The process, stages, and factors that influence alcoholism development
12 terms
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a medical diagnosis ranging from mild to severe, based on how much alcohol interferes with daily life, health, and responsibilities. It replaces older labels like alcohol abuse or dependence, emphasizing a spectrum of harmful drinking patterns rather than an all-or-nothing condition.
Alcoholism is a chronic, relapsing brain disease marked by compulsive drinking, loss of control over intake, and negative emotional states when not drinking. It involves both physical dependence and psychological craving, leading to continued use despite mounting health, social, and occupational consequences.
Co-occurring disorders happen when substance use exists alongside mental health conditions like depression, PTSD, or anxiety. Each disorder can worsen the other, so integrated treatment addressing both issues simultaneously improves long-term recovery outcomes.
Cross-tolerance is when tolerance to alcohol also reduces sensitivity to other depressant drugs like benzodiazepines or barbiturates. This overlap increases overdose risk if multiple substances are combined, because standard doses feel weaker than expected.
Dual diagnosis is the clinical recognition that a person has both a substance use disorder and at least one separate psychiatric illness. Accurate diagnosis guides comprehensive treatment plans that combine therapy, medication, and support for sustained sobriety and mental wellness.
Environmental factors are external influences such as trauma, peer pressure, availability of alcohol, and family attitudes that shape drinking behavior. These factors interact with genetics; changing environments can reduce risk even when heredity is strong.
A hereditary tendency that influences how quickly alcoholism may develop in individuals who drink. While genetics affect risk, progression speed varies widely based on drinking patterns and individual biology.
The kindling effect describes how repeated alcohol withdrawals become more severe and seizure-prone over time. Each detox episode sensitizes brain circuits, so later relapses can trigger harsher symptoms even after shorter drinking bouts.
Physical dependence occurs when the body adapts to chronic alcohol exposure and needs the substance to function normally. Abrupt cessation triggers withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, sweating, seizures, or delirium tremens, which can be life-threatening without medical support.
Alcoholism is progressive because it worsens predictably from occasional misuse to dependence and severe health damage if untreated. Early intervention can halt or reverse this trajectory, but without treatment, physical, mental, and social deterioration typically continue.
Psychological dependence is the emotional and mental reliance on alcohol to cope with stress, anxiety, or daily life. Cravings, obsessive thoughts about drinking, and fear of living without alcohol drive continued use even when physical withdrawal has resolved.
A neurobiological adaptation where the brain adjusts to regular alcohol exposure, requiring increasing amounts to achieve previous effects. This represents the nervous system compensating for constant toxin exposure - an early warning sign of developing dependence, not a measure of drinking ability.