The authoritative American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders, or DSM-IV, separates alcohol abuse from alcohol dependence, based partly on
the problems the drinking causes. The holidays are over. Resolutions are wearing thin. It’s a time
of the year when many people wonder if they have a drinking problem. More than 30% of
Americans engage in risky drinking at some point in their lives, according to the National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. But there’s no consensus on exactly what an
“alcoholic” is. Even Alcoholics Anonymous relies on alcoholics to diagnose them.
Researchers have made up dozens of screening tests over the years. According to one
developed for John Hopkins University Hospital years ago that still pops up on the Web. I’m
definitely an alcoholic” because I answered to at least 20 questions: I “ crave a drink at a definite
time of day” ( evenings,......
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