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Alcohol Abuse

By Karen Hauser, LCSW with Westside Behavioral Care

Alcohol Abuse constitutes a formal, mental health diagnosis classified by the American Psychiatric Association. People meeting criteria for this diagnosis consume excessive quantities of alcohol despite serious difficulties caused by this behavior.

Alcohol Abuse becomes Alcohol Dependence when tolerance (need to consume greater and greater quantities of alcohol to achieve desired effects) and withdrawal symptoms occur.

Alcohol Abuse and Dependence are very prevalent in the United States, affecting about 10 million people. These disorders are associated with depression, anxiety disorders, drug abuse, reckless or antisocial behavior, family problems, divorce, economic distress, and many other behavioral and emotional difficulties.

There is some indication from the research literature that genetic factors play a role in the transmission of the disorder, especially from father to son and especially when the state of the disorder is severe.

Treatments vary from Alcoholics Anonymous to individual, marital, group, and family therapy. Medications such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety agents – if prescribed under close supervision – also may be helpful. When withdrawal symptoms are involved, inpatient detoxification may be indicated, followed by a several week, inpatient stay at a facility specializing in the treatment of alcoholism.

Brief interventions in a one-on-one counseling format are ideally suited for people who drink in ways that are harmful or abusive as opposed to traditional treatments –described above - which are indicated for alcohol dependence and which often require inpatient care and then follow up for many weeks or months.

How much alcohol is signifies abuse? Men may be at risk for alcohol related problems if their alcohol consumption exceeds 12 drinks per week or 4 drinks per day on any particular day. For women, it is more than 7 drinks per week or 3 drinks on any day.

Brief interventions may be provided within 2-10 counseling sessions and subsequent follow up as needed. Brief interventions aim to moderate a person’s alcohol consumption and eliminate harmful drinking practices, such as binge drinking, rather than require total abstinence from drinking, although abstinence is usually much encouraged.

Reference for this article is from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), from a July 2005 publication entitled Brief Interventions.