Basics of Alcohol Addiction; What Makes a Person an Alcoholic & Warning Signs of Alcoholism

Drinking every day or drinking too much at a time are examples of an unhealthy or dangerous drinking habit. Alcohol abuse can negatively impact your life in a number of ways; relationships can be ruined, legal problems can arise (getting a DUI for instance), as well as destroying your career. When someone abuses alcohol, it can easily lead to alcohol dependence. When you have alcohol dependence, you are experiencing alcohol addiction or alcoholism. No matter what you call it, they give you a strong urge or craving to consume it excessively. With that in mind, we at Meehab Addiction Recovery would like to explore alcohol addiction.

Warning Signs of Alcoholism

You or a loved one, are addicted to alcohol if 3 or more of the following affects within a 12 month period.
– An inability to control how much you drink or to quit drinking.
– Despite the negative consequences it has on your life, you continue to consume alcohol.
– You need to drink more as the day’s progress in order to achieve the same effects.
– When you stop drinking, you feel the symptoms of withdrawals such as feeling sick to your stomach, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety.
– You use most of your time drinking and recovering from drinking.
– To allot yourself more time to drink you give up other activities, hobbies, and passions.
Considered a chronic disease, long term alcohol addiction is NOT a weakness or a lack of willpower. Alcoholism has a predicted course of action, known symptoms, and is also influenced by your genes and other circumstances, much like many other diseases.

What Makes a Person an Alcoholic? How Do You Know if You Are Becoming One?

You are building up an addiction and dependence to alcohol if you any of the below experiences apply to you.
– You are often drunk for long periods of time; drinking alone and in the morning.
– Not remembering what you did while you were drinking and having blackouts.
– Experiencing anxiety over not having enough alcohol to last through an evening or weekends.
– In an effort to help you drink less or keep you from getting drunk you switch up with a different alcoholic beverage.
– Feeling guilty after drinking.
– Making excuses for your drinking or even hiding your drinking.

Alcoholism Diagnosis

If there are concerns for you or a loved one about having an alcohol addiction, seeing a doctor can determine if you’re addicted to the alcohol and get you the right treatment. Your doctor will ask a variety of questions regarding symptoms, past health and in some cases, inquire about a mental assessment as well as perform a physical exam. The mental assessment is done if there is an underlining issue such as depression. Your doctor may even want to have you tested for alcohol related problems like cirrhosis.

Treatment for Alcohol Addiction

Treatment may be with help from a counselor or the need for medical treatment as well as a hospital or treatment center depending on the extent of your alcohol addiction. You will definitely be required to detoxify when you are physically addicted to alcohol and as you go through the detox-period, treatment may be needed to get you through the withdrawals. Remaining sober can be accomplished with the help of loved ones and programs once you have detoxified. Don’t forget, the road to success can be done with the help and support of others. Meehab Addiction Recovery will soon be launching an extremely helpful app to aid you in your addiction recovery. Click here to be the first to download it.

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