Alcoholism Conflicting Definitions

Although the use of the term 'alcoholism' is common, it has varying definitions. It usually refers to any condition which causes a person to keep drinking alcohol despite the evident negative medical and social consequences. The compulsion to drink alcohol, and a lack of awareness of the negative effects of heavy drinking are also referred to as 'alcoholism'. Not all definitions of alcoholism specify that recent or continuous intake of alcohol is a required, and some note the long-term effects of alcoholism such as symptoms of withdrawal.

The behaviour regarding alcohol consumption which leads to alcoholism varies wildly. It is impossible to predict the probability of becoming an alcoholic based on drinking habits, though obviously some alcohol intake is required. The biological processes which cause alcohol dependence are not fully understood, though influences such as mental health, genetic predisposition and social surroundings have been researched.

The word 'alcoholism' was first used in Sweden by Dr. Huss in 1849, but it was not brought into common usage until the 1940s with the founding of the Alcoholics Anonymous. The AA didn't have a clear definition for the disease, so they likened it to a kind of allergy.

A study done in 1960 by Dr. Jellinek put forward the modern theory that alcoholism is a disease. Although the medical definition in usage has been altered since, the perception of alcoholism as a disease has a large influence and following. A few medical experts still content that
alcoholism is not a disease and refer to it instead as 'heavy drinking' when talking about alcohol dependence.

Multiple tools are available to those wishing to conduct screening for alcoholism. Identification of alcoholism may be difficult because there is no detectable physiologic difference between a person who drinks frequently and a person with the condition. Identification involves an objective assessment regarding the damage that imbibing alcohol does to the drinker's life compared to the subjective benefits the drinker perceives from consuming alcohol. While there are many cases where an alcoholic's life has been significantly and obviously damaged, there are always borderline cases that can be difficult to classify.

The primary effect of alcoholism is to encourage the sufferer to drink at times and in amounts that are damaging. The secondary damage caused by an inability to control one's drinking manifests in many ways.

It is common for a person suffering from alcoholism to drink well after physical health effects start to manifest. The physical health effects associated with alcohol consumption may include cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, epilepsy, polyneuropathy, alcoholic dementia, heart disease, increased chance of cancer, nutritional deficiencies, sexual dysfunction, and death from many sources.