Is alcoholism a mental illness?

Alcoholism is not a mental illness, but is generally caused by ethanol poisoning after heavy drinking, ethanol or its metabolites will have a direct toxic effect on the central nervous system, causing structural and functional abnormalities in the nervous tissue. In the acute stage of alcoholism, the patient may show signs of euphoria, such as talking incessantly or euphoria, ataxia such as clumsiness of movement and balance disorders, and in severe cases, coma and incontinence may occur. For alcoholism, if the poisoning is chronic, the patient mainly manifests cognitive decline, such as calculation, memory loss, and in severe cases, Wernicke’s encephalopathy may occur. If alcohol poisoning occurs, the patient is first advised to quit drinking. If the alcohol poisoning is acute, induce vomiting, and give rehydration fluids if necessary. For patients who are abstaining from alcohol, B vitamins and vitamin C should be supplemented at the same time.