{"id":1201,"date":"2022-01-18T11:42:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-18T16:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.therecoveryvillage.com\/?page_id=1201"},"modified":"2022-07-21T16:46:25","modified_gmt":"2022-07-21T20:46:25","slug":"alcoholism-vs-alcohol-use-disorder","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.therecoveryvillage.com\/alcohol-abuse\/alcoholism-vs-alcohol-use-disorder\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding The Difference Between Alcohol Use and Alcoholism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cAlcoholism\u201d is a term often used to describe someone with severe alcohol dependence. An alcohol use disorder is a medical diagnosis that can be mild, moderate or severe.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you have ever tried to find statistics on alcoholism<\/a> rates in the United States, you might have noticed a term used in its place: alcohol use disorder (AUD). The National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2019 reported 14.5 million people<\/a> aged 12 and older, or 5.3% of this age group, having an AUD. Additionally, 414,000 adolescents ages 12\u201317, or 1.7% of this age group, live with an AUD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This may confuse some people used to the terms \u201calcoholic\u201d and \u201calcoholism,\u201d though. What is an alcohol use disorder? How does it differ from alcoholism? Is there any difference at all? With the prevalence of Alcoholics Anonymous, the term alcoholism has become widely used in reference to anyone struggling with an alcohol problem. But do all alcoholics have an AUD? Is everyone with an AUD an alcoholic?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) classifies various mental illnesses and disorders. Mental health professionals use it nationwide to categorize and diagnose individuals seeking treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The updated DSM-V, released in May 2013, combined the two former categorizations of abnormal alcohol use (alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence) into one diagnosis: alcohol use disorder<\/a>. The severity of an individual\u2019s AUD is broken into classifications: mild, moderate or severe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The DSM-V classifies individuals as having an AUD if they meet any two of the eleven criteria listed below in the same 12-month period:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Drinking more or for a longer period of time than intended<\/li>
  2. Feeling incapable of cutting back on the amount of alcohol consumed<\/li>
  3. Becoming sick for an extended period of time as a result of drinking too much<\/li>
  4. Inability to concentrate due to alcohol cravings<\/li>
  5. Inability to care for a family, hold down a job, or perform in school<\/li>
  6. Continuing to drink despite problems caused with friends or family<\/li>
  7. Decreased participation in activities which were once important<\/li>
  8. Finding oneself in dangerous or harmful situations as a direct result of drinking<\/li>
  9. Continuing to drink despite adding to another health problem, feeling depressed or anxious or blacking out<\/li>
  10. Drinking more as a result of a tolerance to alcohol<\/li>
  11. Experiencing withdrawal symptoms<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    If you have experienced at least two of the above conditions in the same 12-month period, this suggests the potential for an alcohol use disorder. Whether you have mild, moderate or severe AUD depends on how many of these conditions apply to you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n