What is an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)?
Here’s how the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA) defines AUD:
“…a chronic relapsing brain disease characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. AUD can range from mild to severe, and recovery is possible regardless of severity.”
The NIAA reports the following facts and figures on alcohol and alcohol use disorder (AUD):
- 29.5 million people in the U.S. have an AUD
- 28.6 million adults 18+ have an AUD
- 6.7% received professional treatment and support
- Almost 1 million adolescents 12-17 have an AUD
- 5.2% received professional treatment and support
These figures mean millions of people with unhealthy drinking habits don’t get the help they need. Untreated alcohol use disorder involving chronic, heavy alcohol use can lead to severe health conditions, including:
- Liver damage
- Heart damage
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
- Kidney damage
- Pancreas damage
- Various forms of cancer
At Pinnacle Treatment, we can help. We offer individualized treatment programs that address the whole person – mind, body, and spirit – and give you the chance to rediscover what life is like without alcohol.
If you know you have an alcohol problem, don’t wait until it gets worse.
You Can Heal, Grow, and Change With Us
If you think you may have a drinking problem, the guidelines established by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) present clear criteria for an accurate diagnosis. The DSM-V defines three different levels of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD): mild, moderate, and severe. To determine where you are on the continuum, answer the following questions from a self-screen endorsed by the NIAA:
- Experience unintended excessive drinking?
- Been unable to cut down on drinking?
- Spent much time drinking or dealing with the side effects?
- Had intense alcohol cravings?
- Had problems with family, work/school, or home life because of drinking?
- Kept drinking even though you answered yes to any part of question (5)?
- Sacrificed activities you enjoy for drinking?
- Engaged in risky behavior under influence?
- Had memory blackouts or emotional impact from drinking?
- Built a tolerance, needing more alcohol?
- Experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking?
Here’s how to score that test:
- Zero “yes” answers mean you do not meet criteria for AUD
- 2-3 “yes” answers mean you meet criteria for Mild AUD
- 4-5 “yes” answers mean you meet criteria for Moderate AUD
- 6 or more “yes” answers mean you meet criteria for Severe AUD
Only a licensed medical practitioner can give you a legitimate medical diagnosis. The questionnaire above is for your information only. It doesn’t take the place of an assessment administered by a mental health professional.