Does a person have to be alcoholic to experience problems from alcohol?

No. Even if you are not alcoholic, abusing alcohol can have negative results, such failure to meet major work, school, or family responsibilities because of drinking; alcohol-related legal trouble; automobile crashes due to drinking; and a variety of alcohol-related medical problems. Under some circumstances, problems can result from even moderate drinking--for example, when driving, during pregnancy, or when taking certain medicines.  more

No. Even if you are not alcoholic, abusing alcohol can have negative results. Alcohol abuse is likely if an individual exhibits at least one of the following traits: • Continued use despite social or interpersonal problems by drinking. • Recurrent drinking when alcohol use is physically hazardous. • Recurrent drinking resulting in a failure to fulfill major obligations at work, school or home. • Recurrent alcohol-related legal problems. • Under some circumstances, serious problems can result from even moderate drinking, for example, when driving, during pregnancy, or when taking certain medications. If I have trouble with drinking, can't I simply reduce my alcohol use without stopping altogether? It depends. If you are diagnosed as an alcoholic, the answer is "no." Studies show that nearly all alcoholics who try to merely cut down on drinking are unable to do so indefinitely. Instead, receiving the necessary professional support for cutting out alcohol (that is, abstaining) is nearly ...  more

Dr. Nancy Snyderman My answer would be no. What do my experts think? Marc Kern No. John Schwarzlose My answer would also be no. It was addressed in the show, that more people fall into the criteria for problem drinkers than meet the criteria for alcoholism. Krammy says: If I have trouble with drinking, can't I simply reduce my alcohol use without stopping altogether? Marc Kern Well, yes, absolutely! That is the safest, surest way of never having alcohol again. John Schwarzlose I really agree that if someone is not addicted to alcohol, they would have a choice of cutting back, or cutting it out altogether but they still have that choice. Ing says: What is the "craving brain"? Dr. Nancy Snyderman I came away from doing this story with the understanding that not everyone buys into the theory of the craving brain. In fact, not every alcoholic falls into that. I would love to hear from the experts. Marc Kern I generally don't utilize that conceptualization. I do believe that all humans ...  more

No. Even if you are not alcoholic, abusing alcohol can have negative results, such failure to meet major work, school, or family responsibilities because of drinking; alcohol-related legal trouble; automobile crashes due to drinking; and a variety of alcohol-related medical problems. Under some circumstances, problems can result from even moderate drinking--for example, when driving, during pregnancy, or when taking certain medicines. top Are certain groups of people more likely to develop alcohol problems than others? Yes. Nearly 14 million people in the United States--1 in every 13 adults--abuse alcohol or are alcoholic. However, more men than women are alcohol dependent or experience alcohol-related problems. In addition, rates of alcohol problems are highest among young adults ages 18-29 and lowest among adults 65 years and older. Among major U.S. ethnic groups, rates of alcoholism and alcohol-related problems vary. top How can you tell whether you or someone close to you has an ...  more