I Think That I Am/Someone I Know Is Addicted to Alcohol. What Should I Do?

If you've read through the questions above and realized that you or someone you're close to has a problem with alcohol, it can be a bit hard to take. Maybe you're depressed or scared about what's going to happen to you now. Or maybe you feel confused about what steps to take next. Or perhaps you feel ashamed that your drinking has gotten so out of hand.

No matter what you're feeling, though, it's important to realize that you are not alone. In fact, alcoholism is incredibly common – more so than many people know. And more importantly, sobriety is possible with the right help.

How Common Is Alcoholism?

Here are a few statistics from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to give you a better idea of how big of a problem abusing alcohol really is.

• National surveys have shown that 86.4% of people ages 18 or older report that they've drunk alcohol at one point in their lives. Around 56% said they'd drank at least once in the past month.
• 26.9% reported that they had engaged in binge drinking in the past month.
• Around 15.1 million adults meet the clinical criteria for alcoholism. That's 6.2% of the total population.
• An estimated 623,000 youths (aged 12 to 17) met the criteria for having alcoholism which is about 2.5% of the population of that age group.
• Only about 6.7% of alcoholics actually received treatment for their disease.
• Around 88,000 deaths are attributed to alcohol-related abuse per year. It's the third leading cause of preventable death in the country.
• The economic burden of alcohol misuse in 2010 was estimated to be around $249 billion.

As you can see, alcoholism is a serious problem today. And while you may be ashamed about your addiction, you certainly aren't alone.

Who Is at Risk for Alcoholism?

While an alcohol addiction is possible for anyone, there are risk factors that make certain people more susceptible to this kind of substance abuse.

These factors include:

• Sex – Like other forms of substance abuse, alcoholism is statistically more prevalent in men than it is in women. According to the CDC, men are almost two times more likely to binge drink than women. Added to that, about 4.5%of men and 2.5% of women met the clinical criteria for alcohol addiction.
• Drinking at a Young Age – Studies have shown that individuals who started drinking early on were at a significantly higher risk of developing alcohol addiction. Researchers found that of the individuals that began drinking before 14 years old, 47% developed alcoholism at one point. Comparatively, only 9% of respondents who started drinking after the age of 21 became addicted.
• Social and Cultural Factors – Being surrounded by others that condone and even encourage regular drinking can make it much more likely that you're going to develop an alcohol use disorder. This types of cultures include college binge drinking, nightly happy hours after work, and more.
• A Genetic Predisposition – There is a clear link between susceptibility to alcohol addiction and a family history of alcoholism. Around 19% of alcoholics belong to the intermediate familial alcoholic subtype.  
• Steady Drinking Over Time – Drinking too much over long periods of time can make developing an addiction to alcohol much more likely. This can include multiple drinks every night or binge drinking several times a week.

What Are the Signs of an Alcoholic?

While the quiz above is one of the best ways to give you the clearest indication of whether or not someone is suffering from alcohol addiction, there are a few other indications you can be on the lookout for too.

Denial & Alcoholism

Even if you notice these signs and try to bring it up to your friend or loved one, the truth is that most of the time, they'll staunchly deny having any sort of problem. They may even get defensive or aggressive about it.

And that can make it especially hard to get them the help they so desperately need.

That's because like all other addictions, alcoholism and denial are inextricably linked.

To give you an idea of how common it is, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that about 13.9 million adults met the criteria for needing help for their alcoholism but didn't get it. Of those 13.9 million, about 3.3% knew they had a problem and either did or didn't seek help. The 96.7% left over, however, didn't feel like they had a problem at all.

That's 13.5 million adults who didn't seek help because they were in complete denial about their alcohol addiction.

It all boils down to how addiction changes the way the brain works. Over time, your thought processes eventually become all about alcohol, and you become a drink-seeking machine. And when the alcoholic brain is confronted with the hard truth – that the one thing it wants most is actually its biggest problem – it can't help but deny it.

But just because they can't see the truth at first doesn't mean they're hopeless. Once an addict, always an addict is a myth.

And there are things you can to do help.

You've Seen the Signs – Now How Can You Help an Alcoholic?

Approaching someone you love about their addiction to alcohol can be tough. Emotions will likely run high, they may make threats or hurl insults, and you'll most likely be tempted to back down and avoid bringing it up ever again.

But if someone is in the depths of addiction, it might take your help in order for them to climb back out. And there are a few different ways you can make that happen.

What Kinds of Support Groups Are Available?

Alcoholism is incredibly common. But that also means that the support groups that focus on alcohol addiction are also easy to find.

Below are just a few that you may find helpful, whether it's a friend or family member that's addicted or you're the one struggling with alcoholism.

• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Al-Anon
• SMART Recovery
• Secular Organizations for Sobriety
• Celebrate Recovery
• Women for Sobriety
• LifeRing Secular Recovery
• Adult Children of Alcoholics
• Co-Dependents Anonymous

Is Professional Help Really Necessary?

It most certainly is.

Time and time again research has shown that professional treatment is the absolute best way to ensure long-term recovery. And when you use proper, evidence-based treatment programs, the likelihood of recovery is far higher.

According to the NIAAA, "around one-third of people who are treated for alcohol problems have no further symptoms one year later. Many others substantially reduce their drinking and report fewer alcohol-related problems."

A comprehensive treatment program will generally consist of three phases of treatment:

Alcoholism Detox

This stage will give you the medical expertise and knowledgeable guidance you need to stay safe and comfortable as you go through alcohol withdrawal. Physical and psychological side effects here can be both overwhelming and dangerous without proper treatment.

Plus, a quality detoxification program will also teach you strategies you can use later to overcome your cravings and maintain your sobriety.

Rehabilitation for Alcohol Addiction

While detox is key for healing your body from the ravages of alcoholism, rehab is more about healing the mind. A proper rehabilitation program will get to the root of your addiction while teaching you new ways of coping with your compulsive urges.

With the help of a rehab program, you can rewire your addicted brain and prevent relapse in the future.

Aftercare

Last but not least, an aftercare program will help you maintain your sobriety after you've left rehab and re-entered back into your normal day-to-day lifestyle. This can be a dangerous period as once the sobriety afterglow has started wearing off, people may be tempted to fall back into old bad habits.

An aftercare program (like AA or continued outpatient treatment) can make sure that you aren't slipping back into alcohol abuse once treatment ends.

What Are the Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal?

To give you an idea of what to expect during your alcohol treatment, have a look at the most common withdrawal symptoms below. It's worth mentioning that not everyone will experience each of these side effects of alcoholism and the severity will depend on your level of addiction.

• Anxiety or nervousness
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Jumpiness or shakiness
• Mood swings
• Nightmares
• Not thinking clearly
• Sweating, clammy skin
• Enlarged (dilated) pupils
• Headache
• Insomnia (sleeping difficulty)
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pallor
• Rapid heart rate
• Tremor of the hands or other body parts

Is It Safe to Detox at Home from Alcohol?

An alcoholic might be tempted to kick their habit on their own without the help of a professional alcohol detox program. However, this is not only a terrible mistake that can make the chances of relapsing much higher than they need to be. It can also be quite deadly.

The main threat comes from developing two potentially fatal symptoms of alcohol withdrawal: delirium tremens and life-threatening seizures. And when you're going through detox at-home rather than under the supervision of a medical professional, it can end up being a fatal mistake.

• Delirium Tremens – This terrifying condition is marked by hallucinations, severe confusion, extreme restlessness, and changes in mental functioning. Delirium tremens can be scary to watch, but it's even more horrifying for someone going through it. According to the NIAAA, as many as 1 in 4 patients who experience this condition end up dying as a result.
• Seizures – Alcohol addiction can throw off the balance of critical chemicals in the brain. And if you try to detox from alcohol without any medical oversight, this imbalance can actually end up causing deadly grand mal seizures. And while the highest risk of these seizures is in the first 48 hours of detoxification, they can end up striking as far out as 20 days – just one more reason to get professional help.

Northpoint Washington: Your First Choice for Alcohol Rehab & Detox

If you or a friend or loved one is struggling with an addiction to alcohol, it's absolutely critical to get the proper professional treatment. Not only will doing so make your recovery quicker, easier, and more successful, it can also protect you from some of the most dangerous complications of withdrawal that can end up risking your life.

And if you're looking for treatment in Washington State, the best choice for alcohol detox and rehab is Northpoint Washington. Our clean and modern facility boasts one of the best staff-to-patient ratios in the region and is passionate about providing evidence-based treatment that's backed up by hard science.

We also have 24/7 medical care, individualized treatment plans, plenty of activities, and more. It's a full package for alcohol addiction recovery. Plus, we're happy to recommend one of our affiliate programs for people who aren't able to travel to Washington for treatment.

It may seem like an alcohol addiction is a hopeless situation. But sobriety is attainable – with the right help.

So, give us a call today. We'd love to help give you the gift of sobriety.