Alcohol Use Disorder

DSM-V DIAGNOSIS

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

"Why don't they just stop using it? I bet it's easy to quit."

"Addiction is a choice."

Two or more of the following symptoms within a 1-year period:

• Failure to meet obligations
• Repeated use in physically dangerous situations
• Frequent relationship problems
• Continued use despite problems brought on by substance
• Tolerance
• Withdrawal
• Substance taken for longer periods of time or larger quantities than intended.
• Efforts to reduce use are unsuccessful
• Much time spent trying to obtain substance
• Social, hobbies, or work activities given up or reduced
• Strong craving to use substance.

Truth: Due to symptoms like tolerance and withdrawal, quitting can be much harder than just making a personal choice to stop

Truth: There are many more factors at play, such as culture, social setting, and neurobiology that can lead to and facilitate addiction regardless of choice.

DEFINITION

CITATIONS

PREVALENCE

College-age individuals and alcohol abuse

• Males: 43.5%
• Females: 16%

Kring, A.M., Johnson, S.L. Davidson, G & Neale , J. ( 2014) Abnormal Psychology. 12th Edition DSM-5 Update. Wiley

Miles, S. R., Graham, D. P., & Teng, E. J. (2015). Examining th influence of mild traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder on alcohol use disorder in OEF/OIF veterans. Military Medicine, 180(1), 45-52. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1678750922?accountid=14496

White and Hispanic Individuals are more likely to have alcohol use problems than African Americans or Asian Americans.

• Characterized by an addiction and dependence on alcohol to function normally.
• Basis of addiction:
• Tolerance: larger quantities are required to create desired effect.
• Withdrawal: Negative psychological and physiological effects that manifest when substance is reduced or cut off completely.

College student deaths from alcohol abuse each year:

1,800

People with alcohol or drug abuse with at least one other mental disorder: 21.3%

RISK FACTORS

TREATMENTS

Inpatient Hospital Treatment

Medication

• Detoxification is usually the first step in order to combat withdrawal symptoms and facilitate recovery.

• In-patient therapy is seen as only truly effective for detoxification, as studies have shown that outpatient therapy after 8 days in hospitalized detox is just as effective as longer inpatient therapy.

• Antabuse: Drug that triggers violent vomiting if alcohol is ingested. Unsurprisingly, dropout rates are as high as 80%.

• Naltrexone: Blocks flow of endorphins that are triggered by alcohol, thus decreasing craving. Effective with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

• Being a relative of a problem drinker
• Raised in environment with peers who drink
• Inheritance of high tolerance
• Deficiency in Dopamine receptor DRD2
• High Stress and Anxiety
• Easy availability of alcohol
• Frequent exposure of alcohol advertising.
• Being a male veteran with PTSD (Miles et al, 2015)

Alcoholics Anonymous

Controlled Drinking

• Frequent communal meetings in which members are asked to introduce themselves as alcoholics and divulge how alcohol has negatively affected their lives. Social supports are reinforced as each member encourages each other to abstain from alcohol in times of temptation.

• Moderation rather than complete abstinence may be a more attainable goal and reinforce a sense of self-control one has over their own behavior.

• About as effective as any other treatment for alcohol use, but there seems to be high drop out rates.

• More practical in situations where drinking by peers is frequent.

Contingency Management Therapy

• Reinforcement based therapy taught to client and family in order to encourage behavior unrelated to drinking through rewards and desirable outcomes.

• Assertiveness and social skills are also taught in order to successfully stand up to peer pressure in social drinking situations.

ALCOHOL USE DISORDER