiseizure drug called topiramate may diminish the reinforcing effects of alcohol. Alcohol treatment is an “off-label” use of topiramate, which means the FDA has not formally approved it for this use.