In the current society, people consider alcohol drinking a social norm; hence it has become challenging for people to admit they have an addiction. Most people enjoy alcohol because of the taste and how it makes people feel expressive, but forget that it is also a drug. The perception, beliefs, and attitude around alcohol have made it challenging for users to acknowledge its effects or accept treatment.
Most alcohol drinkers, especially social drinkers, know the effects of alcohol intake, but they won’t accept that addiction can happen to them because of self-preserving optimism. Alcohol addiction can happen to anyone; therefore, analyzing your information and accepting your addiction is the beginning of your recovery journey. If you think that you might be addicted, the chances are that you need to seek treatment in alcohol rehab. However, understanding if your addiction is bad enough is challenging; for that reason, you need to use addiction criteria to check its severity. Here is an addiction criterion that will help you ;
Withdrawal
If you experience physical issues and mental instability when you stop drinking, you might be addicted. Withdrawal symptoms can be mild, moderate, or severe; you must check with a professional drug addiction counselor. Withdrawals occur after you stop stimulating your nervous system, which is dependent on alcohol to function. If you stop drinking for days, or hours depending on your addiction severity, you will experience the following symptoms;
- Sweating
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Hallucination
- Seizures
- Headache.
Since alcohol addiction disorder is an accelerating disease, the symptoms move from mild to severe; hence the earlier you seek help, the better. Orange county rehab center can help you get back on the right track with your life.
Social Issues
Alcohol dependence can affect your relationship with friends and family. The progressive intake will ruin relationships, such as marriage, or lead to conflict. Most alcohol dependant individuals become aggressive at some point, making it hard to relate with other people. The negative behavior caused by alcohol intake makes it hard for people to tolerate hence distancing themselves.
Also, alcoholism leads to social anxiety, which affects how a person interacts with people around them. The social pressures can worsen over time, leading to hallucinations and poor judgment. Most alcohol addicts isolate themselves to avoid getting into issues or due to fear generated by alcohol. However, you can manage the social withdrawal symptoms through the assistance of an alcohol addiction counselor. The good news is that you don’t need to go through the recovery journey alone; there are professional counselors accessible and affordable rehabilitation centers that will take you through.
Desire to Cut Alcohol Intake
If your desire to cut alcohol is high, you must already be addicted. The need to cut alcohol originates from the point of self-guilt, which develops when you become dependent on alcohol. If you need to cut on alcohol consumption, the abuse might affect your relationships, financial status, mental health, or physical health. If you have felt like quitting, you must seek help from a certified alcohol rehabilitation center for treatment. Professional counselors will take you through the recovery process and help you find out whether you are addicted to alcohol.
Use of Large Amounts of Alcohol.
If you notice that you have started taking large amounts of alcohol, you might be falling into an addiction. Alcohol addiction is progressive, and it begins with small intakes to large intakes over time. The more you take alcohol, the more your body becomes tolerant; hence, you might drink large amounts without feeling its effect.
It is essential to understand the causes of alcohol intake. People take alcohol due to an underlying mental health issue, loneliness, depression, or as a coping mechanism. The situation’s complexity might also make you take large amounts of alcohol, which may lead to addiction. Alcohol abuse also increased during the pandemic. Check abbeycarefoundation.com to learn more.
Neglect of Responsibilities
You can know you are addicted to alcohol if you spend most of your time drinking. For an alcohol addict, every day is a drinking day; hence sparing some time for your family or work becomes more burdensome. Once you start taking alcohol daily, your brain chemicals begin to change. However, the hormones in the brain produce the “feel good” hormone, which makes you feel happy and comfortable. That being the case, the “good feel” hormone makes you become lazy and abandon responsibilities, such as work.
The “feel-good” hormone makes you blind to the negative impact of alcohol in your life, making it even harder to notice you might be addicted. If you find that you have neglected your college work or employment, then the chances are that you are addicted.
Alcohol addiction disorder can occur in people of different ages and social statuses. The social acceptance of alcohol consumption makes it challenging to understand alcohol addiction. You must know that drug/alcohol addiction is a disorder like any other.
