Symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder

• Mild: It is the presence of 2 to 3 symptoms of alcohol use disorder
• Moderate: It is the presence of 4 to 5 symptoms of alcohol use disorder
• Severe: It is the presence of 6 or more symptoms of alcohol use disorder

• Genetics
• Early childhood events
• Attempts to relieve emotional pain

• People are more likely to become an alcoholic if they:
  • Consume alcohol often, or starts early in life
  • Experienced trauma, such as sexual or physical absue

What is Binge Drinking?

Binge drinking is drinking so much alcohol at once that the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level is 0.08% or more. For a man, this usually happens after having five or more drinks within a few hours. For a woman, it is after about four or more drinks within a few hours. Not everyone who binges drinks has an alcohol use disorder, but they are at higher risk for getting one.

According to CDC [4], one in six adults in the US binge drinks about four times a month, consuming about seven drinks per binge. This results in 17 billion total binge drinks consumed by adults annually, or 467 binge drinks per binge drinker.

How to Prevent Binge Drinking?

Practice these steps to lower your risk while drinking:

• Check and limit how much you have at one time. If you drink, experts recommend an average of no more than one drink per day for women and two for men.
• Drink more slowly
• Have some food while you drink
• Alternate alcoholic drinks with nonalcoholic ones. Water is best
• Develop a plan. Drink with people you trust, and know how you’ll get home safely

What are the Dangers of Too Much Alcohol?

Too much alcohol is bad and dangerous. Heavy drinking can increase the risk of certain cancers. It may lead to liver diseases, such as fatty liver disease, hepatitis, and cirrhosis of the liver. Heavy drinking can also cause damage to the brain and other organs. Drinking during pregnancy can harm your baby. Substance like alcohol also increases the risk of death from car crashes, injuries, suicide, and homicide.

Symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder Stages & Descriptions

Alcohol use that turns into an alcohol use disorder develops in stages.

At-Risk Stage

• This is when a person drinks socially or drinks just to relieve stress or to feel better. A person may start to develop a tolerance for alcohol.

Early Alcohol Use Disorder

• In this stage, the person has progressed to drinking alone or in secret, blackouts, and thinking about drikng alcohol a lot.

Mid-Stage Alcohol Use Disorder

• Alcohol use is now out of control and causes difficulties and problems with daily life (family, work, financial, mental, and physical health). Organ damage (particularly the liver) can be seen on lab tests and scans.

End-Stage Alcohol Use Disorder

• Drinking is now the main focus of life, to the exclusion of food, health, intimacy, and happiness. Desperation, complications of organ damage, and death are now approaching.

What are the Symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)?

Having even a few symptoms, which might not be a sign of trouble, can signal a drinking problem. It certainly helps to know the signs and symptoms of alcohol use disorder so as to make a change early. Doctors diagnose alcohol use disorder when a person has two or more of the symptoms listed below. Alcohol use disorder can be mild if there is a presence of two to three alcohol use disorder symptoms. Moderate means the presence of four to five alcohol use disorder symptoms. Severe indicates the presence of six or more alcohol use disorder symptoms.

Check if you recognize any of these symptoms—or others, such as dysphoria, feeling low, or malaise—in yourself. But don’t worry, even if you have symptoms of an alcohol use disorder, you can take steps to reduce your risks.

In the past year, have you:

• Had times when you ended up drinking more, or longer, than you intended?
• More than once wanted to cut down or stop drinking, or tried to, but couldn’t?
• Spent a lot of time drinking, or being sick from drinking or getting over other aftereffects?
• Wanted a drink so badly you couldn’t think of anything else?
  Found that drinking—or being sick from drinking—often interfered with taking care of your home or family? Or caused job troubles? Or school problems?
• Continued to drink even though it was causing trouble with your family or friends?
• Given up or cut back on activities that were important or interesting to you, or gave you pleasure, in order to drink?
• More than once gotten into situations while or after drinking that increased your chances of getting hurt (such as driving, swimming, using machinery, walking in a dangerous area, or engaging in unsafe sexual behavior)?
• Continued to drink even though it was making you feel depressed or anxious or adding to another health problem? Or after having had an alcohol-related memory blackout?
• Had to drink much more than you once did to get the effect you want? Or found that your usual number of drinks had much less effect than before?
• Found that when the effects of alcohol were wearing off, you had withdrawal symptoms, such as trouble sleeping, shakiness, restlessness, nausea, sweating, a racing heart, dysphoria (feeling uneasy or unhappy), malaise (general sense of being unwell), feeling low, or a seizure? Or sensed things that were not there?

Finding the Next Level of Treatment for the Symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder

If you or your loved one is showing symptoms of alcohol use disorder, it is important that you seek support from your doctor or mental health professional. It’s never too late to reach out for help if you are trying to cope with alcohol or any other substance use disorder.

There are many effective alcohol treatments centers with programs, including ongoing individual therapy, group therapy, prescribed medications, or a combination of these methods [5].

If you or someone you love is struggling with any symptoms of alcohol use disorder, get them the safest help they need and deserve. Our team at We Level Up NJ specializes in creating an ideal environment and providing effective therapies.