We all like to have that occasional drink to loosen up, distress or at parties, at social events, etc. However, when the line between an innocent drink and a binge starts to blur, it affects other aspects of your life such as your career and relationships, you need to reevaluate your drinking habits.
When your drinking habits start to consume your living, you should control yourself and take a break. It’s difficult to identify when your alcohol consumption has crossed the line from social use to alcohol abuse. You can never judge when an innocent drink becomes alcoholism and thus it is essential to be aware of the alcoholism signs and symptoms to take a step back and reevaluate.
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What are the signs of alcoholism?
Lying about your alcohol consumption
From lying to hiding, individuals with a drinking issue would end up taking steps to ensure it looks like they don’t really have an issue. And thus, it is necessary for their loved ones to check out for signs of their lying and secretive attitude when it comes to drinking.
Neglecting responsibilities
As alcohol ends up taking the main focus, alcoholics tend to keep all their responsibilities secondary. They might slack at office work, be unaffectionate towards their family members or kids, etc. Their consumption of alcohol goes beyond occasional drinking to become a vital part of their everyday lifestyle.
Drinking to feel better
When people use alcohol as a source to relieve stress and cope up with emotionally rough times or general pressures in daily life, they’re building a threatening path. Alcohol should never be a means to escape or cope up with one’s problems; you form an unhealthy pattern of managing your issues thus building addiction.
Issues in your relationships
When alcohol consumption has reached the point where it is now creating problems with your friends, your partner/spouse, or your family members, it shows that alcohol takes priority over other important people in your life.
Indulging in risk-taking behavior
Consuming alcohol reduces your inhibitions and your capability to make informed decisions in life and can lead to rash decisions and risk-taking behaviors.
Physiological Addiction
Excess of anything is bad for you, especially alcohol. Drinking often can excite you but also irritate your nervous system. If you consume alcohol regularly, your body can develop alcohol dependence with time, and when that happens, your central nervous system can no longer adapt easily to the lack of alcohol. If you suddenly stop drinking or reduce the amount of alcohol you drink, it can lead to alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Are you a functional alcoholic?
Everyone knows that alcohol is bad for us, and yet so many of us are unable to stop ourselves from being addicted to drinking. You rationalize and soothe yourself, stating that at least you are not an alcoholic, and you can totally control yourself and still function. This is exactly what a functional alcoholic is!
A functional alcoholic is someone who is addicted to drinking and can continue to function although not at an optimal level. A functional addict can drink excessively once they’re home from work and still be able to get themselves up the following day and go to work.
Hence, it is essential to recognize the functional alcoholic symptoms before it gets too late:
You’re obsessed with alcohol
Alcohol is always on your mind. You count hours until you can have your next drink. You measure how much alcohol you consume without getting drunk. You love the company of fellow drinkers and surround yourself with people who enjoy drinking as much as you do.
You crave alcohol
One drink is never enough for functional alcoholics. The craving consumes you until you can have your next drink and the following one and the one after that before long, you have lost control over your alcohol consumption. But you never allow it to appear outwardly making sure that you behave as normal as possible.
Alcohol is a huge part of your daily living
It is tough for functional alcoholics to give up alcohol. And you make it an essential part of your daily living.
You internally feel ashamed about your behavior
Functioning alcoholics often feel ashamed about their alcohol consumption and show remorse post-drinking. But that alone doesn’t motivate them to quit drinking.
You have failed attempts at quitting
At some point in your life, you may have tried to quit drinking but have failed in the attempt. And you might even have a history of failed attempts.
A significant threat to functional alcoholics is even if they realize that they have a drinking problem, they will refuse to seek treatment believing that they can manage and control it and resist alcohol altogether as well.
Alcohol Abuse Symptoms: Aspects of Alcohol Addiction
Addiction disconnects you from social life, career, school, family, and makes you dependent on alcohol entirely. If you are facing any obstacle for consuming alcohol, you might behave at an extreme level, and even physically harm yourself or others.
Due to the frequent consumption, you lose the mental ownership of your own body, resulting in some severe alcoholic symptoms and side effects like:
Short-Term Effects:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headaches
- Slurred speech
- Impaired judgment
Long-Term Effects:
- Blackouts
- Memory loss
- Liver disease
- Thiamine deficiency
- Stomach problems
Other Concerns:
Risk of
- Certain cancers
- Brain damage
- Immune system obstruction
- High blood pressure
- Osteoporosis, especially in women
Most of the abusers who frequently have heavy drinks never know the severity of side effects.
Can Alcohol Cause Psychosis?
Alcohol, being a neurotoxin, has a significant impact on people’s brains intricately due to continued exposure and repeated withdrawal. It can cause severe and life-threatening conditions.
Alcoholism is connected with medical, neurological, and psychosocial complications. Make sure to understand and review all the alcohol psychosis symptoms to get a suitable treatment. If you know anyone who may be going through this, please spread awareness and help them get the right solution.
To know more about what is alcohol-related psychosis, it is essential to understand what psychosis is and how that will feel like. Here are some alcohol-related psychosis symptoms:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Depressed mood
- Sleeping too much or not enough
- Anxiety
- Suspiciousness
- Withdrawal from family and friends
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Disorganized speech, such as switching topics erratically
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Suicidal thoughts or actions
Alcohol Symptoms: All You Need to Know
Q1. What are the different kinds of alcohol-related issues?
It is essential to know that alcohol issues happen along a continuum of severity. Mild alcohol consumption could be simply missing work or college occasionally. The term alcoholism generally refers to alcohol dependence or severe alcohol consumption. Keep in mind that alcohol dependence is the most severe issue and usually consist of at least 5 to 11 signs experienced in a span of one year.
Q2. How is Alcoholism diagnosed?
A diagnosis of alcoholism can only be done after a full examination by a healthcare expert. You are suggested to get in touch with experts at Cadabams. They will conduct a test that includes a behavioral or medical evaluation. Both of these factors cover drinking patterns, attitude, and influence on people and loved ones around you.
Q3. How can I help an alcoholic loved one?
- Stage an intervention for them when they are sobre, calm, collected and focussed.
- Do not force them and do not include anyone who they may be uncomfortable with.
- Express your concerns with empathy and listen to them.
- Ask them the reasons as to why they turned to alcohol in the first place.
- Give them hope that things will be better and reassure them that you will be with them on the journey.
Q4. Why is rehab necessary for addiction?
Rehabilitation centres for alcoholism focus on holistic treatments. In rehab, a person undergoes medically supervised detoxification, psychotherapy and family therapy to rewire the brain and its response to impulses. It takes a holistic approach to a long-term treatment process along with community support, healthy coping mechanisms and focuses on healthy lifestyle. Rehabilitation centres at Cadabams focus on the overall recovery and easy reintegration into the society as fully-functional people.
Q5. How does Cadabams treat addiction?
Cadabams recognizes the social and family aspects of addiction. It provides support groups for individuals and families. There is a 24/7 support with immediate crisis intervention and a multifaceted team of psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians, etc. Cadabams takes evidence and solution-based treatment plans which are customized for every individual.
Why Cadabams?
At Cadabams, we ensure that you get the treatment you need and deserve. Our team of psychiatrists is an expert in psychosocial rehabilitation, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT), and family-focused therapy that has proven to be highly effective in treating Alcohol Dependence. We have over two decades of expertise in handling the most complex and severe cases of Alcoholism. Our multispecialty team of psychiatrists, psychologists, counsellors, physicians work round the clock and are with you every step of the way. We offer world-class evidence-based treatment that is fit for all stages and all types of addiction.
Cadabams is widely trusted by various healthcare experts to help addiction relief with care and love. It is a comfortable facility where individuals are treated with attention, love, care, and concern. They offer an exclusive range of solutions and treatments based on the condition and issues faced by an individual.
Call us on our mental health helpline +91 96111 94949 for further details on getting alcohol treatment in India or Alcoholism related emergencies.
Disclaimer – We strive to treat our patients with dignity and the utmost sensitivity. We understand that addiction is a disease and that it is not a sign of weakness. The term alcoholic or alcoholism is used not in a derogatory fashion but to remain relevant to user search trends and common usage. In case you or a loved are struggling with alcohol abuse and share a unique viewpoint on how we can improve this content for our readers, please reach out to us at info@cadabams.org
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