alcoholism

the syndrome due to physical dependence on alcohol, such that sudden deprivation may cause withdrawal symptoms - tremor, anxiety, hallucinations, and delusions ( see delirium tremens ). The risk of alcoholism for an individual and its incidence in a society depend on the amount drunk. Countries such as France, where heavy drinking is socially acceptable, have the highest incidence. Usually several years' heavy drinking is needed for addiction to develop, but the range is from one to 40 years. Alcoholism impairs intellectual function, physical skills, memory, and judgment: social skills, such as conversation, are preserved until a late stage. Heavy consumption of alcohol also causes cardiomyopathy , peripheral neuritis , cirrhosis of the liver, and enteritis. Treatment is usually given in a psychiatric hospital, where the alcoholic is first 'dried out' and then helped to understand the psychological pressures that led to his heavy drinking. Drugs such as disulfiram (Antabuse), which cause vomiting if alcohol is taken, may help in treatment.