What is Alcohol Use Disorder?

You Ask, We Answer

Alcohol use disorder is a common substance use disorder. Identifying factors for alcohol use disorder are, in the past year:

• Has use of alcohol interfered with functioning?
• Are there times that you've ended up drinking more or for longer periods of time than you intended?
• Have you tried to cut down on drinking or cut back or decrease your drinking and felt like you couldn't or it was harder to.
• Have you spent a lot of time drinking or being sick or recovering from the after effects?
• Have you had really strong cravings?
• Have you found that drinking interferes with taking care of your home or your family or caused work-related issues?
• Have you continued to drink, even though it was negatively impacting or causing conflict with your family?
• Have you given up or cut back on activities that were important or interesting to you or gave you pleasure?
• In order to use alcohol, have you gotten into situations while or after drinking that increased your chances of getting hurt?
• Have you continued to drink, even though it was affecting your mental health?
• Have you noticed that you've experienced any sort of withdrawal symptoms from drinking?
• Have you had increased tolerance, meaning needing to drink more for the same effect?

If you have more than two or three of these, you may meet criteria for an alcohol use disorder. If you have six or more of these, you might meet criteria for severe alcohol use disorder.

Treatment options are available. This video will overview many of the treatment options you or a loved one can consider for alcohol use disorder.

Featured in this video is Aimee Chiligiris, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health concerns. Dr. Chiligiris is Assistant Director of the Smithers Center and Assistant Professor at Columbia University Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Chiligiris completes diagnostic assessments, engages in individual therapy, and facilitates substance abuse groups.

If you or someone you know is self-harming, you can text a Crisis Text Line counselor at 741741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

You can also contact a health professional to learn more about treatment options.

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