The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA; 1997), a part of the National Institutes of Health, estimates that about 10 percent of all U.S. adults suffer from alcoholism—they are addicted to the ethanol in alcohol. In a steadily worsening pattern of heavy drinking, the person loses control and becomes so dependent on alcohol that physical and mental health are jeopardized and social and occupational functioning are impaired. Alcoholism begins with alcohol abuse. Here are some early warning signs of alcohol abuse:
Alcoholism is a chronic, often lifelong condition.
Tolerance—increasing the amount of alcohol needed to achieve the same effect.
Increasing the frequency of drinking.
Drinking to achieve a mood (such as happiness) or to relieve a mood (feelings of anxiety, for example).
Drinking to feel better physically.
Unsuccessful attempts to stop drinking.
In advanced cases, an inability to stop drinking without experiencing withdrawal—negative physical symptoms, such as muscle tremors.
