Am I An Alcoholic?
There are millions of people who abuse alcohol. Are you fighting with the question – Am I an alcoholic? If so, learning more about what alcoholism is and what to do about it can help answer those questions.
Defining Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a disease. It is a serious drinking problem in which someone has an uncontrollable, strong desire to drink alcohol. Many people who struggle with alcoholism have alcohol cravings after going a few days without drinking. Others may have these cravings in just a few hours of not drinking alcohol. Some other terms for alcoholism are alcohol dependence and alcohol addiction. It is important not to mistake these terms for harmful drinking as that only means the drinking is harming the person’s health. For example, if someone gets drunk one night at a college party, they have a higher risk of getting into a fight or falling. However, when harmful drinking becomes a regular thing or the person can’t control their drinking, that is alcoholism. Do you think you are an alcoholic? If so, don’t hesitate to contact us to get into an addiction treatment program today.
Symptoms and Signs of Alcoholism
How to know if you’re an alcoholic? For some people, it can be challenging to know the answer to this question. There is not a clear-cut black and white answer. There are many symptoms and signs of alcoholism. Some of these include:
- Not having an interest in activities you did enjoy
- Being intoxicated more often
- Feeling unwell, irritable, or tired more than usual due to drinking
- Needing to consume more alcohol to get the same effects you did before
- Experiencing depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues caused by your drinking
- Not being able to say no when someone offers you a drink
- Being dishonest or secretive
Do you feel that you drink too much? Is it difficult for you to stop drinking? Maybe, you have tried to stop drinking in the past, but you began drinking again shortly after quitting? You may have made it months or years without drinking but then slowly went back to drinking again. If you relate to any of these situations, we want to help you today.
Treating Alcoholism
Not everyone needs the same treatment for alcohol addiction. Some factors help to determine the type of treatment you might need. Some factors that may affect this include your drinking history, past treatment, family history, mental and physical health and much more. There are some common treatments for alcoholism that might benefit you. Some of these treatments include:
- Detox (a program that helps you to get sober – removing all alcohol from your body)
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT (helps to change negative behaviors and thought patterns that cause someone to drink)
- Support groups such as AA (