Alcoholism is a very serious problem on a social, medical and psychological level, which affects both women and men. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), however, men are up to three times more likely than women to develop an addiction to alcohol.
Beyond the serious consequences that alcohol has on our lives, on our minds and on our bodies, it is widely recognized that there are numerous comorbidities in it.
In this article We will know the most frequent comorbidities of alcoholism that is, the disorders and symptoms that usually appear associated with it, according to data from the DSM-5 and also from different scientific studies.
Before delving into what the comorbidities of alcoholism are, let’s clarify the concept of comorbidity. Comorbidity is a term coined, in 1970, by the clinician and researcher Alvan.R. Feinstein This concept refers to the presence of one or more disorders, in addition to the primary underlying disorder (we also refer to diseases).
In the case of alcoholism, there are multiple comorbidities to said disorder, both at a psychopathological level (mental disorders) and at a medical level (illnesses themselves). Furthermore, both in the medical and psychological fields, the comorbidities of alcoholism have been a topic of interest that has been growing little by little over the years.
In clinical practice, it is observed that it is increasingly difficult to find “pure” cases of alcoholism because most of them already come with one or more associated disorders.
It should also be noted that in the field of addictions, it is highly common to find in patients the so-called polydependence (addiction to more than one substance) (not to mention the also added psychopathological disorders of an emotional and affective nature and medical diseases). .
Disorders frequently associated with alcoholism: DSM-5
In the DSM-5 (Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders), alcoholism disorder is associated with other psychiatric conditions. This means that just because you suffer from alcoholism, There is an added risk of also suffering from this type of disorder (during the onset of the addictive disorder or even over time). These disorders/and/or symptoms are:
Studies
We have seen what the DSM-5 says in relation to the frequent comorbidities of alcoholism, but what does the scientific literature say about it?
1. Psychopathological symptoms
To talk about the comorbidities of alcoholism in terms of psychopathological symptoms, we are going to refer to the results of a study carried out in 2006 (Landa, Fernández-Montalvo, López-Goñi and Lorea). This study shows how The main disorders and/or symptoms associated with alcoholism, at a psychopathological level, are anxious-depressive in nature
These symptoms are observed in alcoholism in a greater proportion than in the general population (without alcoholism). Furthermore, it should be noted that the frequency and intensity of such symptoms is related to the severity of alcohol dependence.
This translates into more severe associated symptoms in patients with more severe alcoholism. This comorbidity must be taken into account regarding treatment and the possible risk of relapses
Another frequently observed comorbidity of alcoholism is pathological gambling. Specifically, a 2005 study, developed by Fernández-Montalvo, establishes that 20% of the alcoholic patients in the sample also have an associated (comorbid) diagnosis of pathological gambling (gambling addiction).
On the other hand, according to the aforementioned study, 12% of the patients in the sample also presented symptoms that could indicate a possible diagnosis of gambling, although without meeting diagnostic criteria.
Furthermore, it was observed that The severity of gambling symptoms was related to a more serious alcohol problem
3. Personality disorders
Personality disorders are another of the frequently observed comorbidities of alcoholism (especially antisocial personality disorder, as we have already seen in the DSM-5 section).
There are also many studies that have been carried out regarding this topic; In this article we have selected two of them: the first, prepared in 2002 by Fernández-Montalvo, Landa, López-Goñi, Lorea and Zarzuela, and the second a little later, in 2006, by Fernández-Montalvo, Landa, López- Goñi and Lorea.
According to the results of these studies, The comorbidity between alcoholism and certain types of personality disorders is between 22 and 64% of cases which is quite alarming.
Three major groups of alcoholism
Another study from 2001, developed by Valbuena et.al, found different types of alcohol consumption with patterns well differentiated:
It should be specified that these groups are not categorically independent, but rather many of its symptoms or consequences overlap Additionally, people in each group can move to another over time, and/or return to the initial group, etc.
But let’s get to what’s important; What was observed in each group in terms of comorbidity associated with alcoholism? Let’s see it:
1. Alcohol poisoning group
It was found that in this first group (it was a young group), there were associated temporary emotional disorders, but without somatic or psychiatric repercussions
2. High risk consumption group
In the second group, the high risk consumption group (which includes harmful or abusive consumption of both alcohol and other substances), Great social and family instability was found, as well as serious comorbid psychiatric disorders
3. Group with alcohol dependence
In the group with alcohol dependence (mature age), serious sequelae at an organic and cerebral level, added to a strong tendency towards isolation and depressive symptoms
Medical and organic problems and life expectancy
Beyond the numerous comorbidities of alcoholism mentioned, we must not forget its repercussions and consequences at an organic level, since alcohol is a highly harmful drug for health, which can cause major liver, pancreas, heart problems, sexual dysfunctions etc.
All this without mentioning the serious social, personal and work consequences derived from its consumption.
On the other hand, referring to a study carried out by two German universities, Greifswald and Lübech, it revealed that The life expectancy of alcoholics is reduced, on average, by 20 years compared to the normal (non-alcoholic) population. Once again, an alarming fact.
