Excerpts with permission from Graham, Allan W. & Schultz, Terry K. (Editors) (American Society of Addiction Medicine): Principles of Addiction Medicine, 2nd Edition
An informal term describing a pattern of drinking associated with life problems prior to establishing a definitive diagnosis of alcoholism. Also, an umbrella term for any harmful use of alcohol, including alcoholism, ASAM recommends that the term not be used in the latter sense.
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