Is Alcoholism a Mental Illness?

And just like many other diseases, alcoholism can co-occur with other conditions and contribute to the development of other conditions, as well. Due to the undeniable link between alcohol and mental illness, today we pose the question: is alcoholism a mental illness? And if so, what does this mean for those with the disorder?

What Is a Mental Illness?

Also referred to as a mental health disorder or psychological disorder, a mental illness is a health condition marked by changes in emotion, thinking, behavior, or a combination of these. Mental illnesses are often associated with distress and/or problems functioning in society, at work, and with family. Mental health disorders are unfortunately common. In a given year, nearly 1 in 5 (19%) of U.S. adults experience some form of mental illness, with 4.1% of these being cases of serious mental illness.1

Mental health involves effective functioning in daily activities, resulting in productive activities, healthy relationships, and an ability to adapt to and cope with change and adversity. On the other hand, mental illness can make functioning in a person’s day-to-day nearly impossible.

Some common examples of mental illness include:

• Anxiety Disorders
• Depression
• Bipolar Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Schizophrenia
• Eating Disorders

Mental health is the foundation for emotions, thinking, communication, learning, resilience, hope, and self-esteem. It’s also key to sustaining healthy relationships, personal well-being, and contributing to society. With that said, while anyone can develop a mental illness, certain people are more likely to develop one.

People who are exposed to adverse circumstances like poverty, violence, disability, and inequality are at a higher risk of struggling with a mental health disorder. Other risk factors include genetics, environment, and brain structure or function. If you notice that a loved one is struggling with their mental health, the specialists at our rehab in Massachusetts can conduct a clinical assessment to determine the most effective course of treatment.

Is Alcohol Use Disorder a Mental Illness?

Yes, alcoholism is a mental illness. Specifically, alcoholism or alcohol use disorder is defined as a chronic disease characterized by uncontrollable drinking and preoccupation with alcohol. People with this disorder struggle with the inability to control their drinking due to both a physical and psychological dependence on alcohol.

Individuals with this disorder will, therefore, be unable to control their drinking, continue to use alcohol even when it causes problems, and experience withdrawal symptoms when they try to quit cold turkey or suddenly decrease their drinking amount.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5) classifies alcoholism as a mental illness, referring to it specifically as alcohol use disorder (AUD). The disorder is also categorized into mild, moderate, and severe sub-classifications.

The alcohol use disorder DSM-5 criteria are as follows:

In the past year, have you:

• Experienced times when you ended up drinking more, or for longer, than you intended?
• Wanted to cut down or stop drinking or tried to but couldn’t more than once?
• Spent a lot of time drinking? Or were you often sick or getting over other aftereffects?
• Wanted a drink so badly you couldn’t think of anything else?
• Found that drinking—or being sick from drinking—often interfered with taking care of your home or family, caused job troubles, or school problems?
• Continued to drink even though it was causing trouble with your family or friends?

• Given up or cut back on activities, many of which were important or interesting to you or gave you pleasure, in order to drink?
• More than once gotten into situations while or after drinking that increased your chances of getting hurt (such as driving, swimming, using machinery, walking in a dangerous area, or having unsafe sex)?...