What is alcohol abuse?

The excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages by an individual is referred to as alcohol abuse, whether done on an individual basis or regularly. Typically, binge drinking is one of the more common characteristics of alcohol substance abuse. Additionally, alcohol causes physical damage and can even be fatal. Any amounts of alcohol consumed by children and/or pregnant women can be defined as alcohol abuse depending on the laws of the state that they live in.

A few statistics from the CDC

The CDC publishes statistics every year regarding alcohol substance abuse in the US. It is considered a public health threat and the following statistics emphasize that point. The prevalence of alcohol abuse is indicated by the fact that:

• 52% of all adults 18 years old or older who are considered frequent or regular drinkers
• 13% of the same group is labeled as infrequent drinkers

The two key CDC statistics involving mortality that is alcohol related include:

• 14,406 deaths annually resulting from alcoholic liver disease
• 23,199 deaths annually resulting from alcohol-induced deaths and do not include vehicular accidents or homicides

Additional shocking statistics include the following:

• $276 billion – the cost of untreated alcohol and drug abuse (the expenses involved with health care, law enforcement, lost productivity, and welfare programs)
• 50% – the amount of highway fatalities that are caused by drunk drivers
• 1 out of 13 – the number of Americans that are alcoholics or abuse alcohol
• 26 years – alcohol substance abuse causes life expectancy to decrease by this many years (involves 95% of the alcoholics in the US)
• Nearly 50% – the amount of accidental deaths, murders, and suicides that are alcohol related

The warning signs of alcohol abuse

There are a number of emotional and physical “red flags” or warning signs indicating that alcohol substance abuse is present and that you should be aware of if you feel that you or a loved one has a problem with alcohol. The following are the most common warning signs that you need to be aware of:

Emotional Warning Signs:

• thoughts regarding suicide
• lacking motivation
• inability to concentrate
• guilt and worry
• feelings worthless
• crying spells/hysterical outbursts

Physical Warning signs:

• unexplainable aches and pains
• loss of appetite
• insomnia and restlessness
• headaches and migraines
• energy levels are below normal
• continual fatigue

If any of these warning signs or any combination of them is occurring, there is a high probability that alcohol substance abuse is present and you should get help immediately.