Encyclopedia of Psychology | Alcohol Dependence and Abuse

The abuse of alcohol in any of its various forms, exhibited by repeated episodes of excessive drinking often to the point of physical illness during which increasing amounts of alcohol must be consumed to achieve the desired effects.

The American Psychiatric Association ranks alcohol dependence and abuse into three categories (what society normally thinks of as "alcoholics"): 1) individuals who consume alcohol regularly, usually daily, in large amounts 2) those who consume alcohol regularly and heavily, but, unlike the first group, have the control to confine their excessive drinking to times when there are fewer social consequences, such as the weekend and 3) drinkers defined by the APA who endure long periods of sobriety before going on a binge of alcohol consumption. A binge can last a night, a weekend, a...