Alcohol Addiction and the Road to Recovery
Key Points
Alcohol addiction impacts millions of people each year, from those who are addicted to their loved ones who try to help them through the struggle.
Alcohol use is ingrained in society today, so many people don’t realize they’re starting to become addicted or that it is impacting their life and health significantly.
When they do realize the problem it is causing, they may need help quitting.
It is important to understand addiction and what is needed to recover to be able to help loved ones who have become addicted to alcohol.
The Causes of Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol addiction isn’t just a chemical addiction and there can be many different causes.
Those who become addicted may start drinking because of environmental, genetic, social, or other factors.
Anyone who is worried about whether they drink too much or they may be addicted can look into alcoholism rehab near you to get help. Some of the causes of alcoholism include the following.
- Genetics – Genetics do play a part in alcohol addiction. Someone whose parents suffered from alcoholism is far more likely to end up becoming an alcoholic if they aren’t careful about their drinking. If someone has a parent or parents who drank a lot, they will want to be aware that it is more likely for them to become an alcoholic compared to those who had parents who didn’t drink.
- Environment – If someone grows up in a household where drinking is done frequently, they are more likely to drink, themselves. If, on the other hand, drinking is done responsibly or there is little to no drinking, it is less likely the person will end up drinking too frequently and becoming addicted to alcohol.
- Emotional Management – Those who suffer from alcoholism often have a hard time managing their emotions. They may have suffered through trauma in the past and are not aware of or able to do things that can help them regulate their emotions other than drinking. This can lead to them drinking more frequently and it becomes an addiction.
- Social Factors – Social drinking can lead to drinking too often and too much. Those who go out drinking for fun multiple times a week are more likely to end up suffering from alcoholism compared to those who participate in social activities that don’t involve drinking.
Stages of Alcoholism
There are different stages of alcoholism, and a person may go through all of these.
Often, they may not realize they have a problem with their drinking until they are at the third stage, as they don’t realize how much they’re becoming dependent on alcohol.
The basic stages of alcoholism include the following.
- First Stage – The first stage involves drinking occasionally and experimenting to find out how much they can drink. They might drink in large amounts when they do drink and can experience blackouts or severe hangovers because of how much they drink when they go out.
- Second Stage – The second stage involves starting to drink more frequently. They might start having a little bit to drink every night or go out and engage in binge drinking more than a couple days a week. They start finding more reasons to have alcohol.
- Third Stage – The third stage is where drinking starts to cause problems in the person’s personal life or with their health. They may start to feel bad if they don’t drink, as they start to go through withdrawal symptoms. They may also find it hard to stop drinking on their own and that they feel like they need to drink frequently.
- Fourth Stage – The fourth stage is addiction, where drinking has become a necessity instead of done because the person wants to drink. They won’t feel the same if they aren’t drinking and can be incredibly sick if they stop drinking for a period of time. At this point, they may need to go through a medical detox to safely stop drinking.
Diagnosing an Addiction to Alcohol
If someone is worried about their alcohol intake or what happens when they try to stop drinking on their own, they may want to speak with professionals to get more information on the next steps to take.
Diagnosing an addiction to alcohol involves looking at a variety of factors and how they impact the person’s life and health.
Those with addiction may have strong cravings to drink, be unable to stop drinking, or may end up skipping major events so they can drink.
They may get irritated if they can’t have alcohol or have visible signs that they are suffering from withdrawal when they can’t drink, such as shaking or nausea.
Ways to Get Treatment for Alcoholism
There are various ways to get treatment for alcoholism, and it is crucial to consider all of them to find the right fit.
A person will likely go through a detox stage first, where they stop drinking long enough to get the alcohol out of their system.
This can be dangerous for most alcoholics, so it is important to do the detox under medical supervision.
From there, they can consider inpatient rehab, where they are able to live at a facility that can help them with their alcoholism.
They may also consider an outpatient program so they can continue to work and take care of their family while they work on their recovery.
There is also the possibility of getting counseling or therapy, which can help them get to the root of the problem and work on emotional regulation, as well as other tasks to help them learn to handle everything without turning to alcohol.
Rehabilitation isn’t a short process, but it can help those who are suffering from addiction.
If you or a loved one is suffering from alcohol addiction, there is help available.
It is crucial to seek help, to learn more about addiction, and to learn what is needed to recover from the addiction to be able to move forward.
Take the time to look into resources designed to help those suffering from alcoholism to find the right path to treatment and to start making changes today toward a better future.
