Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a dependency on alcohol characterized by craving (a strong need to drink), loss of control (being unable to stop drinking despite a desire to do so), physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms, and tolerance (increasing difficulty of becoming drunk).

Medical effects

The long-term effects of alcohol dependency include:

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• pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas
• heart disease, including coronary artery disease
• neuropathy, or damage to the nerves
• bleeding esophageal varices, or enlarged veins in the tube that connects the esophagus to the stomach
• brain degeneration and alcoholic neuropathy
• cirrhosis of the liver, a chronic disease that causes destruction of liver cells and loss of liver function
• depression, insomnia, anxiety, and suicide
• high blood pressure
• increased incidence of many types of cancer, including breast cancer
• nutritional deficiencies
• Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a neuropsychiatric disorder caused by thiamine deficiency that results from poor nutrition in alcoholics
• significant damage to occupational, social, and interpersonal areas, including sexual dysfunction
• Personality changes toward others, especially those who are close