Misusing alcohol can lead to serious problems. Alcohol-use disorder can be mild, moderate, or severe. Alcohol-use disorder is a pattern of drinking that can lead to problems at work, home, or school. Older terms used to describe this disorder are alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, and alcoholism. The disorder is considered a disease. Symptoms include a very strong craving for alcohol, loss of control over drinking, or physical dependence. Learn more about the effects of abusing alcohol by taking this quiz, based on information from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
Severe alcoholism is now called severe alcohol-use disorder. Its symptoms may include:
A person with mild, moderate, or severe alcohol-use disorder can get help from treatment.
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