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There is no single definition for “severity” of alcohol use disorders.  For some, it represents the magnitude of psychosocial or biomedical consequences; others measure severity in terms of DSM or ICD symptom counts.  Some investigators view severity in terms of chronicity of the disorder or the actual quantity of alcohol consumed.  With this caveat in mind, this slide suggests a spectrum of interventions that could be applied based upon the clinical severity of the disorder.  For at-risk drinkers and persons with hazardous use of alcohol, clinicians may facilitate self-change through brief counseling to prevent complications and the progression to a more severe disorder.  For those with early to chronic Alcohol Dependence, a range of behavioral and pharmacological therapies are available, with increasingly intensive interventions for increasing severity.  As with other chronic illnesses, the most severe cases require intermittent or sustained disease management.