Alcoholism has been known by a spread of terms, including alcoholic abuse and alcohol dependence. Today, it’s referred to as alcohol use disorder. People with alcohol use disorder will still drink even when drinking causes negative consequences, like losing employment or destroying relationships with people they love. They may know that their alcohol use negatively affects their lives, but it’s often not enough to form them stop drinking. The explanation for alcohol use disorder remains unknown. Alcohol use disorder develops once you drink such a lot that chemical changes within the brain occur. These changes increase the pleasurable feelings you get once you drink alcohol. This makes you want to drink more often, even if it causes harm. Eventually, the pleasurable feelings related to alcohol use get away and therefore the person with alcohol use disorder will engage in drinking to stop withdrawal symptoms. These withdrawal symptoms can be quite unpleasant and even dangerous. Alcohol use disorder typically develops gradually over time. It’s also known to run in families. Alcoholism or too much dependence on alcohol causes some short and long term effects. Short term symptoms include drowsiness, vomiting, slurred speech, stomach cramps, gastritis, headache, blurred vision, problems in maintaining coordination, blackouts, anaemia or loss of oxygen supply to the body. Long-term signs and symptoms include drunken driving causing accidents, domestic violence, alcohol poisoning, high blood pressure, stroke, liver diseases, sexual problems, brain damage, ulcerations in the stomach, cancer of the gut and throat. Some of the common symptoms of alcoholism include:
- An inability to control cravings
- An inability to stop drinking
- An increased tolerance for alcohol
- A strong desire or craving to drink
