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A 29-year-old man is seen by the consultation-liaison team. Over the past twelve months he has needed steadily more alcohol for the same effect, has twice tried and failed to cut down, and spends most of each weekend drinking or recovering. He has given up the football team he played in for years, and keeps drinking despite constant arguments with his partner about it. His work is unaffected, he has no alcohol-related physical or mental illness, and he has never described craving, never had withdrawal symptoms, never driven after drinking and never been in legal trouble. Which one of the following labels fits his presentation under current DSM criteria?
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