Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. It includes the conditions that some people refer to as alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, alcohol addiction, and the colloquial term, alcoholism.
Considered a brain disorder, AUD can be mild, moderate, or severe. Lasting changes in the brain caused by alcohol misuse perpetuate AUD and increase susceptibility to relapse. The good news is that no matter how severe the problem may seem, evidence-based treatment with behavioral therapies, mutual-support groups, and/or medications can help people with AUD achieve and maintain recovery.
Source: NIAAA. 2024, January. Understanding Alcohol Use Disorder. Retrieved from https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/understanding-alcohol-use-disorder on July 12, 2024.
From Our Collection
Apps
Check Your Drinking. Make a Plan to Drink Less.
A tool from the CDC to check your drinking. If you want to drink less, you can build a personalized plan that you can print or save.
Get StartedReframe
An evidence-backed app to help people develop healthier drinking habits.
Learn MoreSmart Recovery Mobile App
The tools, support, and resources you need right at your fingertips.
Learn MoreVetChange
An app for veterans and service members who are concerned about their drinking and how it relates to posttraumatic stress, and for all people who are interested in developing healthier drinking behaviors. Learn more on the VA website.
Locate a Treatment Facility
Videos
Trainings
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Alcohol Use Disorder (Clinical Center Grand Rounds)
- Medications for Alcohol Use Disorder: New Efforts to Address Barriers and Increase Access (Addiction Medicine Grand Rounds)
- The Healthcare Professional's Core Resource on Alcohol (NIAAA)
The Updated College Alcohol Intervention Matrix -- CollegeAIM (NIAAA and ITGA Webinar) - Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder (ASAM)
- What is Harm Reduction for Alcohol? (NAADAC)
- Women Are Different Webinar Series (ATTC)