Alcoholism (alcohol dependence) is a chronic, progressive, physical, mental and social disease.

Journal of the American Medical Association defines alcoholism as the primary chronic disease characterized by losing control over alcohol consumption, developing addiction to alcohol despite negative consequences, and distortion of thinking process . Alcoholism is a disease  that develops slowly and steadily  progressing remains  invisible for others and for the patient himself for a long time.

Chronic means that still there is not complete recovery from this disease once and forever. For example,  a person stopped drinking alcohol and  lives healthy decent life  for many years without any  difference from the other non addicted to alcohol people. But if one day this man wants to take alcohol even in a small amount,  very soon he inevitably   returns to the stage of disease at which he stopped many years ago.

Progressive means that over time the mental and physical condition worsens, and at some point changes in a body become irreversible.

Physical means that excessive long-term alcohol consumption leads to disruption of metabolism and appearance of the so-called alcohol-associated diseases. The most common of these diseases are toxic hepatitis, damage of nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Mental means negative changes in personality, loss of interests, inability to achieve the objectives. Alcohol becomes the only important thing. Because of that alcoholics are willing to sacrifice their own health, career and peace of loved ones for the sake of alcohol. Destruction of willful mechanisms leads to psychological instability, mendacity and manipulation. Endless promises to stop drinking are never carried out.

Social. Drinking man suffers not only himself, but makes his family suffer. Constant tensions, unsuccessful attempts to control the alcoholic, disappointment, anger, conflicts among family members form so called co-dependence of close relatives of an alcoholic.

Disease. Modern methods of research (neurochemical, positron emission tomography) have convincingly proved the difference between the brain of an  addict and that one of a healthy person. Alcohol, drugs, psychoactive substance disrupt the endorphin brain system. An individual experiences a constant biological need to be intoxicated.

Symptoms of alcoholism

• Loss of control over the amount of consumed alcohol. This is one of the earliest and one the most important symptoms. An individual loses indifference to alcohol, becomes addicted. Once has felt  a slight intoxication, a patient's brain   needs to reinforce this feeling constantly. Therefore many pleasant occasions, events can be  used easily as an excuse to drink alcohol. Troubles, problems, boredom also stimulate desire to drink. Severe  forms of alcohol intoxication become more frequent  when a person drinks so much that he is no longer able to control himself in a drunken state. Most traffic accidents happen at  this phase when cars are crashed due to drunk driving. A person may appear aggressive, violent. He is an initiator of numerous domestic and public conflicts, fights. There are lapses in his memory. Danger of being hurt or hurt other people while intoxicated, even at this early phase, pushing the most adequate people to to stop alcohol intake. “Can not drink do not drink” -  the folk wisdom says.
• The emergence of psychic  needs in alcohol, the emergence of desire, craving for alcohol. Patients find protection in alcohol from their problems, fears and worries.  Alcohol briefly improves mood, enhances self-confidence, reduces stress. Under alcohol an individual feels nice , warm and peaceful. But quite quickly the effects of alcohol start  changing. Phase of positive emotions is getting reduced and loses intensity. A person wants to add more to return the pleasant sensations which  the alcohol gave before. But instead he receives  increased irritability, intolerance for others, and discontent. The process of getting sober often makes an individual harassed, causes spiteful mood, makes him feel  guilty, depressed, pushing him back  to  alcohol.  Broken sleep and appetite are just the first symptoms of developing addiction. In a lack of alcohol  mental discomfort, nervousness appears, and as a result of that the  thoughts and desire to drink alcohol become obsessive . After some time  a person starts  feeling himself “normal” only under the influence of alcohol, and the state of deprivation from alcohol  becomes  unbearable.
• Increased tolerance to alcohol, resistance to alcohol. When a person drinks more and more his organism  tries  to adapt to excessive amount of alcohol  and turns protective enzyme systems on. In fact, this is not a sign of health, but only an indicator of development of disease. Growing tolerance is exhausting. Disastrous effects of large doses of alcohol drain the body out  and result in development of alcohol-associated diseases and  abstinent  syndrome.
• Occurrence of physical dependence. Consumption of growing amounts of alcohol leads to what one feels in the morning as hangover symptoms: nervousness, nausea, fatigue, a sense of inner trembling, palpitations. If a healthy person accidentally drinks more alcohol than his usual dose these symptoms are mild and pass towards the afternoon. For alcoholics they may remain for 2-3 days and are accompanied by a strong desire to consume alcohol to relieve this condition. The man begins to drink in the morning or during the day, or at night to enhance his  sleep.  Systematic consumption of alcohol may last for several days. Episodes of drunkenness are becoming longer, and the intervals between them are getting shorter. In this phase, if an alcoholic would have a glass of wine or beer means that he will drink for a few days. Self-control becomes impossible. Need for alcohol becomes the same as thirst or hunger. People say: he wants – he drinks,  and he doesn’t  want - he drinks.
• Hangover or crisis after weeks of alcohol consumption can be dangerous to life and health of the patient. Withdrawal symptoms if left untreated could result in delirium tremens or complicate in development of epileptic seizures

Alcohol affects all organs and systems.

 Depending on the genetic predisposition, previous  illnesses  the patient has  one or more diseases from the list:

• Nervous system - alcohol encephalopathy (alcoholic dementia or Wernicke's syndrome, Korsakov's syndrome), psychosis, hallucinations, alcoholic epilepsy, impaired memory, insomnia, nightmares, polyneuropathy, paresis, paralysis. Head injury received in state of alcohol intoxication exacerbates  alcoholism.
• The cardiovascular system - hypertension, angina, arrhythmia, risk of heart attack or stroke, alcoholic myocardiopathy, bovine  heart in case of  beer alcoholism, risk of a sudden death.
• Liver - alcoholic steatosis, alcoholic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, portal hypertension, hepatic encephalopathy; liver dysfunction (participation in digestive processes, in creating blood clotting factors, synthesis of proteins, vitamins, detoxification function of liver);  development of varicose veins of esophagus,  hemorrhoids; the risk of fatal bleeding; Ffuid accumulation in the abdominal cavity (ascites) to 10-12 liters.
• Digestive system - gastritis, ulcers, bleeding; pancreatitis with destruction of pancreas has fatality rate  up to 70%; the possibility of developing diabetes, dysbacteriosis; violation of nutritional status, malnutrition.
• Other organs and  systems -  immune system dysfunction; susceptibility to chronic infections; endocrine system dysfunction; reduction in testosterone and an increase in cortisol alters the appearance; broken teeth; skin loses its elasticity;  smoking cigarettes develops bronchitis and pneumonia. After 10-15 years disorders become irreversible.

Women alcoholics who continue drinking alcohol during pregnancy give birth to the so-called alcoholic fetus with gross morphological disorders: abnormal head size and ratio of body, limbs, face and cerebral parts of the skull; spherical and deep-set eyes, broad nose, recessed base of the nose, maxillary hypoplasia , shortening of tubular bones.