alcohol abuse
a pattern of alcohol consumption that persists despite recurrent significant adverse consequences resulting directly from alcohol use, including neglect of important personal, financial, social, occupational, or recreational activities; absenteeism from work or school; repeated encounters with the police; and the use of alcohol in situations in which drinking is hazardous (e.g., driving while intoxicated). In DSM–IV–TR, it is distinct from alcohol dependence in that the diagnosis does not require tolerance, withdrawal, or alcohol use–related compulsive behavior. In DSM–5, alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence have been subsumed into alcohol use disorder and are no longer considered distinct diagnoses. See also substance abuse.