Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol Addiction
Does your drinking harm yourself or
others? Or has it led to other problems with your daily life? If so, you may be addicted
to alcohol.
You may have what's called an
alcohol use disorder. Your healthcare provider may make this diagnosis if you have
had
at least 2 of these problems in a year:
-
You drink alcohol in larger
amounts or for a longer period than you planned.
-
You often want to cut down or
control how much you drink. Or you have often failed to do so.
-
You spend a lot of time
getting alcohol, using it, or recovering from its use.
-
You crave or have a strong
desire or urge to drink.
-
Your drinking makes it hard
for you to be responsible at work, school, or home.
-
You keep on drinking even
though you have had problems in relationships or social settings because of
it.
-
You give up or miss important
social, work, or other activities because of your drinking.
-
You drink alcohol at times
when it's not physically safe, such as drinking then driving.
-
You keep on drinking even
though you know it has caused physical or emotional problems.
-
You need more and more alcohol to get the same effects.
-
You hide how much you drink
from family and friends.
-
You have withdrawal symptoms
or use alcohol to avoid such symptoms.
Online Medical Reviewer: Fraser, Marianne, MSN, RN
Online Medical Reviewer: Perez, Eric, MD
Date Last Reviewed:
2/1/2017
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