Alcohol Addiction

Although alcohol addiction makes up a significant portion of rehabilitation admissions in the United States, the number is much lower in California. Although any number of reasons could account for not following a national trend, it’s important to get help for the people who need it.

No matter how close you may be, it can be difficult to admit that a loved one has a drinking problem. It can be even more difficult for the alcoholic to admit they have a problem. By understanding alcoholism yourself, you can help support them through the decision to get well.

Signs of Alcohol Addiction

Often, people think of alcohol addiction when they think of binge drinking. Not all binge drinking is a sign of alcoholism. Alcohol addiction occurs when you can’t control the quantity of alcohol you drink as well as the frequency of your drinking. If binge drinking occurs every night, there is a significant risk of alcoholism.

The difficult part of identifying alcoholism comes when you can’t monitor the exact amounts that a loved one drinks. Instead you need to rely on your knowledge of their personality, their other habits and even their health to determine if they have a problem. Alcoholics often hide their habit, both physically and emotionally. If you’ve noticed them withdrawing from social situations, or find them stashing large amounts of alcohol in order to disguise how much they consume, there may be a problem.

Withdrawal may be the most common sign of an alcohol addiction, however. Like many other physically addictive substances, alcoholics become unable to function without alcohol present and their health begins to suffer. You might notice your loved one becoming depressed or angry, or you may witness them being physically ill when they go without alcohol. Normal, moderated alcohol use doesn’t evoke these responses – alcoholism does.

Alcoholism can also lead to long-term health issues, which can bring a possibly long-hidden problem to light as well.

How Alcohol Addiction Impacts Your Life

Long-term alcohol use can have a number of effects on your body. As you drink, your body becomes more tolerant of the substance and causes you to drink more to experience the same effects. However, the more you drink, the less your organs are able to filter the toxins alcohol contains. Significant liver, kidney and even heart damage can occur in those who abuse alcohol. Alcohol abuse has also been linked to depression and seizure disorders as the chemicals in the brain are affected when you’re an alcohol addict. Alcoholics also increase their chances of throat and mouth cancers.

While many of these conditions may not develop for some time, alcoholism can have a significant impact on your daily life. If your health deteriorates quickly, you may even lose your job. The disease also puts significant strain on your family, because they have to choose whether to support your habit or risk straining your relationship further by approaching the subject of treatment.

Discussing Alcohol Addiction

Discussing a loved one’s addiction is never easy. Some people want help and others don’t. When a loved one is unwilling to listen or admit there’s a problem, interventions are sometimes staged. Interventions are professionally mediated meetings to help alcohol addicts understand the consequences of their problem. They can choose to accept help, or choose to say they want to continue their lives as normal. Even if you don’t stage a formal intervention, a serious discussion might make all the difference, especially if you assure your loved one that you’ll be there to support them.

Alcohol Addiction