By being in this world, it is unlikely for us to escape the allure and trappings of alcohol. It is everywhere – friends, after-work get-togethers, date nights, social gatherings, and what have you! While one or two drinks in a day is more or less safe (provided you do not have any pre-existing health conditions), it is when drinking gets out of hand and veers into the dangerous territory of abuse and dependence that it impinges upon your daily life, functioning, and relationships.
At Refine Recovery, we specialize in helping our clients overcome alcohol addiction through medically supervised detox, holistic therapies, and personalized care. We understand the challenges of breaking free from alcohol and are here for you every step of the way, and the first step of this journey is becoming informed to make the right decisions for yourself.
In this article, we will look into alcohol addiction symptoms, alcoholic behavior, and the road to alcohol recovery. Please read on to learn more.
What Is Alcohol Use Disorder?
Alcohol use disorder, which is the official diagnosis for alcohol addiction, occurs when a person is unable to control or stop drinking despite experiencing negative consequences. Such heavy alcohol consumption changes brain chemistry, as it disrupts the chemical messengers in your brain that are responsible for regulating pleasure. It clouds your judgment and control.
Unlike the odd weekend of heavy drinking, alcohol addiction becomes a pernicious cycle of alcohol use – where you need to drink more and more to experience the desired effect, experience withdrawal if you reduce or stop drinking, and hence become trapped in this web despite health, career, and relationship troubles.
To give you some context, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) quantifies this as:
- 15 or more drinks in a week for males.
- 8 or more drinks in a week for females.
Many of those who struggle with alcohol addiction want to quit alcohol, but find themselves unable to do so without reaching out for professional care. Indeed, alcohol addiction is a very treatable condition that requires holistic, personalized care.
Dr. Marisa Sisk, Chief Clinical Officer at Refine Recovery, says that “Effective treatment options address both physical and mental aspects of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence, as well as the underlying factors that contribute to these drinking patterns.” With proper care and evidence-based methods, you or your loved one can overcome alcohol addiction and rebuild your life with a fulfilling future in mind.
How Common Is Alcohol Addiction?
Alcohol is one of the most commonly used substances around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that nearly 400 million (7% of the world’s entire population!) struggle with an alcohol use disorder. The same article also reported that alcohol is responsible for nearly 2.6 million deaths worldwide.
Coming to the U.S., the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reveals that an estimated 48.7% report drinking in a given month. 21.7% report binge drinking episodes (consuming 4-5 drinks per occasion), resulting in dangerous alcoholic behaviors, alcohol poisoning, alcohol use disorder, and other serious consequences.
What is even more telling is that 1 in 8 deaths among Americans between the ages of 20 and 64 years can be traced to heavy alcohol use. This tragic loss of lives showcases the urgent need to recognize and treat alcohol abuse and dependence before it is too late.
What Are the Alcohol Addiction Symptoms?
Alcohol use disorder is a chronic condition that is colloquially referred to as alcoholism or alcohol addiction. It affects an estimated 27.9 million in the U.S. and is characterized by an inability to control or stop alcohol use despite adverse consequences.
Alcohol use disorder is considered a substance-related and addictive disorder as per the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR). Some of the signs of alcoholism are as follows:
- Strong, persistent cravings and urges to use alcohol.
- Unable to control the amount of alcohol you consume, despite your desire and efforts that indicate otherwise.
- Spend a lot of time thinking about, acquiring, and recovering from alcohol use.
- Continue drinking despite adverse physical, mental, and social repercussions and consequences.
- Prioritize alcohol use over responsibilities, obligations, and other pleasurable activities.
- Put yourself in danger while using alcohol, like driving under the influence (DUI) or operating heavy machinery.
- Develop a tolerance for alcohol, which means you need more and more alcohol to achieve the desired effect.
- Experience uncomfortable and serious withdrawal symptoms if you try to reduce or quit drinking alcohol on your own.
What Are the Dangers of Alcohol Use Disorder?
Alcohol use disorder leads to physical and psychological consequences that can have lasting consequences on your mind, body, and spirit.
The Physical Dangers of Alcohol Abuse
When you consume alcohol frequently, it damages your body to a great extent, and sometimes even permanently. The physical dangers of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are:
Brain – Alcohol changes your brain chemistry to the point that you feel the need to consume alcohol to feel normal. Over time, it shrinks the hippocampus and increases the likelihood of Wernicke-Korsakoff (WK) syndrome, brain damage, and death.
Liver – The hammer stroke of alcohol falls the hardest on your liver, as it plays a major role in breaking down alcohol in your body. Repeated, heavy drinking puts a major strain on your liver, leading to fatty liver, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.
Pancreas – As alcohol abuse often prioritizes alcohol use over everything else, including food and water, it leads to malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies. These, in turn, can lead to pancreatitis – a condition characterized by severe swelling and pain.
Lungs – Repeated and heavy drinking damages your lungs, leading to lung infections, lung tissue damage, and impaired lung functioning over a period of time.
Heart – Heavy drinking over a period of time increases the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, and stroke.
The Psychological Dangers of Alcohol Abuse
As we mentioned before, alcohol abuse changes the brain. Dr. Sisk informs that, “Alcohol binds to the GABA-A receptor in your brain, and acts as a relaxant. But what people do not realize is that even a single drink can affect your cognitive functioning, leading to dangerous short-term and long-term consequences.”
Alcohol is alluring – it relaxes you and puts you at ease, which is what keeps you going back for more. But what this is doing is that it is changing your brain chemistry and functioning in such a way that you will need alcohol to function normally. Your brain and body get used to its presence, leading to a vicious cycle of abuse.
Some of the psychological symptoms of alcohol abuse are:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Aggressive and hostile behaviors
- Psychosis
- Suicidal thoughts and ideation.
If anybody is struggling with suicidal thoughts or ideation, please contact national helplines like 9-8-8 immediately. This can be a life-saving move.
Alcohol Withdrawal
Repeated, heavy alcohol consumption means your brain functions overtime to keep your body awake and functioning. So, when you suddenly reduce or quit alcohol, your brain is not able to adapt to this change just as quickly and goes into overdrive, leading to alcohol withdrawal symptoms:
- Cravings
- Anxiety
- Mood swings
- Vomiting
- Headaches
- Shaky hands
- Tremors
- Sweating
- Rapid heartbeat
- Psychosis
- Seizures
- Delirium tremens.
Alcohol Poisoning
Alcohol poisoning is alcohol overdose. It is when you drink more than what your body can handle, leading to dangerous and even fatal consequences.
Some of the commonly recognizable alcohol poisoning symptoms are:
- Disorientation
- Vomiting
- Slowed breathing
- Pale or blueish skin
- Low body temperature
- Seizures
- Loss of consciousness.
Alcohol poisoning is an emergency condition. If you suspect alcohol poisoning in someone, call emergency providers like 9-1-1 immediately.
What Are Alcoholism Treatment Options?
Alcoholism or alcohol use disorder is a treatable condition that mainly centers around the physical, mental, and social aspects of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. Alcoholism treatment requires a systematic approach that involves:
Medically Supervised Detoxification
Medically supervised detox is the first step to alcohol recovery. It gradually tapers alcohol levels in your body under safe and controlled conditions to reduce and manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Psychotherapy
Both individual and group therapy are used in the treatment of alcohol use disorder. The most common approach involves the use of Matrix Model – motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, contingency management, and 12-Step recovery models.
Medication Management
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several medications for treating alcohol abuse and withdrawal, such as acamproste, disulfiram, and naltrexone. These are primarily meant to reduce the cravings and urges to drink or drink again.
Peer Support Groups
Informal peer support groups offer anonymous platforms for those recovering from alcohol abuse to gather together, share, and grow toward sobriety. Some of these meetings, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or SMART Recovery, are available in person and online and are free of cost to attend.
Peer support groups are indispensable when it comes to alcohol recovery – a meta-analysis by the National Library of Medicine indicated that groups like AA can be even more effective and less expensive than cognitive behavioral therapy.
Aftercare
As alcohol use disorder is a chronic condition – it requires you to prioritize recovery every single day of your life going forward. Toward the same, aftercare involves sober living, ongoing therapy/counseling, medication management, relapse prevention, peer support, and lifestyle modifications.
Begin Your Alcohol Recovery Journey Today!
If you or someone you love is wondering how to quit alcohol, know that we are here for you. Refine Recovery offers luxury alcohol rehab centers in Los Angeles, where we provide understanding and personalized care options to aid you or your loved one on this path to alcohol recovery. You do not have to do this alone; reach out to us today!
Get in touch with our experts at (866) 890-9573, and let us be there with you in this journey every step of the way!
Frequently Asked Questions About Alcohol Addiction and Recovery
1. What is the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence?
Alcohol abuse is characterized by harmful drinking patterns, while alcohol dependence is characterized by fundamental changes in your brain’s reward system that lead to withdrawal symptoms if alcohol use is abruptly reduced or stopped.
2. How to stop drinking alcohol?
Quitting alcohol on your own can be dangerous because of withdrawal symptoms and high relapse risks. Therefore, seeking professional care involving detox, therapy, medication, and aftercare is crucial.
3. How long does alcohol recovery take?
Alcohol use disorder can be treated in both inpatient and outpatient settings, and alcohol recovery timelines can vary. Typically, detox takes 3-7 days, while alcoholism treatment can last for a few weeks or months, depending on the duration and severity of the condition.
4. What are the common triggers for relapse?
Relapse rates are high with alcohol use disorder, and common triggers include stress, emotional, and social challenges. Learning coping strategies in alcohol rehab helps manage them.
5. How much does alcoholism treatment cost?
Alcoholism treatment costs can vary depending on the duration of the treatment and other unique needs. However, insurance typically covers these costs. You can verify your insurance here today!
