Synonyms: Alcohol addiction
German: Alkoholsucht
Alcoholism is prevalent, if at least 3 of the following criteria apply:
According to Jellinek, 5 types of alcoholics are classified.
The prevalence of alcoholism in Germany is approximately 3%, and an additional 5% abuse alcohol (alcohol abuse). The ratio between men and women is approximately 3 to 1, but due to social stigmatization, the estimated number of unknown cases in women is presumably high.
The peak of age is between the 30th and 50th years, while there is an inclination for addiction in younger people. The mortality rate in men is 30 and in women 10 per 100,000 inhabitants per year.
Like in other addictions, the causes of alcoholism are complex. It is a multicausal process, which includes physical, mental and social factors.
This is a chronic disease, which cannot be "healed". The aim of addiction therapy is to reach a lifelong abstinence. The course of the therapy is structured as follows:
Without therapeutic intervention, the average life expectancy is lowered by approximately 15 years. By consistent therapy, up to 70% of alcohol addicts can be fully rehabilitated. The prognosis worsens with the increased length of addiction and is reversely proportionate to the age when the disease started.
This page was last edited on 3 April 2014, at 09:50.
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