Is Your Partner An Alcoholic
This can be a surprisingly difficult question for many people to answer, as signs of an alcoholic are often hidden or overlooked. For one thing, most people dont understand enough about;alcohol use disorder;to know if a person is suffering from this chronic health condition. Even if you know all about alcohol addiction and signs of alcohol abuse, your partner could be a high-functioning user who is very good at hiding their affliction.
This article will provide you with further insight into the signs and symptoms of alcohol addiction so you can look past your partners denial and deception, and discern the truth about their relationship with alcohol.
Drinking Even When Impairment Is Risky
One of the more dangerous signs of an alcoholic is when someone drinks despite knowing they have to drive a car, go rock climbing, operate machinery, or sail a boat. These individuals tend to make risky choices while drinking that they probably wouldnt while sober and have an unusual number of accidents or injuries.
Best Addiction Treatment Options
While inpatient and outpatient alcohol and drug rehab centers are a great option for people struggling with unhealthy alcohol and/or drug use, there are other options available:
- Going to family therapy to unpack the alcohol or substance use problem with a support system
- Seeking support groups to aid in the recovery process
- Finding a holistic treatment plan that incorporates physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health
- Getting traditional counseling to unpack the triggers of alcohol use or drug addiction
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Drinking To Celebrate Grieve Relieve Stress And Feel Happy
Healthy people may occasionally drink in response to emotions, but have a range of alternative responses as well, such as calling a friend, exercising, and expressing themselves creatively. People with alcohol use disorder tend to have a narrow range of coping mechanisms, all of which hinge on drinking.
Abuse Versus Dependence Versus Addiction
Alcohol dependence, abuse, and addiction arent the same thing. People who abuse alcohol will drink in excess, but they may not be physically dependent and may only have a few of the warning signs mentioned above. A person who is physically or psychologically dependent on alcohol may not yet be addicted. However, creating clear, distinct lines between these categories isnt necessary.
As The Atlantic explains, seeing problematic drinking as a spectrum, will allow people to recognize problems earlier and to seek solutions without having to be labeled as alcoholics.3
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Where Can I Get Help
The easiest and quickest way to get help is to talk to someone about it, whether its a friend, family member, doctor or counsellor. The sooner you talk about what youre going through, the sooner things will start to feel a bit better.
If talking to someone isn’t your thing, there is other support and help out there. It can be hard to know where to find the right support you need. ReachOut NextStep is an anonymous online tool that recommends relevant support options based on what you want help with.
;Remember that if you do have an alcohol problem, the first step in overcoming it is to acknowledge it. You’ll find plenty of support services that can help you here, and you can filter by type of service and location.
What To Do When You See Warning Signs
When you see warning signs in yourself or a loved one, its time to get help. The sooner you speak up, the sooner you can avoid or reverse the consequences of alcohol abuse or addiction. Its never too early or too late. Anyone can find recovery, any time. All it takes is noticing warning signs and reaching out to professional resources like Michaels House when you do. Call now.
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Whats The Difference Between Casual Drinking And Alcohol Abuse
Lets start with casual drinking. Unless you have religious or personal restrictions, a few drinks with friends or a glass of wine with dinner is usually not an issue. The problem starts, though, when you begin abusing the substance.
Many people use the terms alcohol abuse and alcoholism interchangeably. However, alcoholism refers to alcohol addiction or dependence, where the individual has a physical or psychological compulsion to drink alcohol. Alcohol abuse refers to a pattern of behavior where a person drinks excessively in spite of the negative consequences.
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Are You Alcohol Dependent
It might be surprising to hear that you dont always have to be drinking to extreme levels to become dependent on alcohol. Anyone who is drinking regularly will have a degree of alcohol dependency.
According to Dr Nick Sheron, a liver disease specialist from Southampton University, alcohol dependency operates on a spectrum. At one end of the scale you have people who are mildly dependent, he says.
“Thats people who, for example, cant conceive of a Friday night without having enough drinks to get a bit tipsy. At the other end, you have people where alcohol is more important than their jobs, their families, than pretty much anything, including being alive.”
People who drink heavily tend to keep increasing the amount they drink because they develop a tolerance to alcohol. Tolerance is a physiological response we have to any drug: the more you consume, the more you need to consume to have the same effect.
Part of this dependence is because the wiring in the brain changes with frequent consumption of alcohol. Then, as Dr Sheron says: This change makes you less able to drink in a controlled way.
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Inability To Maintain Healthy Relationships
Neglected tasks, dishonesty or secretive behavior, and financial distress take a toll on relationships. If an individual is not able to quit alcohol in the interest of restoring harmony in relationships, it becomes obvious that he or she places alcohol above their loved ones. Unfortunately, the presence of this alcoholic behavior when not drinking is fairly common.
They Lie Deny And Conceal
Some high-functioning addicts are particularly good at deceiving others about their drinking habits. But occasionally from time to time, the people closest to them will catch them lying or hiding their drinking behavior. Its important to pay attention to these times instead of dismissing them as misunderstandings.
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What States Can You Force Someone Into Rehab
If you cant convince your loved one to check into rehab on their own, you can force them to do it in some states.
Research suggests that involuntary commitment to outpatient treatment facilities can mean 57 percent fewer treatment admissions in the future and an average of 20 less days in the hospital compared to people who dont get treatment.;
If they are over 18 years old and you live in one of the 37 states that have laws in place allowing involuntary commitment to mental health treatment facilities, you can get a court order to send them. Court-ordered rehab is possible in the following states:
- Alaska
You Suffer Withdrawal If You Attempt To Stop
Withdrawal is most well-known when it comes to substance abuse. It’s essentially your system becoming severely distressed when a drug or substance under heavy usage is taken away abruptly, causing it to recalibrate. The American Addiction Centers sum up the four main types of substance withdrawal: withdrawing from heroin and prescription painkillers causes two days of serious flu-like symptoms, cold turkey psychoactive drug addicts will experience seizures and anxiety for weeks, while going off cocaine causes 10 days of depression, and going off alcohol causes the famous “tremors,” which can last for up to a month. The heaviness of withdrawal symptoms depends on the strength of your addiction, and is often deeply unpleasant.
Withdrawal from non-substance based addictions, like gambling, tend to be more emotional than physical. Psych Central highlights “restlessness and irritability” as the key signs that a gambling addict is going through withdrawal.
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They Cannot Take Care Of Their Responsibilities
Maybe someone who used to work hard and excel at their jobs stops performing well or start coming to work irregularly. Otherwise, a person may not spend time doing their chores, studying, or going through their normal activities at the same level as before.
When someone begins to slack off or stop being on top of their responsibilities, it may indicate that they are experiencing alcohol dependence. As soon as drinking takes over your life, you start focusing only on when you can drink again, causing you to lose control over your daily responsibilities.
If you stop drinking and are experiencing withdrawal symptoms, this;may make it difficult for you to be productive or focus on anything other than your current condition. Depressive or anxious thoughts arising from alcohol dependence can impact your motivation and your ambitions for the future. In these cases, you may choose to let go of your responsibilities because you no longer see them as important.
Physical Signs Of An Alcohol Problem
Excessive drinking and alcohol addiction also has a range of physical side effects, including:
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The smell of alcohol on the breath that lingers for hours after heavy drinking
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Weight loss from drinking instead of eating
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Dry skin, brittle hair and nails, and an increased appearance of aging and wrinkles
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Broken capillaries on face and nose
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Yellow eyes and skin due to liver damage
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Poor hygiene
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While It Is Possible To Use Some Substances Recreationally Or Casually There Is A Stark Difference Between Casual Use And Substance Addiction But How Can You Tell When You Are Addicted
“Some people are able to use recreational or prescription drugs without experiencing negative consequences or addiction. For many others, though, substance use can be an attempt to escape from problems in their lives and has much more serious consequences. The abuse of drugs to cope with life’s problems only makes the existing problems worse and likely causes new problems to develop, leaving feelings of isolation, helplessness, or shame.”
~ “Drug Abuse and Addiction“, Help Guide
If you are unsure whether you are addicted to drugs or alcohol, the prevalence of these symptoms can be a sign that you are experiencing substance abuse and addiction.
The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence also offers a quiz with specific questions designed to help you understand your drug use, the potential for addiction, and the possible health issues associated with drug and alcohol abuse. The organization also lists the top ten signs of addiction for both drugs and alcohol:
These symptoms of addiction are seen in both drug and alcohol abuse. If you see any, or multiple, of these symptoms either in yourself or in someone you love, it is likely that you or they are facing an addiction. This means that it is time to get the help you need to overcome addiction and start on the road to recovery. In order to get a better picture of what addiction looks like in the case of a specific drug, you can find the signs of addiction for each drug type below.
Physical And Psychological Symptoms Of Alcohol Abuse & Dependence
Alcohol has immediate effects, as the American public clearly knows. The immediate impact of alcohol use on the body includes but is not limited to:
- Slowed reaction times
- Uncharacteristically taking loans, liquidating any assets, and depleting cash accounts
- Stealing and likely lying about it
- Engaging in risky activities, such as unprotected sex
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Drinking To Feel Normal
In order to combat withdrawal symptoms, many people will feel as if they need to drink to feel normal. Signs of this can include drinking alone, during work hours, before major events or places where no one else is drinking. If your drinking a necessity to feel normal or having a need to have drinks throughout the day to maintain the feeling of normality, this is a clear sign of alcohol addiction.
How Laguna View Detox Can Help You With Addiction
At Laguna View Detox, you will get round the clock care for your alcoholism.; We are one of the leading private drug rehab centers in Orange County. We provide luxurious, inpatient rehab treatment in one of the most beautiful areas in California. Our staff includes some of the best in the industry, and well create a holistic treatment plan tailored to you. We will care for you while you safely detox and then guide you through inpatient treatment and aftercare.; Contact us today and let us help you with your addiction!;;
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Signs You’re Becoming Addicted To Something
It’s easy to talk about addiction in a throwaway manner, as if just liking something quite a lot classifies you as an addict. Spoiler: it doesn’t. But social conceptions of how an addict looks and behaves still often look like something out of a Dickens novel, when the reality is more nebulous, less obvious, and more common. But how do you know if you’re becoming addicted to something or just having a good time?
The most commonly discussed area of addiction is drug and alcohol abuse; the rehab organization Addiction Center estimates that 20 million Americans over the age of 12 have an addiction to alcohol or both legal and illegal drugs. When it comes to behavioral addictions, the lines are a bit less clear; but from psychologically accepted problems like gambling to more contested definitions like sex addiction, it’s now no longer just substance abuse on the table when we talk about addicts.
If you’re worried you might be dependent on something â whether it be drugs, alcohol, sex, or anything else â here are nine common signs you may indeed be addicted.
Early Signs Of An Alcohol Problem
Despite what movies and television shows portray, its not always easy to tell if someone has a problem with drinking. A person with AUD might not hang out in a bar all day or fall down after theyve been drinking heavily. Some people seem fine and functional in their daily lives despite their alcohol addiction.
One of the early signs is a pattern of excessive drinking. This pattern includes both binge drinking and heavy drinking. Binge drinking is when someone drinks a large amount at one time. For men, its drinking five or more drinks within two hours. For women, it is having four or more drinks within two hours. Heavy drinking is 8 or more drinks a week for women and 15 or more drinks a week for men. Drinking excessively from time to time does not mean someone has an alcohol addiction but it does put them at a higher risk for developing it.
Other early signs include getting intoxicated frequently, blacking out when drinking, becoming violent or angry when drinking, or drinking in risky or dangerous situations, like driving or having unprotected sex.
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How To Deal With Alcohol Addiction
The best way to deal with alcohol addiction is to decide that you want to get better and enlist the people around you. You can then make an effort to remove all alcoholic drinks from your house, office, and places you frequent.
Ensure your friends and family are aware of your goals and will not drink around you or persuade you to go back to your old ways. You may also join an alcohol counselling;or alcohol rehab program.
Crime And Deviant Behavior
- Have you ever manipulated a doctor to attain prescription drugs?
- Have you ever used substances without knowing what they were or what they would do to you?
- Have you ever stolen substances or stolen something to pay for substances?
- Have you acted erratically or felt not in control of your actions?
Addiction often drives reasonable individuals to uncharacteristic behavior and, in many cases, even crime. Faking a health condition to obtain prescription drugs, stealing from friends or family, and taking unknown substances are common among individuals struggling with addiction. If you find yourself acting out of character, committing crimes or doing things that hurt loved ones to satisfy your substance use habits, you likely have an addiction.
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The Signs Of Addiction To Depressants
Depressants, otherwise known as sedatives, tranquilizers, or simply downers are a type of drug that are designed to either reduce the symptoms of anxiety and other psychotic symptoms, or else help patients sleep and calm down. Depressants include both alcohol and prescription drugs designed to manage anxiety or other mental issues. As a type of prescription drug, depressants can be just as addictive as any other form of drug if not properly managed.
“A depressant is a chemical compound that manipulates neurotransmission levels, thereby reducing arousal or stimulation in various parts of the brain. Depressants are also occasionally referred to as downers because they lower the level of arousal in the brain when taken.”
The short-term effects of depressants, some of which are by design and some of which are side effects, include the following:
- Slowed brain function
- Slowed breathing and lowered heart rate
- Low blood pressure
“A person abusing sedatives…will look sedated or drowsy. They will talk slowly and may slur their speech. They will not be able to concentrate and their coordination and memory are likely to be off. They may feel dizzy. They are likely to have poor concentration. Along with slow breathing and heart rate, their blood pressure will be lower. As sedatives also lower inhibitions, they may exhibit poor control of their actions and may take risks they would not normally take.”
~ Narconon: Signs & Symptoms of Sedative Abuse
