Alcohol Addiction
Warm & Refreshing Approach to Alcohol Addiction Recovery
Don’t be fooled by what the media, a callous employer, or your own mind might tell you – alcohol use disorder is a real disease. If you have alcohol use disorder – colloquially called alcoholism or alcohol addiction in many contexts – it can literally change the way you think about alcohol, so you crave and depend on it. But just like any other disease, there is always hope to fight alcohol use disorder.
At SOBA New Jersey, we are here to give you the strength, confidence, self-esteem, and tools needed to overtake your alcohol use disorder. Through a transparent and fully supportive alcohol rehab program led by our recovery specialists, you can come to understand your disease better, which is the first step in becoming bigger than it.
Help is one call away. Dial (888) 229-7989 now.
On This Page
- What is Alcohol Addiction?
- How Common is Alcohol Addiction?
- Effects of Alcohol & Alcohol Abuse
- Seek Medical Help for Alcohol Poisoning
- How Alcohol Abuse Begins
- Recognizing the Signs of Alcohol Addiction
- Is Alcohol Addiction Curable?
- How to Help Someone Struggling with Addiction
- You’re Not Lost, You Just Need Guidance
What is Alcohol Addiction?
Alcohol addiction is a physiological or chemical addiction to alcohol. Due to the way that it can impact the brain’s chemistry and create a physical dependence on alcohol consumption, alcohol addiction has been categorized as a mental health disorder by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Again, alcohol use disorder is a disease, and you should never feel guilt or embarrassment for having a disease.
How Common is Alcohol Addiction?
You should never feel alone if you are struggling with alcohol addiction. The truth is that millions of Americans have alcohol use disorder to some degree. It is also true that every single one of those people can start down the path to sobriety with some help.
Fast statistics about alcohol addiction in America:
- More than 85% of American adults have had at least one alcoholic beverage.
- More than 50% of the adult population drinks at least once a month.
- More than 25% of the adult population binge drinks at least once a month.
- More than 14 million people, including some teenagers, have been diagnosed with alcohol use disorder.
Effects of Alcohol & Alcohol Abuse
The sooner you stand up to your alcohol use disorder, the sooner you can start down the path to a healthier tomorrow. The truth is that alcohol is a dangerous drug that can rapidly damage a user’s health in a variety of ways. Not only is your body in jeopardy when alcohol is abused, but so are your emotions and mind.
Symptoms of alcohol use disorder can include:
- Physical: Prolonged overuse of alcohol can cause frequent nausea and vomiting, cardiorespiratory damage, liver cancer, kidney failure, brain damage, immune system failure, and other serious health issues.
- Psychological: Alcohol use disorder in moderate or severe cases can cause brain damage, which causes a host of psychological issues, such as memory loss, inability to form new memories, decreased perception, and impaired judgment.
- Behavioral: People with forming or strong alcohol addictions will begin to exhibit different behavioral and social irregularities, such as insisting on drinking alone, hiding alcohol around work and home, ignoring basic hygiene needs, and experiencing newly onset mood swings.
If you have noticed any of these symptoms in yourself, then please call (888) 229-7989 today. It is likely that alcohol abuse disorder has already formed, but you have not fully realized it yet. We also encourage you to speak to your primary care provider to receive an official diagnosis and more information about how the condition could be impacting your overall health.
Seek Medical Help for Alcohol Poisoning
If you believe that someone has had enough alcohol to suffer from alcohol poisoning, please call 911. Alcohol poisoning occurs when a person’s blood alcohol concentration is so high that it interrupts the body’s functions. Specifically, alcohol poisoning can shut down areas of the brain that control breathing, heartbeat, and body temperature. In severe cases, alcohol poisoning can be fatal.
Signs of alcohol poisoning often include:
- Confusion or delirium
- Slurred speech
- Vomiting
- Breathing difficulties
- Complete loss of balance
- Blue or pale skin
- Hypothermia
- Unconsciousness
If someone has passed out from alcohol poisoning, lie them on their side. Check that they are still breathing properly in that position. If they are awake, try to keep them upright and awake while you await paramedics.
How Alcohol Abuse Begins
At SOBA New Jersey, we understand that success in fighting alcohol use disorder usually depends on knowing where that addiction originates. Fighting addiction at the top or surface level can feel like a constant uphill battle. But tackling addiction at its source can be surprisingly effective and encouraging.
What is it that started your alcohol dependency?
- Stress: In an attempt to deal with stressful situations, especially those that occur frequently in day-to-day life, some people will grab alcohol because it can temporarily “numb” their emotions.
- Early alcohol use: People who began drinking while a teenager or young adult are statistically more likely to suffer from alcohol use disorder later in life. Both the early formation of a habit and their increased tolerance levels to alcohol add to this problem.
- Mental health difficulties: In recent years, more resources have been devoted to studying how mental health difficulties and alcohol addiction often overlap and worsen one another. This phenomenon is called dual diagnosis. Oftentimes, both issues need to be treated concurrently for either treatment to be effective.
- Family history: It is believed that some people might have a higher-than-average risk of developing an alcohol dependency due to a genetic predisposition. If your family has a history of alcohol addiction, then it shouldn’t be overlooked while you are seeking treatment.
Recognizing the Signs of Alcohol Addiction
Most people who struggle with alcohol addiction don’t realize it as clearly as they probably should. This is because the drug – yes, alcohol is a drug, even though it is classified as a beverage and sold in grocery stores – physically alters the user’s mind to experience an uptick in dopamine when using it. The resulting “high” after drinking alcohol can convince the user that nothing is wrong when they might already be in desperate need of help due to worsening physical and mental harm inflicted by the disease.
To truly identify alcohol use disorder, a formal diagnosis from a medical patient must be given. Officially, there are 11 criteria that doctors use to diagnose someone with alcohol addiction.
The 11 criteria of alcohol use disorder are:
- Declining from participating in hobbies or social activities that they used to be interested in.
- Feeling powerless to the level of alcohol they use.
- Wanting to stop or reduce use but feeling unable to do so.
- Devoting much time and resources to support a drinking habit.
- Using alcohol in inappropriate, high-risk situations (driving, swimming, etc.).
- Developing an exceedingly high tolerance to alcohol.
- Feeling strong alcohol cravings when not using.
- Facing problems at school, work, or the home because of alcohol use.
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms if not drinking for a period.
- Drinking to deal with withdrawal symptoms.
- Continuous use of alcohol even with persistent social, relationship, physical, and other personal problems.
If the patient matches two of those criteria within the last 12 months, then the diagnosis can be approved.
Is Alcohol Addiction Curable?
It is important to accept that alcohol use disorder is a chronic disease that cannot be “cured.” Sobriety can be gained and maintained, but there will always be relapse risks from old triggers and compulsions. No amount of detoxification and treatment can completely eliminate these risks. This is why many people who have successfully completed an alcohol rehab program and enjoyed many years of sobriety afterward still refer to themselves as “recovering alcoholics.”
We want to encourage you to see the silver lining in this situation. Even though alcohol use disorder cannot be “cured” like many other diseases, it doesn’t have to continually control your life or loom over you. If anything, your ability to maintain sobriety despite the lingering effects of your disease shows how strong you really are.
How to Help Someone Struggling with Addiction
Seeing a loved one suffering from alcohol addiction is painful. You will want to help them, but you might not know where to begin. The matter can be even more complicated than it first seems if your loved one tries to push you away whenever you check in with them or suggest that they stop drinking.
SOBA New Jersey is here to support people struggling with alcohol addiction and the families that love them. We can help you figure out what to do next if your loved one has an alcohol use disorder.
To begin, please review these tips about how to help someone struggling with alcohol addiction:
- Educate yourself about alcohol addiction and how it can be treated, so you feel less helpless during conversations about it.
- Never give the person with alcohol addiction an alcoholic beverage or encourage them to drink.
- Remind yourself that you aren’t to blame for their alcohol addiction, even if you had encouraged them to drink in the past.
- Know that you can take the first steps to get them help — people don’t need to “want to be helped” for rehab programs to work.
You’re Not Lost, You Just Need Guidance – Call Now
Our New Jersey alcohol addiction rehab specialists know that no one is smaller than their addictions. Sometimes, all it takes to someone else to see our strengths first. We are here to give you moral support and professional treatments under one roof. You will find that our rehab center has been designed to feel like a second home to our clients, which is one of the reasons why we treat them like family.
Contact SOBA New Jersey at (888) 229-7989 for more information.
Find more information about our alcohol addiction treatment options here.
At times, you can feel lost and confused when struggling with addiction or mental health. Our team understands what you are going through and works with you to reclaim the life you deserve.