Alcohol dependence
Alcohol dependence is a disorder which can occur if one gets used to the effects of alcohol and requires more alcohol to get the desired effect. This is called tolerance. A person with alcohol dependence may experience an uncontrollable need for alcohol.
The causes for alcohol abuse and dependence can not be easily explained.
The long-term effects of alcohol dependency include:
- 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 windpipe 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's 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
External links
- Alcohol dependence at iqhealth.com (http://atoz.iqhealth.com/HealthAnswers/encyclopedia/HTMLfiles/2790.html)
- Mental Health Matters: Alcohol Addiction (http://www.mental-health-matters.com/disorders/dis_details.php?disID=4)
- Psych Forums: Alcohol Addiction Forum (http://www.psychforums.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=152)