Why Is Alcohol Use Disorder A Chronic Disease?

Studies show that individuals with a family history of alcoholism are more likely to develop the disorder themselves. The terms chronic disease and chronic condition have multiple definitions. Major medical agencies and organizations disagree about which diseases are considered chronic, according to a 2016 article published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health. In earlier versions of the DSM, alcoholism was categorized as a subset of personality disorders. In short, the need for addictive substances becomes hardwired in the brain, to the point that the brain can’t distinguish between healthy rewards and drug alcoholism treatment rewards.

Brain Responses in Chronic Pain and Alcohol Use Disorder

• Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website.
• By Buddy TBuddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism.
• Environmental factors, such as stress, trauma, and peer pressure, can also contribute to the development of alcoholism.
• In alcohol detox, the alcoholic’s brain will create new neural pathways to help them derive pleasure from activities other than drinking.
• This makes it difficult for individuals with alcoholism to stop drinking, even when they are fully aware of the negative consequences.

Some alcoholics admit that their drinking is out of control but cannot stop or have many failed attempts to quit. These examples have in common the presence of denial and an unwillingness to surrender to the fact that alcoholism is a chronic disease that needs professional help to overcome. Denial often occurs because alcohol is the cure for how bad alcoholics feel, and they typically defend it no matter what.

II. Negative Results of the Disease Theory

Support groups are an essential component of alcoholism treatment, providing individuals with a community of peers who understand their struggles. Groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) offer a 12-step program that encourages accountability and support. The shared experiences and encouragement found in these groups can significantly enhance the recovery process, helping individuals to maintain sobriety and develop healthy coping strategies. The chronic phase of alcohol addiction is characterized by compulsive drinking, loss of control over alcohol intake, and the presence of withdrawal symptoms when not drinking. The transition is characterized by a growing preoccupation with alcohol and the onset of withdrawal symptoms, which can be both physical and psychological.

Alcohol Addiction: Definition, Causes, & Risk Factors

For example, a significant percentage of patients participating in IOPs continue to drink or use drugs (e.g., https://ecosoberhouse.com/ McKay et al. 1997a). Therefore, continuing care programs that treat patients who have completed an IOP may have to simultaneously accommodate both patients who have achieved abstinence and those who have not, which may impact treatment effectiveness. Many alcoholics continue to deny that they have a problem with drinking. As a result, they endure job loss, multiple DUIs, and experience financial hardships.

The damaging effects of alcohol on the brain include difficulty walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times, and impaired memory. These issues are not only prevalent in the short term while under the influence of alcohol, but, over time with persistent excessive use of alcohol, they can also become long-term, chronic problems. Suddenly quitting drinking, or going “cold turkey” may result in anxiety, depression, wild mood swings, high blood pressure, and intense cravings for alcohol. That’s why a medically supervised detoxification process, followed by comprehensive addiction treatment, is the next best thing to a cure.

• According to the AMA, Alcoholism is counted under both the medical and psychiatric sections.
• In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association identified substance use disorder as a primary mental health disorder and included alcoholism as a subset of personality disorders.
• The traditional treatment of AOD use disorders involves an initial intensive phase in an inpatient facility, followed by a less intense phase that typically is delivered in an outpatient setting, often at a different facility.

In fact, with the move away from inpatient therapy to outpatient therapy for the initial phase of treatment, the lines between initial care and aftercare (continuing care) are increasingly blurring. Alcoholism, also known as alcohol use disorder (AUD), is a chronic disease characterized by the compulsive consumption of alcohol despite its negative consequences. The American Psychiatric Association defines AUD as a cluster of symptoms why is alcoholism considered a chronic disease that include an inability to control drinking, continued use despite negative consequences, and withdrawal symptoms when alcohol use is stopped. Rather than thinking in terms of cause-and-effect, it’s helpful to view the co-occurring nature of these conditions. Mental illnesses can contribute to substance use disorders, and substance use disorders can contribute to the development of mental illnesses.