Alcohol Use Disorder - Symptoms and Causes

What Is Alcohol Use Disorder?

Alcohol use disorder is a health condition where someone struggles to control their drinking habits.

People with this disorder may think about alcohol often, keep drinking even when it causes problems, and need more alcohol over time to feel the same effects. They might also feel sick when they try to stop.

Unhealthy drinking includes any alcohol use that risks your health or causes problems. Binge drinking is one form of this.

Men binge drink when they have 5 or more drinks, while women binge drink when they have 4 or more drinks within two hours. This behavior can lead to serious health risks.

Signs of alcohol use disorder include:

Difficulty controlling how much you drink
Being preoccupied with thoughts of alcohol
Continuing to drink despite negative consequences
Needing more alcohol to get the same effect
Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not drinking

The severity of alcohol use disorder varies from mild to severe. Even mild cases can worsen over time, which is why early treatment is important.

Signs of Alcohol Use Disorder

Alcohol use disorder ranges from mild to severe based on your symptoms. Some common signs include:

Not being able to control how much you drink
Trying but failing to reduce your drinking
Spending lots of time drinking or recovering from drinking
Having strong urges to drink
Not meeting responsibilities at work, school, or home because of drinking
Continuing to drink despite knowing it causes problems
Giving up activities you enjoy to drink instead
Drinking in unsafe situations (like while driving)
Needing more alcohol to feel its effects
Having withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking

Understanding What Makes One Drink

A standard drink contains a specific amount of alcohol. Here’s what counts as one drink:

Type of Alcohol	Amount	Alcohol Content
Regular beer	12 ounces (355 ml)	About 5%
Malt liquor	8-9 ounces (237-266 ml)	About 7%
Wine	5 ounces (148 ml)	About 12%
Hard liquor	1.5 ounces (44 ml)	About 40%

Knowing these measurements helps you track your intake more accurately.

When Medical Help Is Needed

Talk to your doctor if you think you drink too much, if drinking causes problems in your life, or if loved ones express concern about your habits. Don’t wait until things get worse.

Other helpful resources include:

Mental health professionals who specialize in addiction
Support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous
Community health centers

Many people don’t realize they have a problem with alcohol. If friends or family members point out concerns about your drinking, try to listen with an open mind rather than becoming defensive.

Helping Someone with Drinking Problems

If someone you care about struggles with alcohol:

Approach with compassion – Choose a private moment to talk when they’re sober.
Express specific concerns – Focus on behaviors you’ve noticed rather than making accusations.
Offer support – Let them know you’re there to help them find treatment.
Set boundaries – Be clear about what you will and won’t tolerate.
Seek professional guidance – Consider talking to an addiction specialist about the best approach.

People with alcohol problems often deny having issues. They might not see how alcohol affects their life and relationships. If your loved one resists help, consider consulting a professional about planning an intervention.

Remember that you can’t force someone to get help, but you can offer resources and support when they’re ready to make changes. Treatment works best when the person is willing to participate.

Causes

Many things can affect how alcohol impacts a person’s body and behavior. These include:

Genetic factors
Psychological state
Social environment
Personal background

For some people, alcohol has a stronger effect that may lead to alcohol use disorder. This happens because drinking too much over time can change how the brain works.

The brain areas that control pleasure, judgment, and behavior can be altered by heavy alcohol use.

When this happens, a person might crave alcohol to feel good or to stop feeling bad. The brain starts to depend on alcohol, making it harder to stop drinking.

Risk Factors

Several factors can increase a person’s chance of developing alcohol use disorder:

Regular Heavy Drinking: Consuming large amounts of alcohol over time or frequently binge drinking increases the risk of developing alcohol-related problems.
Early Age Drinking: People who start drinking, particularly binge drinking, when young face higher risks of developing alcohol use disorder later in life.
Family Background: Having a parent or close relative with alcohol problems raises the risk. This may be partly due to genetic factors that can be passed down through families.
Mental Health Conditions: People with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia often have a higher chance of developing problems with alcohol.
Trauma History: Individuals who have experienced emotional or other types of trauma face increased risk of alcohol use disorder.
Post-Bariatric Surgery: Research suggests that people who undergo weight loss surgery may have a higher risk of developing alcohol problems or relapsing if they previously had alcohol issues.
Social Environment and Cultural Influences:
- Friends or partners who drink regularly
- Media portrayals that glamorize drinking
- Parental drinking habits and attitudes
- Peer pressure, especially for younger people

Alcohol use often begins during teenage years, but alcohol use disorder typically develops more frequently during a person’s twenties and thirties. However, it can develop at any age, depending on these risk factors and individual circumstances.

Health Risks

Drinking too much alcohol can make it harder to make good choices and can lead to unsafe situations. When your judgment is affected by alcohol, you might face several dangers:

Car crashes and other accidents like falling or drowning
Problems with friends, family, and romantic partners
Doing poorly at work or in school
Greater chance of being involved in violent acts or becoming a victim
Getting into trouble with the law or losing your job
Problems with money management
Using other harmful substances
Taking sexual risks or experiencing sexual assault
Higher risk of trying to harm yourself

Alcohol weakens the brain’s control centers, making you less able to think clearly about risks and consequences. Even one night of heavy drinking can put you in danger.

Health Problems

Liver Damage: Regular heavy drinking hurts your liver in several ways:
- Fatty liver disease (too much fat in liver cells)
- Alcoholic hepatitis (liver inflammation)
- Cirrhosis (permanent scarring and liver damage)
Digestive System Issues: Alcohol can:
- Inflame your stomach lining
- Cause painful ulcers in your stomach and esophagus
- Make it hard for your body to absorb important B vitamins
- Damage your pancreas, leading to painful inflammation
Heart Concerns: Drinking too much can:
- Raise your blood pressure
- Make your heart larger than normal
- Increase risk of heart failure and stroke
- Cause irregular heartbeats, even after just one heavy drinking session
Blood Sugar Complications: Alcohol interferes with how your liver releases glucose, which can be especially dangerous if you have diabetes and take medication to lower your blood sugar.
Sexual and Reproductive Effects:
- Men may experience difficulty with erections
- Women might have irregular or missed periods
Vision Problems: Long-term heavy drinking can cause:
- Involuntary eye movements
- Weakness in eye muscles due to vitamin B-1 shortage
- Potential permanent brain damage if vitamin deficiency isn’t treated
Pregnancy Risks: Drinking during pregnancy may lead to:
- Miscarriage
- Lifelong physical and developmental problems for the child (fetal alcohol spectrum disorders)
Bone Health: Alcohol can:
- Interfere with new bone formation
- Lead to weak, thin bones that break easily
- Damage bone marrow, causing bruising and bleeding problems
Brain and Nerve Damage:
- Numbness and pain in hands and feet
- Confused thinking
- Memory problems
- Potential dementia with long-term use
Weakened Immunity: Heavy drinkers get sick more often because alcohol makes it harder for your body to fight off infections, especially pneumonia.
Cancer Risk: Long-term heavy drinking increases your chances of developing cancers of the:
- Mouth and throat
- Liver
- Esophagus
- Colon
- Breast (even moderate drinking raises this risk)
Medication Interactions: Alcohol can make some medications:
- Less effective
- More toxic
- Potentially dangerous when combined

Prevention

Spotting alcohol problems in teens early is key. Parents should watch for warning signs like:

Less care about hobbies or appearance
Red eyes, slurred words, poor coordination
Sudden change in friend groups
Falling grades or school issues
Mood swings and defensive behavior

Parents can take steps to prevent teen drinking:

Set an example. Your own drinking habits teach your teen what’s normal.
Stay connected. Talk openly with your teen and be present in their daily life.
Create clear rules. Make sure your teen knows what you expect and what happens if rules are broken.

Early action can stop small problems from becoming bigger issues. Regular family time and open communication help teens make better choices about alcohol.