Alcohol-induced anxiety disorder

Essential (Required) Features:

• The presentation is characterized by anxiety symptoms (e.g., apprehension or worry, fear, physiological symptoms of excessive autonomic arousal, panic attacks, avoidance behaviour) that develop during or soon after intoxication with or withdrawal from alcohol.
• The intensity or duration of the anxiety symptoms is substantially in excess of anxiety symptoms that are characteristic of Alcohol Intoxication or Alcohol Withdrawal.
• The symptoms are not better accounted for by another mental disorder such as an Anxiety or Fear-Related Disorder, a Depressive Disorder with prominent anxiety symptoms, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Evidence supporting a diagnosis of another mental disorder would include anxiety symptoms preceding the onset of alcohol use, the symptoms persisting for a substantial period of time after cessation of alcohol or withdrawal (e.g., 1 month or more), or other evidence of a pre-existing mental disorder with anxiety symptoms (e.g., a history of prior episodes not associated with alcohol use).
• The symptoms are not a manifestation of another medical condition.
• The symptoms cause significant distress or significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning.

When making a diagnosis of Alcohol-Induced Anxiety Disorder, an additional diagnosis indicating the related pattern of alcohol use should also be assigned. These include Episode of Harmful Use of Alcohol, Harmful Pattern of Use of Alcohol, and Alcohol Dependence. A diagnosis of Alcohol Intoxication or Alcohol Withdrawal may also be assigned if applicable.

Additional Clinical Features:

• Alcohol-Induced Anxiety Disorder may present with patterns of symptoms that vary according to the characteristics of the user (e.g., genetics, metabolism, personality factors). Alcohol use in higher amounts or over longer periods of time is more likely to be associated with the development of an Alcohol-Induced Anxiety Disorder.
• Symptoms of Alcohol-Induced Anxiety Disorder usually resolve or improve after sustained cessation of alcohol use.
• The duration of Substance Withdrawal for some substances can be protracted. For substances with more protracted withdrawal periods, the onset of symptoms of Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder can occur up to several weeks after the cessation of substance use. Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder symptoms related to substances with more protracted withdrawal periods may also last for correspondingly longer periods of time.
• In cases in which multiple psychoactive substance are used, it is often challenging to distinguish which substance is the cause of the Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder. When the specific etiological substance cannot be determined, a diagnosis of Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder Due to Multiple Specified Psychoactive Substances including Medications may assigned. In cases of multiple psychoactive substance use in which more than one specific substance can be identified as a cause of the Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder, the corresponding specific Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder diagnoses should be given instead.

Boundary with Normality (Threshold):

• Symptoms of Alcohol-Induced Anxiety Disorders should be differentiated from transient physiological aftereffects of intoxication (‘hangover effect’). The duration or severity of the symptoms in Alcohol-Induced Anxiety Disorders must be in excess of ‘hangover effects’ (e.g., transient low mood following alcohol use) of Alcohol and result in significant distress or impairment of functioning.

Boundaries with Other Disorders and Conditions (Differential Diagnosis):

• Boundary with Alcohol Intoxication and Alcohol Withdrawal: Mental or behavioural symptoms that occur during Alcohol Intoxication or Alcohol Withdrawal should only be used as a basis for diagnosing an Alcohol-Induced Anxiety Disorder if the intensity or duration of the symptoms is substantially in excess of those that are characteristic of Alcohol Intoxication or Alcohol Withdrawal and the symptoms are sufficiently severe to warrant specific clinical attention.
• Boundary with Episode of Harmful Use of Alcohol, Harmful Pattern of Use of Alcohol, or Alcohol Dependence: The impact of repeated or continuous use of alcohol characteristic of Harmful Pattern of Use of Alcohol and Alcohol Dependence may include Alcohol-Induced Anxiety Disorder. Alcohol-Induced Anxiety Disorders can also be associated with a single episode of alcohol use. In such cases, an Alcohol-Induced Anxiety Disorder should be diagnosed together with a primary diagnosis of Episode of Harmful Use of Alcohol, Harmful Pattern of Use of Alcohol, or Alcohol Dependence.
• Boundary with mental disorders not induced by alcohol: Alcohol-Induced Anxiety Disorders are differentiated from mental disorders with similar features that are not induced by alcohol on the basis of their onset, course and clinical features. A diagnosis of Alcohol-Induced Anxiety Disorder requires evidence from history, physical or mental examination, or laboratory findings of recent alcohol use, intoxication or withdrawal. Most Alcohol-Induced Mental Disorders resolve or improve within several weeks of cessation of alcohol use. Mental disorders not induced by alcohol may precede the onset of alcohol use or may continue to be symptomatic during periods of sustained abstinence. The co-occurrence of alcohol use or withdrawal and onset of symptoms of mental disorders should not be taken as evidence for a presumptive diagnosis of an Alcohol-Induced Anxiety Disorder. Some people use substances to suppress symptoms of mental disorders (e.g., Schizophrenia and Other Primary Psychotic Disorders, Mood Disorders, Anxiety and Fear-Related Disorders, Personality Disorders) and full symptomatic presentations only emerge upon cessation or reduction in substance use. Furthermore, alcohol use can exacerbate symptoms or precipitate an episode of a pre-existing mental disorder. Finally, alcohol use may be associated with but not aetiologic for new onset of symptoms of a mental disorder. Although a diagnosis of a Alcohol-Induced Anxiety Disorder should not be assigned under these circumstances, an additional diagnosis of Episode of Harmful Use of Alcohol, Harmful Pattern of Use of Alcohol, or Alcohol Dependence may still be appropriate.