Alcohol addiction, just like any other substance abuse disorder, tends to involve a series of warning signs. People do not go from zero to one hundred on the scale of alcohol abuse in a day. It takes time for alcohol abuse to set in and for the signs of alcohol addiction to begin showing themselves. Since the warning signs do not become apparent overnight, it is important to watch for alcohol addiction signs if you are worried about a loved one consuming too much alcohol. By staying abreast of the common signs of alcohol addiction, you can provide timely intervention for a loved one.
If you are looking for alcohol addiction treatment in Athens, Georgia, consider Serenity Grove. Learn more about the alcohol addiction treatment options near you by calling 844.904.3485.
4 Signs of Alcohol Addiction
Many different signs of alcohol addiction exist. The following section covers four of the top signs of alcohol addiction in detail.
1. Regularly Drinking to Excess
One night of excessive drinking does not make someone an alcoholic. Rather, alcoholism necessitates repetitive behavior that becomes habitual. When someone regularly drinks an excessive amount of alcohol, that counts as a warning sign of alcohol addiction.
Binge drinking is defined as having five or more drinks within a day. Engaging in that level of drinking behavior with regularity points to an alcohol abuse problem. Many people who struggle with alcohol abuse end up drinking far more than the threshold for binge drinking.
2. Inability to Control Drinking Behavior
Another of the top alcohol addiction signs is an inability to control drinking behavior. This could look like not being able to say no when someone offers you a drink. Or it could be when someone says they will just have one or two drinks but ends up having many more. This struggle to control behavior is not merely a personal failing. Alcohol abuse modifies brain functioning in ways that make healthy behavior regarding alcohol more difficult.
3. Using Alcohol Despite Negative Consequences
In most things, negative consequences cause people to stop behaving a certain way. People tend not to like negative or painful outcomes. However, when it comes to alcohol abuse, it’s often not that simple. As was mentioned in the second sign, alcohol abuse modifies how people behave. One outcome is that people who struggle with alcoholism typically don’t stop simply because they face negative consequences like job loss, damaged relationships, or declining health.
4. Experiencing Withdrawal Symptoms
The final sign of alcohol addiction discussed here is experiencing withdrawal symptoms. This is not the same as a hangover. What people feel the day after a night of heavy drinking is the side effects of alcohol. Withdrawal symptoms occur when a heavy drinker either tries to stop drinking or goes a while between bouts of drinking. Withdrawal symptoms related to alcoholism include:
- Fatigue
- Depression and anxiety
- Irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
- Insomnia
In severe cases of alcohol withdrawal, people can experience hallucinations, seizures, and delirium tremens.
Treating Alcohol Addiction at Serenity Grove
If you have identified one or more signs of alcohol addiction in your loved one, it is time to connect them to a source of professional support and treatment. Serenity Grove specializes in treating mental health and addiction.
Treating alcohol addiction at Serenity Grove begins with alcohol detox. Since withdrawal symptoms can be life-threatening in cases of severe addiction, alcohol detox should always be completed under medical supervision and care. After detox, we build a comprehensive addiction treatment plan with each client that centers their unique needs.
Healing is possible. Alcoholism need not define someone’s life in the long term. Contact Serenity Grove by calling 844.904.3485 or filling out our online form to discover how we help people overcome alcohol addiction.
