Depression and alcoholism

Extract

Introduction

Drinking alcohol-containing beverages is a common habit in Western countries. In most Western societies, at least 90% of people consume alcohol at some time during their lives, and 30% or more of drinkers develop alcohol-related life problems.¹ Severe alcohol-related life impairment, alcohol dependence, is observed at some time during their lives in ∼10% of men and 3–5% of women, with an additional 5–10% of each sex developing persistent but less intense problems that are diagnosed as abuse.¹

Alcohol abuse vs. alcohol dependence

Individuals with alcohol abuse are not dependent on alcohol, but have repeated legal, interpersonal, social, or occupational impairments related to alcohol consumption.^1,2 They frequently use alcohol in physically hazardous situations. If individuals with alcohol abuse continue to drink, they may go on to develop alcohol dependence. Alcohol dependence is characterized by tolerance (a need for markedly increased amounts of alcohol to achieve desired effect and/or markedly diminished effect with the continued use of the same amount of alcohol), and a withdrawal syndrome when alcohol is discontinued or intake is decreased. Alcohol-dependent individuals often spend a great deal of time using alcohol, and return to use despite evidence of physical and psychological problems. Alcohol abuse and dependence are commonly called alcoholism.