alcohol dependence
definition of alcohol dependence
1. a chronic disease (it lasts a person’s lifetime) in which a person is unable to stop drinking once he or she has begun, needs to drink larger amounts of alcohol to get high, and suffers withdrawal symptoms (such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety) after stopping drinking. The risk of developing alcohol dependence is influenced by a person’s genes and lifestyle. Also called alcoholism.1