Understanding Alcohol Use Disorder National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism NIAAA

Group meetings are available in most communities at low or no cost, and at convenient times and locations—including an increasing presence online. This means they can be especially helpful to individuals at risk for relapse to drinking. Combined with medications and behavioral treatment provided by health care professionals, mutual-support groups can offer a valuable added layer of support.

Studies show most people can reduce how much they drink or stop drinking entirely. Severe alcohol use disorder (alcoholism) is an alcohol use disorder (AUD) characterized by an inability to control or stop drinking alcohol despite adverse effects on your personal or professional life, finances, and physical and mental health. Here, we briefly describe the causes and effects of co-occurrence, the mental health disorders that commonly co-occur with AUD, and the treatment implications for primary care and other healthcare professionals. We start with a visual model of care that indicates when to consider a referral.

1. The problem is the alcoholic’s mental obsession with alcohol is much more subtle than a song playing in one’s mind.
2. The feelings of bliss wear off, and they can worsen your depression symptoms.
3. Quitting drinking on its own often leads to clinical improvement of co-occurring mental health disorders, but treatment for psychiatric symptoms alone generally is not enough to reduce alcohol consumption or AUD symptoms.
4. The cycle of alcoholism and depression is not permanent, but it requires a holistic and integrated treatment approach to overcome.

What to Know About Alcohol and Mental Health

These include increased heart rate, sweating, anxiety, tremors, nausea and vomiting, heart palpitations, and insomnia. In more severe cases, people may also have seizures or hallucinations. As with anxiety and mood disorders, it can help for a healthcare professional to create a timeline with the patient to clarify the sequence of the traumatic event(s), the onset of PTSD symptoms, and heavy alcohol use. One way to differentiate PTSD from autonomic hyperactivity caused by alcohol withdrawal is to ask whether the patient has distinct physiological reactions to things that resemble the traumatic event. If you feel that you sometimes drink too much alcohol, or your drinking is causing problems, or if your family is concerned about your drinking, talk with your health care provider. Other ways to get help include talking with a mental health professional or seeking help from a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar type of self-help group.

Progressive Disease

For example, AUD may triple your chances of experiencing major depressive disorder (MDD). The intoxication and withdrawal cycle can also cause MDD and other mental health concerns. Read on to learn why AUD is considered a mental health condition, which mental health conditions commonly occur alongside it, and treatment options. These findings suggest that, while drinking to cope is a significant contributor to low mental well-being, this contribution is accentuated when divided by the harmful drinking category. Among those who drink to cope, more harmful drinkers are statistically significantly more likely to have low well-being compared to less harmful drinkers. Many people with alcohol problems and their family members find that participating in support groups is an essential part of coping with the disease, preventing or dealing with relapses, and staying sober.

What Are the Types of Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder?

The condition is likely the result of a combination of genetic, social, psychological, and environmental factors. Other early signs of alcoholism include blackout drinking or a drastic change in demeanor while drinking, such as consistently becoming angry or violent. Treatment for alcohol use disorder can vary, depending on your needs. Treatment may involve a brief intervention, individual or group counseling, an outpatient program, or a residential inpatient stay. Working to stop alcohol use to improve quality of life is the main treatment goal.

When someone drinks alcohol—or takes drugs like opioids or cocaine—it produces a pleasurable surge of dopamine in the brain’s basal ganglia, an area of the brain responsible for controlling reward systems and the ability to learn based on rewards. When patients have sleep-related concerns such as insomnia, early morning awakening, or fatigue, it is wise to screen them for signs you were roofied heavy alcohol use and assess for AUD as needed. If they use alcohol before bedtime, and especially if they shift their sleep timing on weekends compared to weekdays, they may have chronic circadian misalignment. If they report daytime sleepiness, one possible cause is alcohol-induced changes in sleep physiology.

Medications, such as benzodiazepines, are given to help control withdrawal symptoms. If necessary, patients may receive intravenous fluids, vitamins, and other medications to treat hallucinations or other symptoms caused by withdrawal. With the use of appropriate medications and behavioral therapies, people can recover from AUD. If you drink more alcohol than that, consider cutting back or quitting. When this reward system is disrupted by substance misuse or addiction, it can result in the person getting less and less enjoyment from other areas of life when they are not drinking or using drugs, according to the Surgeon General’s report.