Is Alcoholism Considered a Mental Illness?

As alcohol becomes a coping mechanism, it can mask underlying mental health issues, making it difficult to diagnose and treat depression. Moreover, the consequences of alcoholism, such as strained relationships, financial difficulties, and legal problems, can further contribute to feelings of hopelessness and despair. Additionally, we’ll discuss the stigma surrounding alcoholism and the long-term effects of untreated alcoholism on mental health.

• Mental illness has been defined as a health condition that affects mood, thinking, and behavior.
• When a person is dependent and stops drinking, they will experience uncomfortable symptoms, as the body is reacting to the absence of alcohol.
• This is why a person who abuses drugs eventually feels flat, unmotivated, lifeless, and depressed and is unable to enjoy previously pleasurable activities.
• To top it all off, alcoholism kills nearly 90,000 people in the United States every year.
• For instance, a person may seem depressed only when withdrawing from alcohol, or they may show symptoms of psychosis only when intoxicated.

Is Alcoholism a Chronic Disease?

The person may drink in order to cope with stress or anxiety, but they find that mental health becomes worse, because they are beginning to experience problems from drinking. An alcohol use disorder is a condition listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). As a condition in this manual, an alcohol use disorder is often considered to be a mental health condition. Beyond the fact that alcohol use disorder is included in this manual, it’s important to consider that chronic alcohol misuse causes lasting changes in the brain, which can make it difficult to reduce drinking. As such, it is reasonable to classify alcohol use disorder as a mental health condition. One of the main reasons for this stigma is the lack of understanding and education surrounding alcoholism and mental illness.

Seek Help for Alcohol Addiction

• The wide availability of alcohol leads to its common use with other substances–legal and illegal.
• Additionally, the drinker might begin to experience some health-related issues in addition to possible financial problems as a result of performance-related issues at work due to the drinking.
• Around 18 percent of the general population have a co-occurring anxiety disorder of some form.4 Social anxiety disorders have a particularly strong link to marijuana use problems.
• Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

Co-occurring conditions can also make the treatment of both illnesses more complicated. Based upon what is known about the mental health effects of alcohol, both scenarios noted above are possible. Some people may have a co-occurring or pre-existing mental health disorder, whereas others may develop an alcohol-induced mental disorder. There is some disagreement regarding whether alcohol misuse itself causes mental what is alcoholism health problems, or if people who have mental health problems are more likely to misuse alcohol to cope with symptoms of mental illness. In the severe stage of alcohol misuse, drinking problems increase in intensity.

Group and Individual Therapy

Feb. 13, 2025 – For years, some people taking the drug semaglutide to treat diabetes or obesity have reported not only eating less, but drinking less alcohol. Mental health treatment frequently focuses on and explores a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, emphasising how to improve those feelings through one-on-one counselling or group therapy. When two or more conditions co-occur, the diagnosis is known as a co-occurring disorder, comorbidity, or dual diagnosis. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that affects many people who have experienced or witnessed traumatic events. These events include natural disasters, severe accidents, war/combat scenes, and rape, among others.

Spending a Significant Amount of Time Drinking

• By raising awareness, reducing stigma, and improving access to treatment, we can make a difference in the lives of those affected by alcoholism.
• The prevalence of AUD among people treated for anxiety disorders is about %.
• Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the proper term for a condition in which there is an inability to control alcohol use despite a negative impact on health and other aspects of a person’s life.
• In the initial stages of alcohol use disorder, a person may only show a few symptoms.
• Treatment approaches like those at Recovery Unplugged focus on whole-person healing, addressing alcohol addiction as a disease and considering the mental, emotional, and behavioral factors that contribute to it.

Addiction (including alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and process addictions) is a complex condition—a brain disorder that is manifested by compulsive use despite harmful consequences. People with addiction or severe substance use disorder have an intense focus on using a certain substance(s), such as alcohol or drugs, to the point that it takes over their life. In earlier versions of the DSM, alcoholism was categorized as a subset of personality disorders. Since mental health and substance use disorders are chronic diseases, they require ongoing management of symptoms. Although there isn’t any cure, they can be managed effectively like other diseases. Similar to depression and other mental illnesses, addiction is an actual medical disorder that is grounded in brain changes.

Which Mental Disorder Is Most Commonly Comorbid With Alcohol Use Disorder?

A multidisciplinary team can also deliver a comprehensive approach to treatment by clinicians and professionals working together on an individual’s treatment plan. On the other hand, excessive drinking could contribute to the symptoms of depression or anxiety. NIDA has reported that about 50% of all people who have one condition also have the other.

Levels of Care

Just many other diseases, while they might not be curable, they can be treated. Also, like other types of diseases, it does not discriminate based on age, gender, or even ethnicity. To top it all off, alcoholism kills nearly 90,000 people in the United States every year.

To avoid intrusive thoughts or behaviors, some people with OCD turn to alcohol and drugs. However, instead of helping someone relax and escape their fears, substance misuse may make OCD worse. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and panic disorder are all connected to an increased risk of co-occurring alcoholism. If you’re asking about the effects of alcohol on mental health, the answers to the following questions provide additional information. A person in the problematic stage of AUD may begin to struggle at work because of their drinking, experience problems in their relationships, and spend most of their time drinking.

Earlier versions of the DSM classified alcoholism as a subset of personality disorders. In the initial stages of alcohol use disorder, a person may only show a few symptoms. At this point, the person may meet diagnostic criteria, but the condition is only mild or moderate.

From a mental side, the obsession with not just drinking but also finding that next drink is so severe that it prevents the drinker from being able to do anything else until they get that drink in their hands. Untreated alcoholism can have significant long-term effects on your mental health. One of the key impacts is on cognitive function, as excessive alcohol consumption can impair your memory, attention, and decision-making abilities.