Alcohol Use Disorder
August 1, 2022
Alcohol Use Disorder, also known as alcoholism or alcohol dependency is when a person is physically or mentally addicted to alcohol and unable to control themselves even after repeated attempts. The craving is so strong that they continue to drink. It can ruin their life and the lives of others if not treated and stopped. AUD is a chronic disease, where family history creates the biggest risk. Beware of the patterns:
● Uncontrollable cravings
● Loss of control
● An increased tolerance
● Physical dependence
This disease is not picky when it comes to its victims. It affects adolescents, teens, and adults. Matter of fact, one in every twelve adults suffer from an alcohol use disorder. What alcohol use disorder looks like is the following:
● Drinks every day (may even binge drink)
● Continuously drinks (this may ruin personal relationships and work)
● Causes legal problems (DUIs)
● Has aggressive behavior
Continuously abusing alcohol can lead to alcohol use disorder.
A form of alcohol abuse is drunkorexia. Drunkorexia is when someone restricts their food calories to make more room for alcoholic calories. The most common form of alcohol use disorder is binge-drinking. Binge-drinking is where consumption of five or more drinks for men, four for women, is done in a two-hour period. You do not need to be an alcoholic to abuse alcohol. There are short term and long-term risks. They are the following:
Short Term Long Term
~Car crash ~Liver damage
~Violence ~Cancer
~Risk of HIV ~Stroke
~STDs ~Heart disease
~Unwanted pregnancy ~Other chronic diseases
When you overdrink with alcohol, you can get alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning can be fatal. Know your limits, set up a plan and be smart. Remember that alcohol is a mood alternating depressant. It can change a person not only physically but also mentally. Some signs of alcohol use disorder are:
● Frequently drinking more
● Symptoms of withdrawal
● Developing a tolerance to alcohol
● Spends lots of time getting or trying to be drunk
There are some red flags of prolonged use. Look out for yellow skin/eyes, dry skin, brittle hair/nails, aging faster than normal and much more. Alcohol is also linked to causing health hazards, increased risk of obesity, breast cancer, pancreas cancer, suicide, liver disease, dementia, and birth defects.
Overall, alcohol alters the brain functioning that can be a result of unemployment, loss of productivity, family problems and violence. There are a variety of treatments for those who suffer from Alcohol Use Disorder:
● Recovery centers
● Support groups
● Sober housing
● Other online resources
To learn more about Alcohol Use Disorder please check out www.myfuturehealth.com/uaa/1