Alcohol Disorder Symptoms

Alcohol abuse can cause both physiological and psychological disorders. These conditions may occur in heavy drinkers who have abused alcohol over time. Dangerous medical conditions can affect the liver, and a drinker may experience withdrawal symptoms if they try to stop.

Alcohol Withdrawal

• Regular drinkers can suffer physical withdrawal if they refrain from using alcohol. The symptoms include anxiety, fatigue, shaky hands, perspiration, headache and inability to concentrate.

Alcoholic Liver Disease

• Alcohol damages the liver and repeated misuse can lead to problems with the organ. Alcoholic liver diseases starts off with a condition called fatty liver. There are no symptoms associated with this condition.

  Fatty liver progresses to alcoholic hepatitis, which is the swelling of the liver. This condition may progress without symptoms. Pain over the liver area, mild jaundice, lack of appetite and low fever are all signs of this disorder.

  Both fatty liver and alcoholic hepatitis can be reversed if alcohol intake is ceased.

Cirrhosis

• Cirrhosis is the irreversible scarring of the liver due to chronic alcohol abuse. This condition is not reversible and can result in major medical complications and even death. Symptoms include jaundice, fatigue, lack of appetite, itching skin and the tendency to bruise easily.

Psychological Symptoms

• Alcohol disorders can affect the mind as well as the body. Chronic abuse can cause depression, anxiety, the inability to pay attention and even hallucinations.

What is Safe Drinking?

• The Center's for Disease control states that 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women should have no negative effect on physical health. Ingesting 5 or more drinks in a single sitting is considered binge drinking. Regular binges increase the likelihood of alcohol disorders and complications. If you are worried about symptoms or think you have a problem, be sure to talk to your doctor.