If You Are Suffering From Alcohol Use Disorder, Here's What You Must Know

Do you experience an uncontrollable urge to drink? Do you find it difficult to ascertain how much you want to drink and feel out of control to stop? It may be because of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Risky drinking - which involves drinking in risky situations, refraining from doing important activities because of alcohol, experiencing negative thoughts when you're not drinking alcohol, drinking even on times when you have some obligations and continuing to drink even though it is causing problems or worsening them - is a sign of this medical condition known as alcohol use disorder.

Your risks of having a alcohol use disorder are dependent on how severe your symptoms are and how frequently you experience them.

Also read: Alcohol Addiction: Know The Causes And Treatments

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Symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder

Here are some more symptoms of AUD you need to watch out for:

you have to drink to be social; you hurt people or get angry when you drink; you don't tell the truth when a loved one asks you how much you drink; alcohol helps you escape from feelings; you want to drive after drinking; you mix alcohol with medications; you are unable to sleep without drinking; you drink when you're pregnant or are taking care of small children; you find it difficult to remember what you did when you were drinking; in order to feel the effect of alcohol, you keep on drinking; you have face legal problems because of drinking; you are thinking about drinking all the time; when you stop drinking, you experience withdrawal symptoms like seizures, nausea, shakiness and trouble in sleeping when you stop drinking after too long; your give up on your responsibilities for drinking and you tried to stop drinking but failed.

According to WebMd, you are more likely to have AUD if one or more of the above symptoms are true.

Also read: 5 Things You Should Avoid Doing When Having Alcohol

Causes of Alcohol Use Disorder

Environmental, social, genetic and psychological factors are responsible for how alcohol affects your body and behaviour. With the passage of time, alcohol can change normal functioning of some areas of your brain - associated with judgment, pleasure and ability to control your behaviour. This increases your craving for alcohol thinking that it may restore good feelings and reduce the negative ones.

Alcohol can ruin relationships
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Effects of AUD on your health

AUD is likely to cause memory loss, blackouts and hangovers. Effects of AUD in the long run are much more severe. You are likely to suffer from heart problems, stomach problems, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, cancer, liver cirrhosis, brain damage and permanent memory loss.

As a person with AUD, you are at risk of experiencing car accidents, feeling suicidal or feeling as if you are going to drown.

Also read: Which Kind Of Alcohol Is Safest For Health? Luke Tells Us This And How Much One Should Drink

What's more is that regular drinking can damage your relationship with loved ones. It can give room to anger problems, violence, neglect and physical and mental abuse. Drinking during pregnancy increases risk of miscarriage.

It is important to know that no amount of alcohol is safe for your health. If you feel you cannot do without drinking alcohol on a daily basis or experience any of the aforementioned symptoms, you must visit a doctor and get yourself appropriate treatment.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.