Correlation between age of onset of drinking dyscontrol and alcohol related milestones

Abstract

Introduction: There has been association between a lowered age of onset and increased severity of alcoholism and subsequent development of alcohol dependence. This study was carried out to evaluate if any correlation exists between age of onset of drinking dyscontrol and alcohol associated milestones in male subjects attending de-addiction center at a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: Total 100 male alcoholic patients attending the de-addiction center were enrolled in the study after obtaining their informed consent. The course of alcoholism was recorded as per a list of 25 items which covered various alcohol related milestone like quantitative progression and physical and psychosocial complications. Results: Age of subjects at the onset of three drinking dyscontrol mile stones - daily, day time and morning drinking – were taken into consideration. Correlation between all these three milestones and various social and physical milestones such as loss of job, drunken brawls, tendency to borrow money for drinks, absenteeism, blackout, morning shakes, memory lapses and hospitalization were highly significant (P Conclusion: Age of onset of three drinking dyscontrol milestones are significantly associated with various social and physical milestones. Keywords: Alcoholism, Drinking dyscontrol, De-addiction, Alcohol related milestones.