Sometimes such questions might be on mind of persons whom face difficulties with his or her drinking habit. As a matter of fact Alcohol dependence or abuse is a psychological problem and a psychological diagnosis. Besides, physical complications of consuming alcohol also require psychological treatment. 

Not everyone with drinking small amount of beer or wine every often gets this diagnosis or have such problem. But if consuming alcohol causes you getting traffic ticket for drinking and driving, affect negatively on your health, job or your family, having thirst to drink more and more doesn't matter one day a week or on weekends etc. it might mean that you need to take a serious look at your problem with this substance which can damage your health specially liver, brain, kidney and also lead to more serious forms of depression and other psychological problems. 

Not everyone in order to get relaxed, happy or thirsty drinks alcohol. If you have a crave for alcohol, like its taste, have difficulty to stop when you start drinking, often have hang over, delirium, hallucination, forget what happened the night before you were drunk, end up throwing up and feel sick the next day, often get drunk, might see sometimes pink elephant or roaches on your skin, you might be dependent and have issues with alcohol. Not everyone experience all the above symptoms. Some persons due to underlying depression or anxiety use alcohol, as a kind of medicine to subside their emotional turmoil but alcohol is a bad medicine indeed and will hurt you in a long run! 
 The list of symptoms is far more than the one mentioned earlier. Drinking habit can cause number of psychological problems including anxiety, depression, poor short term or long term memory problem, change in personality, mood, sleep disorders, psychosis, etc. 

In a long term alcohol can damage organs such as liver, heart, kidney, stomach, pancreas, immune or hormonal systems, brain (might reduce the size of brain or cause swelling), some forms of seizure disorder, in women can cause Fetal alcohol syndrome which can cause problem with growth of fetus and his or her mental ability, sexual disorders such Infertility or Impotence, stomach problems such as ulcer, GERD, increase risk of cancer and even can cause death.  

Not every person with this problem drinks every day. Some only drink on weekend or other times. The point is that if you drink to relax, be happy, often crave to drink, thirsty for it, when you start drinking can’t stop, you might be alcohol dependent. Some studies indicate that gene has to do with some persons who become prone to alcoholism. 

These persons mostly do not enjoy drinking alone but seek other friends who also have habit of drinking to join. When such persons stop drinking, he or she might lose some of their drinking partners as well. This is because those so-called friends were actually his drinking bodies not a true friend! 

There are many literature talks about the excuses the persons with alcohol dependent or abuse use to justify their drinking. They include, to celebrate a birthday, having a party, a friend coming to town or leaving the town, being tired, try to relax, tastes good, thirsty, unhappy, stress, promotion, loosing job, life pressure, had a good sale, found a new job, having sexual problems such as (premature ejaculation, erectile disorder), and many more. 

In my years of practice, I treated many persons with alcohol and other substance or street drugs. I found persons having issues with alcohol to have some of the following problems: anxious, timid, shy, hard time to relax, low self confidence, unhappy, having sexual difficulties, performance anxiety, family problems, problem with job, legal problems, need to please others, have issue with anger, and many more. 

Psychological treatment is one of the main treatment for such persons. Psychotherapy helps reduces persons stress, increase self- confidence, help them to get high naturally and healthy, stabilize their depression and anxiety, stop the crave for drinking, improve sexual function and pleasure, overcome their shyness and more.

Psychological treatment also includes family therapy and treating the co-dependent (the persons’ partner such husband, wife, boy friend, girl friend). Children can also become impacted negatively psychologically in this process. Therefore, children also need to be treated individually and in family session. As a treatment package, I also advise my patients to attend local alcoholic anonymous group if they wish to as an emotional support.

Good luck to stop using this substance that can damage your life, now and in a long run.

Stay healthy and get happy naturally 

Take care

Dr. Mike Mehrvarz