Alcoholism and other disorders might be related in a number of ways; alcoholism and a second disorder can co-occur, either sequentially or simultaneously, by coincidence; alcoholism can cause various medical and psychiatric conditions or increase their severity; comorbid disorders might cause alcoholism or increase its severity; both alcoholism and the comorbid disorder may be caused separately by some third condition; and alcohol use or alcohol withdrawal can produce symptoms that mimic those of an independent psychiatric disorder. Alcohol has been shown to be directly toxic to the liver. Approximately 90 to 100 percent of heavy drinkers show evidence of fatty liver, an estimated 10 to 35 percent develop alcoholic hepatitis, and 10 to 20 percent develop cirrhosis. Alcohol can damage the brain in many ways, and additional diseases linked to alcohol consumption include failure of reproductive function and cancers of the mouth, larynx, and esophagus. Psychiatric disorders related to chronic alcohol consumption are antisocial personality disorder, bulimia, depression, and anxiety. Alcoholics are also at higher risk for other drug abuse associated with injurious effects. 33 references