holdingthebowl:

Alcoholism is when your drinking causes serious problems in your life, yet you keep drinking. You also may have a physical dependence on alcohol. This means that you need more and more alcohol to feel drunk. Stopping suddenly may cause withdrawal symptoms.

Alcohol abuse is when your drinking leads to problems, but you are not physically dependent on alcohol. These problems may occur:

• At work, school, or home
• In your personal relationships
• With the law
• From using alcohol in dangerous situations, such as drinking and driving

If you have a drinking problem, you may:

• Continue to drink, even when your health, work, or family are being harmed
• Drink alone
• Become stirred up, excited, or tense when drinking
• Become hostile when asked about your drinking
• Make excuses to drink
• Miss work or school, or don’t perform as well because of drinking
• Stop taking part in activities you enjoy because of alcohol
• Need to use alcohol on most days to get through the day
• Don’t eat a lot or eat poorly
• Not care about how you dress or if you are clean
• Try to hide alcohol use
• Shake in the morning or after periods when you have not had a drink

Symptoms of alcohol dependence include:

• Needing more and more alcohol to feel drunk
• Alcohol withdrawal symptoms when you haven’t had a drink for a while
• Illnesses from alcohol use, such as alcoholic liver disease

additional details

Resources and information for those with (or family/loved one with) alcoholism… 

• Alcoholics Anonymous – www.alcoholics-anonymous.org
• Al-Anon/Alateen – www.al-anon.org
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism – http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – www.samhsa.gov