Alcohol Dependence vs Alcohol Abuse: Understanding the Differences

by admin | May 4, 2021 | Sober Living

Whether you care for youth or adults, you are likely to encounter patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) regularly in your practice. Your doctor or healthcare provider can diagnose alcohol use disorder. They’ll do a physical exam and ask you questions about your drinking habits. Alcoholism has been known by a variety of terms, including alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. If enabling vs supporting you have developed alcohol dependence and decide to quit drinking, you can expect to experience withdrawal symptoms.

Factors affecting alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm

It was argued that not all elements may be present substance use group activities in every case, but the picture is sufficiently regular and coherent to permit clinical recognition. The syndrome was also considered to exist in degrees of severity rather than as a categorical absolute. Thus, the proper question is not ‘whether a person is dependent on alcohol’, but ‘how far along the path of dependence has a person progressed’.

If you feel that you sometimes drink too much alcohol, or your drinking is causing problems, or if your family is concerned about your drinking, talk with your health care provider. Other ways to get help include talking with a mental health professional or seeking help from a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar type of self-help group. Your health care provider or mental health provider will ask additional questions based on your responses, symptoms and needs.

Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. By Buddy TBuddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website.

Self-testing: Do I misuse alcohol?

1. Alcohol use disorder includes a level of drinking that’s sometimes called alcoholism.
2. People who have a dependence on alcohol exhibit some or all of the following characteristics.
3. A doctor may also prescribe medications to help you manage withdrawal symptoms and support you in your effort to stop drinking.
4. But as you continue to drink, you become drowsy and have less control over your actions.
5. In some people, the initial reaction may feel like an increase in energy.

Everyone’s experience with alcohol is different, but effective treatments are available, whether your condition is mild, moderate, or severe. Alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse were two designations previously recognized in the DSM-IV. Today, they have been combined and are known as alcohol use disorder. While no longer separate diagnoses, it can be helpful to understand the differences between the two. “Dependence” refers to being unable to stop drinking without experiencing withdrawal symptoms while “abuse” refers to continuing to consume alcohol despite adverse consequences. Many symptoms can be managed at home, but moderate to severe withdrawal should be supervised by a healthcare professional and may require inpatient treatment.

Alcohol Dependence vs. Alcohol Abuse: What’s the Difference?

The NIAAA Core Resource on Alcohol can help you each step of the way. Healthcare professionals offer AUD care in more settings than just specialty addiction programs. Addiction physicians and therapists in solo or group practices can also provide flexible outpatient care. These and other outpatient options may reduce stigma and other barriers to treatment.

The CAGE questionnaire, the name of which is an acronym of its four questions, is a widely used method of screening for alcohol dependence. Those with mild to moderate symptoms may receive treatment in an outpatient setting. You should ask a loved one to stay with you during this process, and you may need to visit a clinician for daily monitoring. According to a study published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease, 90% of people who abuse alcohol are not alcohol dependent. Active participation in a mutual support group can benefit many people as well.28 Groups vary widely in beliefs and demographics, so advise patients who are interested in joining a group to try different options to find a good fit.

Symptoms

You’re likely to start by seeing your primary health care provider. If your provider suspects that you have a problem with alcohol, you may be referred to a mental health provider. Using alcohol during adolescence (from preteens to mid-20s) may affect brain development, making it more likely that they will be diagnosed with AUD later in life. However, most people with AUD—no matter their age or the severity of their alcohol problems—can benefit from treatment with behavioral health therapies, medications, or both. The official move away from the terms “abuse” and “dependence” in the DSM-5 is also reflective of a shift in how professionals talk about alcohol and substance use. The language used in the past often served to stigmatize people who are affected by alcohol use disorder.

Alcohol dependence is a previous (DSM-IV and ICD-10) psychiatric diagnosis in which an individual is physically or psychologically dependent upon alcohol (also chemically known as ethanol). This change was made to challenge the idea that abuse was a mild and early phase of the illness and dependence was a more severe manifestation. In some people, the initial reaction may feel like an increase in energy. But as you continue to drink, you become drowsy and have less control over your actions. Because denial is common, you may feel like you don’t have a problem with drinking.

Both alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse are sometimes referred to by the less specific term alcoholism. However, many definitions of alcoholism exist, and only some are compatible with alcohol abuse. There are two major differences between alcohol is baclofen addicting dependence and alcoholism as generally accepted by the medical community.

Health risks of alcohol use

Delirium tremens is a symptom of severe alcohol withdrawal that can be potentially fatal. Contact emergency services immediately if you experience symptoms such as fever, involuntary muscle contractions, seizures, delusions, hallucinations, or rapid mood swings as you withdraw from alcohol. For example, ” abuse ” may imply that the behavior is intentional and controllable and, therefore, a personal failure rather than a disease symptom.

As mentioned in this article, you can support recovery by offering patients AUD medication in primary care, referring to healthcare professional specialists as needed, and promoting mutual support groups. Because only 3 of the 7 DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence are required, not all patients meet the same criteria and therefore not all have the same symptoms and problems related to drinking. Not everyone with alcohol dependence, therefore, experiences physiological dependence. Alcohol dependence is differentiated from alcohol abuse by the presence of symptoms such as tolerance and withdrawal.