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RESEARCHERS Misuse of alcohol can lead to serious consequences.
Alcohol abuse differs from alcoholism. Alcohol abuse is a
pattern of drinking that results in failure to meet work, home,
or school responsibilities, among other things. Alcoholism is a
disease that includes an extremely strong craving for alcohol,
loss of control over drinking, or physical dependence. Learn
more about the effects of abusing alcohol by taking this quiz,
based on information from the National Institute on Alcohol
Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Alcoholism is also called alcohol
dependence and has four symptoms: An alcoholic cannot simply use
"will power" to stop drinking; his or her need for alcohol can
be as great as the need for food or water. Most alcoholics need
treatment and support to recover. For someone who abuses alcohol
but has not become dependent, intervention and education often
will be enough to stop t