Excessive drinking of alcohol over a long period of time making medical, psychological, and social problems is complications of alcoholism. Over the course of months or years of drinking, the central nervous system adapts to the alcohol and tolerance develops. Then the drinker requires more amounts of alcohol to receive the desired effect. Instead of thinking of the effects, the person usually continues to drink and will increase the amount they drink and the number of times. Over use they experience withdrawal symptoms, high blood pressure, tremors, physical dependence, can happen when they are not drinking.

This becomes to be a cycle of abuse, being at risk of dependence starts. Some complications of alcoholism are depression, low self-esteem, onset of puberty, relying on alcohol socially, emotional substitution, loneliness, and self-medicating.

There are medical complications of alcoholism they are: alcohol damages the organ systems even blood-forming (anemia, easy bruising), cardiovascular (abnormal heartbeat, heart failure, high blood pressure, increased heart rate), gastrointestinal (diarrhea, gastritis, inflammation and/or cancer of the esophagus), heightened risk of infectious diseases (TB), liver damage, low blood sugar, hepatitis, liver cancer, and ulcers.

There are neurological complications of alcoholism they include: confusion, loss of coordination and concentration, nerve damage, psychosis, short-term memory problems, stroke, and visual difficulties.

Some social complications of alcoholism are suffering in relationships, higher rates of divorce and separation, higher rates of domestic violence, higher rates of violence and aggressive behaviors, higher rates of legal problems, and higher rates of death. Eighty percent of all suicides are related to alcohol abuse.

Psychological complications associated with alcoholism are: 44% of alcoholics have mental health disorders that were present before dependence; mood disorders, along with a major depression usually occurs after their dependence.

The assessment of alcoholism depends on interviews, self-report questionnaires to keep track of the quantity and the number of times the person drinks. Questions focus on two aspects: consequences of drinking and perceptions of drinking behavior. Then a clinic will determine the risk for abuse and the dependence which will be based on how much and how often the person drinks.