Alcoholism is a condition with multiple and sometimes contradictory definitions. In popular and historic usage, alcoholism relates to any condition that leads to the continuing consumption of alcoholic drinks regardless of the consequences to health and society.

The amount, frequency and regularity of alcohol consumption required to acquire alcoholism deviates greatly from person to person. According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, alcoholism is the popular term for alcohol dependence. The term “alcoholism” was first penned in 1849 by the physician Magnus Huss to describe the systematic adverse effects of alcohol. Although lacking a particular definition for alcoholism, AA’s “Big Book” compares alcoholism to an allergy and an illness.

The American Medical Association presently uses the word alcoholism to refer to a particular chronic primary disease.Addiction Medicine specialists have comprehensive training with regard to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with alcoholism.

An assortment of medicines may be prescribed as part of treatment for alcoholism. As alcohol use disorders are perceived as affecting society as a whole, governments and parliaments have forged alcohol policies in order to reduce the damage of alcoholism.

The social troubles originating from alcoholism can be considerable. Those who regard alcoholism as a medical condition or disease advocate differing treatments than, for example, those who assess the condition as one of social choice.

The treatment profession for alcoholism commonly endorses an abstinence-based zero tolerance approach; yet, there are some who promote a harm-reduction approach as well. Detoxification addresses the physiological effects of continuous use of alcohol, but does not in reality treat alcoholism.

Medication

A treatment, called pharmacological extinction, combines naltrexone with typical drinking habits to reverse the endorphin conditioning responsible for alcohol addiction.