Understanding Alcohol Addiction
Addiction to alcohol, or alcohol use disorder, develops when someone has issues controlling the amount they drink.
A pattern will start to establish. The person will become preoccupied with alcohol consumption even as it causes problems in their day-to-day life. An individual will feel the need to consume more alcohol to feel the same effect they had previously felt when drinking less. If they ingest fewer drinks or try to stop altogether, severe withdrawal symptoms can occur and cause significant suffering for the user.
As you become physically and emotionally addicted to alcohol, it will begin to devour all aspects of your life. If the addiction is left untreated, there is a chance that the consequences can be fatal, as alcohol is the fourth leading cause of preventable death in the United States.
Your welfare and health are two conditions of your everyday life that will come under attack while in the grip of alcohol addiction. Essential functions in your day-to-day life can become problematic as you struggle with continued intoxication and abuse. Consequences can begin as somewhat mild but, left untreated, will become increasingly severe with ongoing complications in trying to control your drinking habit.
All Risk, No Reward
Alcohol addiction is a very complicated affliction, and every person’s situation is different.
With numerous risk factors and sources that affect specific individuals differently, it is nearly impossible to find the exact cause of alcohol use disorder. However, there are definite factors that could boost your risk of becoming addicted.
- Mental health issues such as depression or anxiety
- Low self-esteem
- Parents or siblings with alcohol issues
- Immense levels of stress
- Part of a culture where alcohol is familiar and accepted
- Binge drinking
History and the Family Genes
Our genetic makeup decides a large part of who we are. These traits are passed down from our parents and so forth down the line. Abundant evidence indicates that alcoholism is a complex genetic disease. If one of your parents suffered from alcohol use disorder or alcohol addiction, you have a 60 percent chance of inheriting that trait and being predisposed to alcohol addiction. That being said, genetic predisposition is just that, a predisposition. It does not guarantee that you will develop alcoholism or alcohol addiction. Whether or not someone becomes afflicted with alcohol addiction is usually determined by both someone’s genes and the individual’s environment.
Your Environment Is a Factor
The environment in which we live, combined with our genes, plays a role in the possibility of developing alcohol addiction.
The tendencies we inherit from our parents through our genes is influenced by our environment. A stressful home environment, especially where someone can experience trauma, can increase someone’s chances of using or abusing alcohol and lead someone down the path towards substance abuse.
- Family Interactions: Experiences that might have occurred early in life have a profound impact on your future self. Exposure to physical or emotional abuse, neglect, or an unsafe home environment in general, can put someone on a self-destructive path that can lead to abuse down the line.
- Friends: Peer pressure is a very real thing when it comes to alcohol use. If your surrounded by friends who like to drink heavily, you are more likely to drink heavily to fit on or feel a sense of belonging.
- Social Media: Social media can be a scary place if you are struggling with self-image issues. You might use alcohol as a catalyst to cope if your self-esteem is at a low point and you see other people enjoying themselves online.
If you are considering treatment for yourself or a loved one, call us today.
Binging and Bending
Binge drinking consists of consuming a considerable amount of alcohol (BAC .08g/dl or above) in one sitting. While not everyone who binge drinks has an addiction issue, those who are regularly engaging in excessive and dangerous binge drinking are at risk of not only serious health complications but also the development of addiction. As your tolerance increases, you might feel the need to feel more intoxicated, and continuing with this pattern can often lead to alcohol addiction or, in some cases, a desire to find some help.
In addition to physical cravings, someone with an addiction issue will also spend a tremendous amount of time thinking about their drug of choice. These thoughts become a compulsion and impossible to control, which leads to drug-seeking behavior that can sometimes be criminal.
Feelings of depression, sadness, anxiety, despair, and the like are often at the root of substance abuse. The substance might temporarily mask these feelings, but they return once the high wears off, creating a vicious circle of drug abuse.
Taking a substance will temporarily stop the cravings and compulsion for it, but soon the same feelings return. In time, it takes more and more of the same substance to achieve the same effect it once had.
People addicted to drugs and alcohol may feel like they have no control over their drug use. Refraining from using or stopping seems to be an impossibility for them. The substance controls them, rather than the other way around.
Someone addicted to drugs or alcohol will continue to seek them out even if their addiction has made them lose friends, family, spouses, and jobs. Drug-seeking behavior can even lead to diseases such as hepatitis and HIV/AIDS.
Be Aware of the Signs and the Symptoms
It is essential to be on the lookout for cautionary signs when discovering potential alcohol addiction tendencies in yourself or a loved one.
There might be some noticeable indications, but others will be more challenging to recognize. Sometimes when we do see the signs we subconsciously push them aside out of fear of there being a problem in ourselves or our loved one. You cannot ignore the warning signs, no matter how mild or severe you feel they are. The sooner you seek treatment, the more speedily you or your loved will be on the way back to the life left behind.
Some signs to be on the look out for in yourself or a loved one include:
- Incapable of reducing the amount of alcohol you consume
- Irresistible urge to drink
- Drinking alone or concealing drinks while in isolation
- Unable to fulfill responsibilities at home, school, or on the job due to drinking
- Becoming distant and detaching oneself from family and friends
- Making up excuses to drink daily such as relaxation purposes or a sense of normalcy
- Showing signs of excessive mood swings
- Anger when approached about drinking habits
- Chronic drinking even through illness or when it causes problems in daily life
- Unable to limit or stop drinking when wanting a break from alcohol
In addition to physical cravings, someone with an addiction issue will also spend a tremendous amount of time thinking about their drug of choice. These thoughts become a compulsion and impossible to control, which leads to drug-seeking behavior that can sometimes be criminal.
Feelings of depression, sadness, anxiety, despair, and the like are often at the root of substance abuse. The substance might temporarily mask these feelings, but they return once the high wears off, creating a vicious circle of drug abuse.
Taking a substance will temporarily stop the cravings and compulsion for it, but soon the same feelings return. In time, it takes more and more of the same substance to achieve the same effect it once had.
People addicted to drugs and alcohol may feel like they have no control over their drug use. Refraining from using or stopping seems to be an impossibility for them. The substance controls them, rather than the other way around.
Someone addicted to drugs or alcohol will continue to seek them out even if their addiction has made them lose friends, family, spouses, and jobs. Drug-seeking behavior can even lead to diseases such as hepatitis and HIV/AIDS.
Help Is Right Around the Corner
There is hope. You can regain control of your life if you or a loved one have an alcohol addiction and want to start on the road to recovery.
Taking the first steps toward rehabilitation can be difficult at first, but you can succeed with the proper motivation and the right professional treatment. Help is readily available for those who choose to seek it out.
At Nexus Recovery, treatment for alcohol addiction is a priority for our team of experienced medical professionals, each one trained in addiction medicine and recovery methods. As a boutique outpatient treatment center we are able to provide customizable care that meets your specific needs based on where you or your loved one are at in the journey of recovery. Our goal is to every client with the tools and assistance they need to get back to living their life happy, healthy, and sober.
If you or a loved one struggles with alcohol addiction, contact us today at (888)855-6877 to speak with one of our trusted recovery advisors and set up an appointment.
In addition to physical cravings, someone with an addiction issue will also spend a tremendous amount of time thinking about their drug of choice. These thoughts become a compulsion and impossible to control, which leads to drug-seeking behavior that can sometimes be criminal.
Feelings of depression, sadness, anxiety, despair, and the like are often at the root of substance abuse. The substance might temporarily mask these feelings, but they return once the high wears off, creating a vicious circle of drug abuse.
Taking a substance will temporarily stop the cravings and compulsion for it, but soon the same feelings return. In time, it takes more and more of the same substance to achieve the same effect it once had.
People addicted to drugs and alcohol may feel like they have no control over their drug use. Refraining from using or stopping seems to be an impossibility for them. The substance controls them, rather than the other way around.
Someone addicted to drugs or alcohol will continue to seek them out even if their addiction has made them lose friends, family, spouses, and jobs. Drug-seeking behavior can even lead to diseases such as hepatitis and HIV/AIDS.
If you or a loved one are suffering from alcohol or drug addiction, we’re here to help. Contact us today and speak with one of our trusted recovery advisors.
