Alcohol addiction is one of the most difficult forms of substance abuse to detect reliably, simply because people aren’t quite sure where the boundary is between recreational drinking and problem drinking. Since drinking is such an acceptable social activity, it can be easy to brush off potential warning signs of addiction. In fact, many people may not even realize they have a problem until it’s too late. Recognizing the signs that alcohol is a problem in your life can help you take the necessary steps toward recovery.
Northpoint Washington offers alcohol addiction treatment with a focus on personalized and evidence-based care. Our team of experienced professionals understands the complexities of alcohol addiction and provides compassionate support throughout the recovery journey. Call 888.450.2153 to get started.
6 Signs You May Be Abusing Alcohol
Occasional, responsible drinking is a common part of many people’s lives. However, for some individuals, alcohol consumption can quickly spiral into addiction. If you find yourself questioning your relationship with alcohol, it may be time to take a closer look at your behavior and consider seeking help. Here are some signs that you may be abusing alcohol:
- Drinking alone
- Drinking to “relax”
- Building up alcohol tolerance
- Neglecting responsibilities
- Inability to abstain from drinking
- Withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop
If you relate to more than a couple of these, it may be time to talk to someone and find out if you need help, especially if there is a history of alcohol addiction in your family. But before you go trying to diagnose yourself, learn more about these signs.
You Do Most of Your Drinking Alone
Okay, so you’re a social drinker. There’s no problem with that. But if you’re doing your drinking in secret and starting to lie about it, you can’t really call that “social,” can you? This is a sign of someone who either senses that their drinking might be problematic or perhaps of someone who has been told their drinking is an issue.
Drinking in secret—or hiding the amount of drinking you do—is a way to avoid those concerns, not address them. The problem with this symptom is that by its very nature, it’s hard to detect by anyone but the person doing the drinking. If they’re keeping their drinking secret, then it stands to reason that the people around won’t notice the problem because there are no people around. On top of that, since secretive drinking is often a way for problem drinkers to sink into denial about the existence of a problem, they are often not prone to identify it as a warning sign. In their minds, secretive drinking is not a problem but rather the solution to avoiding questions about their alcohol use.
You Drink to “Relax,” “Unwind,” or “Feel Better”
It is exceedingly common for people to have a drink to relax after a long day of work, alleviate anxiety, or cheer up after a bad day. It’s something to numb the bad feelings people invariably go through in their daily lives. It’s also a gateway to creating a really bad habit for yourself. Dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, or other negative emotions by turning to a substance is a very slippery slope that almost always leads to somebody getting hurt.
Alcohol and heroin are very different substances, but one of the reasons heroin is so destructive is because it forces the brain and the body to associate it with happiness. People who use heroin say that the drug releases a rush of positive emotions and washes away any bad feelings they had previously. But that rush is only temporary, and it eventually leaves them much worse off. When you rely on a substance to help you manage your emotions, you’re using that substance as a crutch. And, at some point, the link between your substance abuse and your emotional management will become so strong that it will become nearly impossible to feel anything positive without resorting to that substance.
You’ve Built Up a Tolerance to Alcohol
Sure, it’s a fairly normalized thing to boast with your friends about who can drink more than who. High alcohol tolerance is lauded, while a low alcohol tolerance is laughed about and makes you the butt of a joke. People have different alcohol tolerances naturally just because of unique metabolisms and body compositions. But it is also possible to increase your alcohol tolerance over time. Here’s a tip for how to increase your alcohol tolerance: Don’t. Increasing your alcohol tolerance means your body is changing its own chemistry and composition in order to accommodate more and more alcohol at a time. That’s also what happens when somebody becomes addicted, and it doesn’t start happening until you’ve exposed yourself to alcohol on a regular basis over a long period of time.
Your body building up a tolerance to alcohol means it’s coming to expect it. It’s not so much your body saying, “You can handle more alcohol now,” but instead, it’s saying, “Where’s today’s dose of alcohol?” And that means if you start going without alcohol, there’s a good chance you may start experiencing withdrawals. Not only that but pragmatically speaking, building up an alcohol tolerance means it requires more alcohol to get to the level of drunkenness you’re looking for. And putting aside any high-minded ideals and the problems with health and your personal life—alcohol is expensive. Why would you want to spend more money to get the same result?
You Can’t Stop Drinking Once You Start
Maybe you think you’re going to just have a little drink or two. It’s harmless, it’s not a problem, it’s not going to bother anybody, and it probably won’t even give you a buzz. That’s what you think. What actually happens is you throw back the first drink, then the second, and before you know it, you’ve gone through a whole bottle and are looking for another.
One of the biggest differences between a recreational or social drinker without a problem and someone with a problem is that the recreational drinker has no problem stopping at one or two drinks. The alcoholic has the first one and never stops. Sometimes, they drink until they’re blacked out, or they’re forcibly cut off. If you can’t remember the last time you were drinking and said to yourself, “Yeah, that’s enough for now,” think about why that is. If you find yourself drinking until there’s nothing more to drink or until someone else cuts you off, doesn’t that mean you’re not in control?
You Neglect Responsibility and Put Yourself in Dangerous Situations
This is a point where you might find more people are starting to notice something is off with you. This is where the destructive side of alcohol abuse starts to rear its head and wreak havoc on your day-to-day life. Hopefully, you will be able to recognize your alcohol addiction before it gets to this point because, at this point, things start going really bad. Those addicted to alcohol, at a certain point, will start putting alcohol above all else. Showing up to work drunk, or not at all, is unacceptable under any circumstances. Your employer knows it and will react accordingly. Yet, if you’re addicted, you may still take that chance. Because once you’re deep enough into your alcohol abuse, the next drink takes precedence over everything else.
People struggling with alcohol will run into trouble with work, relationships, and even the law as a result of their drinking. They also put themselves into unnecessarily risky situations, like drinking first thing in the morning before driving somewhere or drinking with medication against doctor’s orders. These are the kinds of things people do that indicate alcohol is the top priority in their lives. Even if nothing bad has happened as a result of impaired decision-making, it’s only a matter of time.
When You Try to Quit Drinking, You Get Withdrawals
This is a really vicious cycle. Once alcohol abuse has reached a certain point (full-blown alcohol addiction, generally), it doesn’t just let go because you want it to. At this point, if you go a day or two without drinking, your body will let you know about it. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be some of the most unforgiving of any form of substance abuse. They can kick in just a couple hours after your last drink and range in severity from shakes and minor anxiety to seizures and potentially fatal delirium tremens (DTs). If your alcohol abuse is at this point, there’s little reason for you to keep reading this.
Go get help now, and consider starting with an alcohol detoxification program to get you through the difficulty of the withdrawal stage. Withdrawals don’t happen without addiction, so if you feel these kinds of physical discomforts when you’re not drinking, there’s not much left to wonder about. You have an alcohol addiction. Of course, even if you’re not experiencing actual withdrawal symptoms, an inability to quit—even when you’re telling yourself you want to—is a telltale sign that something isn’t right.
What You Can Do About Alcohol Addiction
If you’re still not convinced, you can take this free alcohol addiction self-test. Alternatively, you can read up more on drug and alcohol addiction. This is by no means an exhaustive list of signs to indicate alcohol abuse. Everybody’s experience with addiction is different, driven by different factors, with different characteristics.
Finding addiction treatment is the next step. There are several options for care, and if you’ve been drinking for a while, it will take work to get on the road to recovery.
- Detox – Your first step will be an alcohol detox program that will help you safely and effectively withdraw from alcohol. Detoxification is necessary for those with a physical dependence on alcohol.
- Inpatient treatment – This is where you stay at a rehab center for 30, 60, or even 90 days to receive care around the clock. The goal of inpatient treatment is to find underlying issues that contribute to your addiction.
- Outpatient treatment – You attend sessions at a center as scheduled but do not live there. This allows more freedom while receiving care and can last from one month up to one year, depending on individual needs.
- Aftercare – Once you complete treatment, it’s important to continue attending support groups and working with counselors so you always have someone to talk with about your struggles.
Compassionate, evidence-based detox and inpatient care services are available at Northpoint Washington. Our center just outside of Seattle can help you gain the skills you need to walk the road to recovery.
Call Northpoint Washington and Get Help Now
The first step to overcoming alcohol addiction is recognizing the problem and seeking help. At Northpoint Washington, we are here to support you every step of the way. Our comprehensive treatment program includes therapy, education, and relapse prevention techniques to help you achieve lasting recovery. Don’t wait any longer to take control of your life and break free from alcohol addiction. Call 888.450.2153 or contact us online today for a confidential assessment and begin your journey toward a healthier, happier future.