The Meaning of Alcohol Dependence

Alcohol dependence has a devastating impact on everyday life.  The alcohol dependent person will drink compulsively.  During waking hours, the person who suffers from alcohol dependence generally can think of nothing but getting more alcohol.  When forced to go several hours without alcohol the dependent person will go into withdrawal and have extreme anxiety, sweating, and nausea.  Tolerance develops when it begins to take more and more alcohol to achieve the same level of intoxication.  The increasing tolerance for alcohol is another charactistic that defines alcohol dependence.