Although the use of the term 'alcoholism' is common, it has
varying definitions. It usually refers to any condition
which causes a person to keep drinking alcohol despite the
evident negative medical and social consequences. The
compulsion to drink alcohol, and a lack of awareness of the
negative effects of heavy drinking are also referred to as
'alcoholism'. Not all definitions of alcoholism specify
that recent or continuous intake of alcohol is a required,
and some note the long-term effects of alcoholism such as
symptoms of withdrawal.

The behaviour regarding alcohol consumption which leads to
alcoholism varies wildly. It is impossible to predict the
probability of becoming an alcoholic based on drinking
habits, though obviously some alcohol intake is required.
The biological processes which cause alcohol dependence are
not fully understood, though influences such as mental
health, genetic predisposition and social surroundings have
been researched.

The word 'alcoholism' was first used in Sweden by Dr. Huss
in 1849, but it was not brought into common usage until the
1940s with the founding of the Alcoholics Anonymous. The AA
didn't have a clear definition for the disease, so they
likened it to a kind of allergy.

A study done in 1960 by Dr. Jellinek put forward the modern
theory that alcoholism is a disease. Although the medical
definition in usage has been altered since, the perception
of alcoholism as a disease has a large influence and
following. A few medical experts still content that
alcoholism is not a disease and refer to it instead as
'heavy drinking' when talking about alcohol dependence.

Multiple tools are available to those wishing to conduct
screening for alcoholism. Identification of alcoholism may
be difficult because there is no detectable physiologic
difference between a person who drinks frequently and a
person with the condition. Identification involves an
objective assessment regarding the damage that imbibing
alcohol does to the drinker's life compared to the
subjective benefits the drinker perceives from consuming
alcohol. While there are many cases where an alcoholic's
life has been significantly and obviously damaged, there are
always borderline cases that can be difficult to classify.

The primary effect of alcoholism is to encourage the
sufferer to drink at times and in amounts that are damaging.
The secondary damage caused by an inability to control one's
drinking manifests in many ways.

It is common for a person suffering from alcoholism to drink
well after physical health effects start to manifest. The
physical health effects associated with alcohol consumption
may include cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, epilepsy,
polyneuropathy, alcoholic dementia, heart disease, increased
chance of cancer, nutritional deficiencies, sexual
dysfunction, and death from many sources.

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