Alcohol use and abuse occurs with a tremendous amount of variability among individuals. Frequently, there is a limited distinction between "social" or "moderate" drinking and "problem" or" harmful" drinking. It is obvious however, that as the frequency of drinking and the amount increases, so does the probability of problem behaviors frequently resulting in medical and psychosocial problems. A very prominent group of individuals affected by alcohol problems to a significant degree, who develop the syndrome of alcohol dependence, are usually referred to by most people as alcoholics. different groups of individuals with alcohol problems usually require different approaches to diagnosis and clinical management.

The effects of alcoholism include the strong need to drink, a need that can be as strong as the need for food or water. Also, the drinker might not be able to stop once drinking has begun. Short-term memory loss can be imminent, as can be blackouts, where the user appears to others that he or she is awake and fully conscious - but in reality has no sense of time or action. These are only some of the early physical effects of alcoholism, which can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, and ultimately death.

Alcoholism has attracted much attention as an inherited disease, inherent in family genes. Research shows that there is, indeed, a risk of developing alcoholism in some families and not others. Research studies are underway to determine the actual genes that lead to the risk of alcoholism. However, lifestyle is also a key factor, since the activities of friends, the amount of stress in someone's life, and the availability of alcohol can also play a significant role in determining one's risk for alcoholism. Experts say that even though alcoholism may run in specific families, it doesn't mean that the child of an alcoholic parent will automatically become an alcoholic. The opposite is true, as well - there are people who become alcoholics even though no one in their family has or had a drinking problem.

Studies indicate that teen binge drinking can lead to poor performance in school, difficulty in simple math or the inability to read a map. They also dispel the notion that a person could sustain heavy drinking for several years before causing neurological damage. Adolescent alcohol abuse and dependence may prove to be more damaging than alcoholism in adulthood by killing brain cells in the hippocampus, blocking brain receptors that form memories and causing protracted neurological impairments, the researchers say. research suggests that teens who binge drink may do damage to their memory and learning abilities by severely hampering the development of the hippocampus.

Family risk factors for teenagers developing drinking problems include low parent supervision or communication, family conflicts, inconsistent or severe parental discipline, and a family history of alcohol or drug abuse. Individual risk factors include problems managing impulses, emotional instability, thrill-seeking behaviors, and perceiving the risk of using alcohol to be low. Girls who drink, as well as teens who begin drinking prior to the age of 14 years and those whose mothers have drinking problems, are more likely to develop alcoholism. Teen risk factors for alcoholism differ a bit between the 14- to 16-year-old and 16- to 18-year-old age groups, in that the latter tend to be less likely to drink in excess when they have a close relationship with their mothers.

Many substances can bring on withdrawal-an effect caused by cessation or reduction in the amount of the substance used. Withdrawal can range from mild anxiety to seizures and hallucinations. Withdrawal from alcohol can cause anxiety, irregular heartbeat, tremor, seizures, and hallucinations. In its severest form, withdrawal combined with malnutrition can lead to a life-threatening condition called delirium tremens (DTs). Alcohol is the most common cause of liver failure in the US. The drug can cause heart enlargement and cancer of the esophagus, pancreas, and stomach. In addition to its direct health effects, officials associate alcohol abuse with nearly half of all fatal motor vehicle accidents. In 1992, the total economic cost of alcohol abuse was estimated at $150 billion.

In order to be successful with treatment for alcohol abuse or dependence, the abuser must be willing to admit that there is a problem and that they want to stop drinking. There is also a physical aspect of the success of alcohol abuse treatment. If the drinker is physically dependent on alcohol, treatment can take a long time. Completely stopping to drink needs to be the first step, and then treatment focuses on relieving withdrawal symptoms. Afterwards, it focuses on staying sober. Some people may need medicine that help reduce the symptoms of withdrawal. Also, counseling and support groups are a fundamental part of treatment, as it helps with the mental aspect of recovering from alcohol abuse.