Professional Diagnosis for Alcoholism Treatment
There will be a physical exam and questionnaire about your drinking habits for you to be diagnosed with alcoholism or alcohol use disorder. There is a chance also that your doctor may order blood work to check your liver function, and if you show signs or symptoms of liver disease. In fact, alcoholism can cause serious and lasting damage to your liver. Your liver is responsible for removing toxins from your blood. When you drink too much alcohol, your liver has a harder time filtering the other toxins from your bloodstream, and the alcohol itself.
As alcoholism can severely damage your liver, it can also lead to other health complications, including:
- Dementia
- Depression
- Nerve damage
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
- Cancer in the gastrointestinal tract
- Bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract
- High blood pressure
- Damage to brain cells
- Changes in mental status, including Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (a brain disease that causes symptoms such as confusion, vision changes, or memory loss)
Risk Factors and Causes of Alcoholism
You may be at a greater risk for alcohol addiction if you are:
- Having low self-esteem
- Experiencing a high level of stress
- A young adult experiencing peer pressure
- Having a close relative with alcohol use disorder
- Living in a family or culture where alcohol use is common and accepted
- Suffering from a mental health problem, such as depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia
- Drinking more than 5 drinks per day at least once a week or also known as binge drinking
What Are Symptoms Of Detoxing From Alcohol
