Difference Between Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse

Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are the two typical types of human disorder that involves uncontrollable desire and intake of alcoholic drinks despite all its bad effects to the body. They are most commonly known as alcohol addicts and are mostly common to men.

The term Alcoholism was coined by a physician from Sweden, Magnus Huss, around 1849 and replaces the term Dipsomania or the craving and intense thirst of one person over alcohol. But during the 1980s, the committee from the World Health Organization did not agree on the use of the term for diagnostic purposes that is why they changed it to “alcohol dependence”.

Alcohol abuse is a diagnostic term that involves a person’s psychiatric disorder of repetitive use of any beverages with alcohol content. According to a certain psychiatry book, alcohol abuse can contribute to a person’s decision to commit suicide especially if the person is suffering from a great depression. Constant alcohol abuse may lead a person to another disorder known as alcohol dependency.

Alcoholism superseded the term dipsomania which means a strong desire and intense thirst of a person over alcoholic drinks. But around 1979, alcohol abuse superseded the term alcoholism due to the World Health Organization’s recommendation to change the term for specific reasons. Physical signs of a person suffering from alcoholism involve sexual dysfunction, epilepsy and deficiency of one’s nutrition. Alcohol abuse, on the other hand, shows signs like insomnia and irritability. Alcoholism prevented measures by the WHO involves increasing the age limit before someone is allowed to drink. Increasing the tax of alcoholic beverages can reduce alcohol abuse, too.

Just like any other kind of addiction in the medicine world, alcoholism and alcohol abuse are addictions over alcohol that can still be treated. Those who suffer with any of these types of alcohol addiction can either go for a rehabilitation program to ensure proper withdrawal and/or with the use of doctor-prescribed medicinal drugs for alcoholism and alcohol abuse.

In brief: • Alcoholism replaces the term dipsomania in the same way that alcohol abuse replaces the term alcoholism due to the recommendation of the experts in World Health Organization. • Alcoholism signs and symptoms includes but not limited to nutritional deficiency, sexual dysfunction and epilepsy while alcohol abuse includes insomnia and irritability.