Alcohol misuse causes considerable harm to individual, families and communities - both in the short term and the long term.
Physical problems that can be caused by alcohol misuse include:
- liver disease
- heart disease
- stroke
Psychological problems that can be caused by alcohol misuse include:
- depression
- loss of memory
- impaired judgement
Social problems that can be caused by alcohol misuse include:
- violence
- domestic abuse
- losing jobs
Outlook
The challenge in treating somebody with alcohol misuse is two-fold, as you must:
- get them to accept that they have a problem with alcohol
- persuade them to seek help for that problem
If both of these challenges can be met, the outlook for people who misuse is actually moderately good. An estimated 60% of people with an alcohol dependency who seek treatment for their condition will either achieve a substantial reduction in their alcohol consumption or achieve total abstinence.
Continue to next section: Defining a drink problem