In 2006, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 23.6 million Americans ages 12 and older had a substance or alcohol problem. Out of the 2.5 million who sought treatment at a specialty facility, 40 percent received help for alcohol abuse or dependence. CAGE, an acronym for cut down, annoyed, guilty and eye-opener, is a diagnostic questionnaire you can use to determine if you have a problem with drinking.
Quantity
It is recommended that men drink no more than two drinks a day and women have no more than one. Binge drinking, according to Kidshealth.org, is one episode of five or more drinks by a man and four or more drinks by a woman in the past two weeks. Heavy binge drinking occurs when that much is consumed three or more times in two weeks. Alcohol dependence, while not identified by a specific number of drinks per day, can be characterized by the onset of withdrawal symptoms once a person abstains from drinking.
Assessment
"The Merck Manual," a respected medical textbook, explains that the CAGE Assessment questionnaire is something you can use on your own to determine if you drink too much. If you ever felt like you need to cut down on your drinking; if you've ever been annoyed by comments or criticisms about your drinking; if your drinking has ever made you feel guilty; or if you've ever needed a drink first thing in the morning or to treat a hangover, it's likely that your drinking is already out of control.
Diagnosis
The CAGE Assessment, a screening tool, will suggest a diagnosis of alcoholism. To get a definitive diagnosis, an addiction specialist will use the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" to determine if you qualify for alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence. Alcohol abuse, according to Hugh Myrick, M.D., associate professor at the Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs in South Carolina, is characterized by at least one of these: the inability to fulfill obligations, drinking in hazardous situations or personal or professional problems associated with your drinking. Dependence is defined by an increasing tolerance to alcohol, drinking more than you've intended, continued use despite the problems alcohol has caused, disregard of activities and personal responsibilities.
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome
When an alcohol-dependent person stops drinking, even in the short term, he will experience withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome, AWS, ranges from mildly psychological symptoms to dangerously physical symptoms. The list includes tremors, anxiety, sweating, emotional outbursts, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, delirium tremens, or tremors combined with violent delirium, and more.
Effective Treatment
Once diagnosed as alcohol dependent, you can get treatment for your alcoholism at a detoxification facility and rehabilitation treatment center. The principles for effective treatment of addiction, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, involves individual or group therapy treatment; medication combined with behavioral therapy, a continuing assessment of your treatment so that your changing needs are met and medically assisted detox to ease and prevent symptoms of withdrawal.
