Alcohol is considered to be a common part of Australian life and can be enjoyable too — at least in the right doses. But it’s a drug and like many other drugs it can cause problems for those who use too much of it.
What is alcohol abuse?
Alcohol abuse and problem drinking both mean drinking at a level that causes harm to a person, either to their health or to their personal or working life.
Top of page
What is meant by tolerance to alcohol?
We all know someone who can ‘hold their drink’. They’re the ones who seem relatively sober while everyone else around them is showing the effects of alcohol. This ability to ‘cope better’ with alcohol can result from developing a tolerance to it. While this might seem like an advantage, there’s a downside. It can encourage higher alcohol consumption — because the body does not feel the effects of the alcohol as it used to — which may lead to an increased risk of alcohol abuse.
Top of page
What is meant by alcohol dependence?
There are degrees of dependence on alcohol according to The Right Mix, a guide to alcohol and health from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Some level of dependence is quite common — people may find it a little difficult to go a day without a drink, for example, or find it hard to stop before having several drinks even when there’s a good reason not to drink. Although this level of dependence may not initially seem to be a big problem, for some people the dependency may grow and become of increasing concern.
Being physically dependent on alcohol (sometimes called ‘alcoholism’) is at the severe end of the spectrum of problem-drinking. A person can become so used to having alcohol in their system that they only feel they can function as usual when they’re drinking. When they stop using alcohol their body must physically readjust to going without it — a process called withdrawal. For some people withdrawal is easier than others, but for heavy drinkers, withdrawal symptoms can be severe.
Top of page
What are the signs that someone is dependent on alcohol?
Signs can include:
- alcohol use being central to their life
- spending a lot of time thinking about alcohol — getting it, using it and getting over its effects
- having anxiety or depression, which can sometimes be caused or made worse by alcohol use
- increased tolerance to alcohol
- cravings for alcohol
- problems with work and relationships as a result of alcohol use
- continued drinking even though alcohol is causing harm to their health, personal relationships or their job.
Top of page
What symptoms do people with alcohol dependence have when they stop drinking?
Typical withdrawal symptoms can include:
- shaking (tremors)
- nausea and vomiting
- anxiety
- depression
- sweating
- headache
- difficulty sleeping (which may last several weeks).
In some cases the effects of withdrawal on the body can be extreme — leading to convulsions, cramps, vomiting, delusions, hallucinations and even death.
Alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous for heavy drinkers. Anyone who is dependent on alcohol and wants to quit should see a doctor or someone from a drug and alcohol service first — they may need professional assistance to help them safely stop drinking .
Top of page
Who is most at risk of alcohol dependence?
Anyone can become dependent on alcohol, but some people have an increased risk including anyone:
- With a family history of alcohol or drug dependence
- With a mental health problem, including anxiety or depression, who uses alcohol to feel better.
Top of page
What help is available?
Whether it’s yours or someone else’s drinking problem, there are services that can help. Information on how to contact some of these services is listed below in the Further Information section.
Top of page
Further information
DrugInfo Clearing House: to help you find a range of free, anonymous drug and alcohol services that may be available in your local area. www.druginfo.adf.org.au/support
Smart Recovery: free self-help program offering face-to-face or online group support smartrecoveryaustralia.com.au/
The Australian Centre for Addiction Research: offers free controlled drinking programs by correspondence or online www.acar.net.au/cdcp01.html
Department of Veterans' Affairs — The Right Mix. www.therightmix.gov.au/www/html/692-home-page.asp
Top of page
Sources
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey. Canberra, ACT: AIHW. 2008 [accessed 20 Aug 2010] Available from: http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10674
Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia. Drug treatment for alcohol dependence. Adelaide, SA: Government of South Australia. [last updated 1 Oct 2009, accessed 20 Aug 2010] Available from: http://www.dassa.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=125
Latt N Saunders JB. Alcohol Misuse and Dependence. Australian Family Physician. 2002. 31(12): 1079–1085.
DrugInfo Clearinghouse. Alcohol. [online] Melbourne, VIC: Australian Drug Foundation. 2006. [accessed 20 Aug 2010] Available from: http://druginfo.adf.org.au/druginfo/drugs/drugfacts/pages/alcohol.aspx
National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre. The Harmful Effects of Alcohol. [online] Kensington, NSW: University of NSW Faculty of Medicine. c2005 [accessed 19 Aug 2010] Available from: http://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/NDARCWeb.nsf/resources/NDARCFact_Drugs5/$file/HARMFUL EFFECTS ALCOHOL.pdf
National Health and Medical Research Council. Australian Guidelines: To Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol. Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia. 2009 [accessed 19 Aug 2010] Available from: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/file/publications/synopses/ds10-alcohol.pdf
The Right Mix. Alcohol Dependence. Woden, ACT: Commonwealth Department of Veterans’ Affairs. 2009 [accessed 20 Aug 2010] Available from: http://www.therightmix.gov.au/resources/documents/P01994B_Alcohol_Dependence.pdf
Last published 31 October 2010
