Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, national alcohol sales and the number of Americans binge drinking has drastically increased. A number of surveys have found that, in response to widespread anxiety regarding the pandemic, loss of employment, financial difficulties, and isolation from friends and family, 60% of Americans increased their daily consumption of alcohol. However, despite the national unemployment rate returning to pre-pandemic levels and the majority of Americans now fully vaccinated, many Americans continue to drink excessively.
Dr. Chinye Azuh, a Michigan- based psychiatrist, is one of the many medical professionals in her field that has watched this public health issue develop during the past two years with great concern. Thanks to the widespread drinking culture in the United States, alcoholism and alcohol-use disorder often go untreated; however, alcoholism can have severe repercussions for individuals’ physical health and daily life. Below, Dr. Chinye Azuh of Michigan will provide readers with an overview of alcoholism and what signs and symptoms can indicate a potential drinking problem.
What is Alcoholism?
While there are many different definitions for alcoholism, most definitions agree that alcoholism is a severe form of alcohol abuse that involves the inability of an individual to manage their drinking habits. Those who struggle with alcoholism often feel as though they need to drink or cannot feel normal without having consumed an alcoholic beverage. Oftentimes, this alcohol abuse will lead to severe negative repercussions throughout the individual’s life, negatively impacting their professional life, relationships with family and friends, and ability to perform everyday tasks.
Over time, alcoholism can lead to a number of health complications, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer, depression and anxiety, weakening of the immune system, and increased likelihood of learning and memory problems, including dementia.
Signs of Alcoholism
According to a 2019 study, one in eight American adults or 12.7 percent of the US population now meet the criteria for alcohol abuse disorder. Although an estimated 22 million Americans need treatment for alcoholism, less than 1% of these individuals pursue and treatment for substance abuse. When left untreated, alcoholism can quickly spiral out of control and impact nearly every facet of a person’s life. Americans must recognize the warning signs of alcohol abuse in themselves and loved ones to react quickly and peruse the appropriate treatment with an accredited medical institution.
Often, those concerned whether or not someone is an alcoholic are hoping for quantitative evidence or exact symptoms that show a person is an alcoholic; there is no precise diagnosis of alcoholism. However, more than one symptom of alcoholism can be a good start to knowing whether or not someone has a problem or if it could develop into a larger, more serious condition later in life.
Some of the most common symptoms of alcohol abuse are:
- Drinking to the point of temporarily blacking-out or experiencing short term memory loss- Choosing to drink over other responsibilities or obligations such as work, school, or family functions
- Feeling hungover or overly irritable when not drinking
- Drinking alone or hiding the fact that they are drinking alone from others
- Coming up with frequent excuses to relax, such as to deal with stress or relax
- Isolation from friends and family members
Screening Tools for Alcoholism
There are resources either online or provided by a mental health professional designed to help diagnose and determine whether or not someone has alcoholism. One of the tools most often used for diagnosing alcoholism is the CAGE questionnaire. In addition to diagnosing alcoholism, the questionnaire also measures the severity of a person’s drinking problem. Those who answer “yes” to two or more CAGE questions are encouraged to seek out medical assistance issues related to drinking.
The four CAGE screening questions are:
- Have you ever felt guilty or bad about your drinking?
- Have you ever felt that you should cut down or lessen your drinking?
- Have you felt annoyed by others criticizing your drinking?
- Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning in order to get over a hangover or steady your nerves?
Additionally, mental health professionals may also ask that patients complete questions for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to reach a complete diagnosis of alcohol abuse. The answers to the DSM questions should be based on the past year of alcohol use and do not apply to past years. Some examples of DSM questions include:
- Have you experienced symptoms related to alcohol withdrawal (anxiety, shaky hands, headaches, vomiting, sweating, nausea, etc.)
- Have there been instances where you have drunk more than you intended?
- Have you felt a craving or urge to consume alcohol?
- Have you increased your chances of hurting yourself or others due to intoxication?
- Have you been in trouble with the law due to alcohol-related problems?
- Have you stopped participating in past activities and hobbies since you began drinking?
