Alcohol abuse is definitely more severe than binge drinking, as well as more dangerous. It often results in impaired functioning of school, job, and household responsibilities, and encountering physically dangerous circumstances, such as driving under the influence of alcohol. People who abuse alcohol may continue to drink despite the knowledge that the drinking causes them significant social, interpersonal, and legal problems. The condition known as alcohol dependence is a chronic and often progressive disease that includes a strong need to drink, despite such social and interpersonal problems as deteriorating relationships with friends and family, as well as losing a job or failing at school. Alcohol dependence has recognizable symptoms and is influenced by a complex interplay of genes, psychological factors, such as the influence of family members, friends, and the effect of culture on drinking behavior and drinking attitudes.
Alcohol dependence is the most severe alcohol problem.
A health professional can diagnose an alcohol problem through a full examination, which includes a behavioral and medical evaluation. The behavioral evaluation reviews the individual's history of alcohol use, including drinking patterns, attitudes, and beliefs, as well as environmental factors, such as the influence of friends, family members, and stress levels. The medical evaluation includes a physical examination, which assesses physical signs and symptoms of alcohol dependence and chronic alcohol use, a review of genetic factors in the family, and evaluation of data from laboratory tests. According to research, more men than women are alcohol-dependent or have other alcohol problems. Rates of alcohol problems are highest among young adults, age 18-29, and lowest among adults over 65.