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Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
Summary
What is alcohol use disorder (AUD)?
For most adults, moderate alcohol use is probably not harmful. However, about 18 million adult Americans have an alcohol use disorder (AUD). This means that their drinking causes distress and harm. AUD can range from mild to severe, depending on the symptoms. Severe AUD is sometimes called alcoholism or alcohol dependence.
AUD is a disease that causes:
- Craving – a strong need to drink
- Loss of control – not being able to stop drinking once you’ve started
- Negative emotional state – feeling anxious and irritable when you are not drinking
What is binge drinking?
Binge drinking is drinking so much at once that your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level is 0.08% or more. For a man, this usually happens after having 5 or more drinks within a few hours. For a woman, it is after about 4 or more drinks within a few hours. Not everyone who binge drinks has an AUD, but they are at higher risk for getting one.
What are the dangers of too much alcohol?
Too much alcohol is dangerous. Heavy drinking can increase the risk of certain cancers. It may lead to liver diseases, such as fatty liver disease and cirrhosis. It can also cause damage to the brain and other organs. Drinking during pregnancy can harm your baby. Alcohol also increases the risk of death from car crashes, injuries, homicide, and suicide.
How do I know if I have an alcohol use disorder (AUD)?
You may have an AUD if you can answer yes to two or more of these questions:
In the past year, have you:
- Ended up drinking more or for a longer time than you had planned to?
- Wanted to cut down or stop drinking, or tried to, but couldn’t?
- Spent a lot of your time drinking or recovering from drinking?
- Felt a strong need to drink?
- Found that drinking – or being sick from drinking – often interfered with your family life, job, or school?
- Kept drinking even though it was causing trouble with your family or friends?
- Given up or cut back on activities that you enjoyed just so you could drink?
- Gotten into dangerous situations while drinking or after drinking? Some examples are driving drunk and having unsafe sex.
- Kept drinking even though it was making you feel depressed or anxious? Or when it was adding to another health problem?
- Had to drink more and more to feel the effects of the alcohol?
- Had withdrawal symptoms when the alcohol was wearing off? They include trouble sleeping, shakiness, irritability, anxiety, depression, restlessness, nausea, and sweating. In severe cases, you could have a fever, seizures, or hallucinations.
If you have any of these symptoms, your drinking may already be a cause for concern. The more symptoms you have, the more serious the problem is.
What should I do if I think that I might have an alcohol use disorder (AUD)?
If you think you might have an AUD, see your health care provider for an evaluation. Your provider can help make a treatment plan, prescribe medicines, and if needed, give you treatment referrals.
NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Genetics
- Alcohol Alert: Genetics of Alcoholism National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- Alcohol use disorder: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
Statistics and Research
- Alcohol Facts and Statistics National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Related Issues
- Alcohol Poisoning Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Alcohol’s Effects on the Body National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- Binge Drinking Is a Serious But Preventable Public Health Problem Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- PTSD and Problems with Alcohol Use National Center for PTSD
- Smoking Cessation in Recovering Alcoholics American Academy of Family Physicians
- The Truth About Holiday Spirits National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Patient Handouts
- Alcohol use disorder Medical Encyclopedia
- Alcohol withdrawal Medical Encyclopedia
- Alcoholic ketoacidosis Medical Encyclopedia
- Alcoholic liver disease Medical Encyclopedia
- Alcoholic neuropathy Medical Encyclopedia
- Deciding to quit drinking alcohol Medical Encyclopedia
- Health risks of alcohol use Medical Encyclopedia
- Helping a loved one with a drinking problem Medical Encyclopedia
- When you are drinking too much – tips for cutting back Medical Encyclopedia
Treatments and Therapies
- Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) Treatment: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine
- NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Health Check Tools
- Alcohol Use Screening Department of Veterans Affairs
- Calculators National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- Interactive Worksheets and More National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Diagnosis and Tests
- Alcohol Use Screening Tests National Library of Medicine
- Blood Alcohol Level National Library of Medicine
- Gamma-glutamyl Transferase (GGT) Test National Library of Medicine
- Screening Tests National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Encyclopedia
- Beriberi Medical Encyclopedia
- Central pontine myelinolysis Medical Encyclopedia
- Delirium tremens Medical Encyclopedia
- How to stop drinking Medical Encyclopedia
- Ketones blood test Medical Encyclopedia
- Myths about drinking alcohol Medical Encyclopedia
- Pellagra Medical Encyclopedia
- Substance use recovery and diet Medical Encyclopedia
- Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome Medical Encyclopedia
Living With
- Children of Alcoholics American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Intervention: Help a Loved One Overcome Addiction Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Support Strategies for Quitting National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- Taking Medicines Safely after Alcohol or Drug Abuse Recovery American Academy of Family Physicians
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Alcoholism National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Binge Drinking National Institutes of Health
NIH MedlinePlus Magazine
- Confronting Alcohol Use Disorder and Misconceptions as a Woman
- How Much Is Too Much? 5 Things You Need to Know about Binge Drinking
- Tips for Supporting Loved Ones with Alcohol Use Disorders
- Why Alcohol-Use Research Is More Important than Ever
Teenagers
- Coping with an Alcoholic Parent Nemours Foundation
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Drinking Levels Defined National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Women
- Excessive Alcohol Use and Risks to Women’s Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Men
- Excessive Alcohol Use Is a Risk to Men’s Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Start Here
- Faces of Change: Do I Have a Problem with Alcohol or Drugs? Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- How Many Is Too Many? When Drinking Becomes a Problem National Institutes of Health
- Rethinking Drinking: Questions and Answers National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- Understanding Alcohol Use Disorder National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Older Adults
- Facts about Aging and Alcohol National Institute on Aging
Find an Expert
- FindTreatment.gov Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- Getting Help National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Journal Articles
Symptoms
- What Are Symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder? National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism