Alcohol abuse and alcoholism don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Because of this, signs of alcoholism can sometimes be easy to miss.
Our partner addiction centres are world leaders when it comes to the treatment of alcohol addiction and dependence. This is why we share these alcohol addiction facts to make sure you are as informed as possible and to help you decide whether or not you need to come to us for help.
Seeking help for yourself or a loved one? Call us today for free advice and to learn more about treatment options – 0800 118 2892
Table of Contents
What is Alcoholism?
Alcohol addiction, also known as alcohol dependence or alcoholism, is a severe drinking habit that often results in strong urges to drink that can be at times impossible to control.
People with alcohol addiction often find that alcohol takes up an important part of their day-to-day life, which can have the unfortunate effect of building up their tolerance, meaning, over time, they begin to drink even more.
If you drink several times a week, or often feel like you need to go to the pub after work just to be able to relax, chances are you’re either dependent on alcohol or on your way to it.
Why Do Alcoholics Start Drinking?
The reasons why alcoholics start drinking are complex, and unique to the individual. Someone might pick up a drink to destress, and then find that they are doing it more and more just to get through the day, as a way of coping with whatever issues may be going on in their lives. A different person might start drinking at a very young age, unaware at the time that they are, in the process, self-medicating a childhood trauma.
There are also cases where someone takes just one drink, and that’s enough to become addicted. Histrionic alcohol misuse doesn’t necessarily need to be involved, as some people genetically have an addictive personality.
While it might not start off this way, alcohol addicts often drink because they crave the way alcohol makes them feel. If a non-alcoholic has a drink, they can enjoy it and then move on with their lives without it having a major effect.
They’ll be able to take it or leave it, which may seem easy to somebody who has never suffered with alcoholism, but an alcoholic finds it difficult or even impossible to resist their urges.
The craving and desire to drink can be completely overwhelming and can result in them drinking until they black out, or pass out. An alcohol addict simply can’t make rational and reasonable decisions about alcohol or just choose to stop and follow through with it.
Causes of Alcohol Addiction
There can be many alcohol addiction causes; stress, family problems, bereavement, money worries, illness. Usually, multiple factors drive the addictive behaviour.
In lots of cases, it has been shown to run in families. This is believed to be attributable to both the genetic makeup of the individual, as well as the socio-environmental attitudes to alcohol that they’ve grown up with.
It has further been proven that alcohol dependency is more prevalent amongst those with some form of psychiatric disorder. Whether it’s anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or similar related issues. This is why wellbeing plays a major role in recovery. There can be a tendency to self-medicate – one which you might recognise in yourself.
Although some feel that this provides short-term relief, the long-term effect of combining alcoholic and mental illness is an even greater imbalance of the chemical ratios in your brain. Professional help, and often rehab, is the only long term way of recovering from both.
Alcohol addiction almost always requires treatment to overcome
Symptoms and Signs of Alcoholism
Alcohol addiction symptoms can sometimes be hard to spot. Unlike illegal drugs, alcohol is a common and accepted part of our society and culture. Plenty of people in the UK drink regularly, and some may even appear to be an alcoholic at one time in their life, for example when first going to university, but then get over it relatively quickly.
Even for professionals, it can sometimes be difficult to immediately diagnose the difference between an alcoholic and somebody who just likes to drink regularly, but has control of the habit.
Some of the most common alcoholism signs include:
- Alcohol denial signs, such as hiding alcohol, or pretending they aren’t drinking
- Not contacting loved ones for periods of time
- Encounters with the police or ambulance due to being so drunk
- Planning social, family, or professional events around when you will need a drink
- Increased quantities consumed or frequency of drinking
- Lack of energy, depression and other emotional problems
- Changes in friendship groups, for example, spending more time with people that drink regularly
- Drinking at inappropriate times like on the way to work or at church
- High tolerance for alcohol or appearing to not get hangovers
- Night sweats
Of course, if you get withdrawal symptoms after not drinking for 6-12 hours, that is also a big sign. Withdrawal symptoms can include nausea, shaking, sweating and insomnia.
There are some questions you can ask yourself to help work out whether you have alcoholic signs. For example:
- Have you ever decided to stop drinking for a period of time or for good, but only lasted a couple of days?
- Do you get defensive when people ask about your drinking or ask them to mind their own business?
- Do you ever drink upon waking up?
- Do you blackout from drinking?
- Do you feel that your life would be better if you didn’t drink?
- Have you ever gone to get extra drinks while at a party, feeling that what was being served wasn’t enough?
If you answered yes to three or more of the questions above, you could be in trouble with your drinking. A professional diagnosis by a medical professional will help to determine the severity of your addiction.
If you’re still not sure about the signs you’re an alcoholic, speak to a member of our team, all calls are confidential.
Alcohol Addiction Effects on Health
Spotting alcohol dependency and treating it early on can make it possible to avoid the majority of health complications.
Some of the side effects alcoholics and heavy long term drinkers can experience include:
- Immune system issues
- Strokes
- Coronary heart disease
- Increased chance of cancer
- Problems with vision
- Birth defects
- High blood pressure
- Erectile dysfunction and other sexual issues
- Complications with diabetes
- Stomach ulcers
- Kidney and liver issues or failure
And this is without even getting into the dangers caused by drink driving.
Alcohol has some serious side effects and some of the most recent alcohol addiction statistics suggest the substance is responsible for around 8,000 deaths per year in the UK alone.
Even your financial well-being can be adversely impacted, with many alcoholics finding that they’re unable to perform at work and eventually end up losing their employment.
This can not only further deepen the anxiety and depression you may be feeling, but also leave you with lots of extra hours in the day – hours that you might be tempted to spend drinking in order to boost your mood.
Alcoholic Dementia
Alcoholic dementia is a serious problem caused when the brain is damaged by long term regular drinking.
Symptoms of alcoholic dementia include:
- Issues with decision making, organisation and planning
- Impulsiveness and inability to control emotions
- Loss of attention span
- Socially inappropriate behaviour
Alcoholic Hepatitis
Alcoholic hepatitis is when heavy alcohol consumption over a long period of time causes the liver to inflame. Continuing to drink with alcoholic hepatitis is incredibly dangerous and can lead to internal bleeding or liver failure.
Symptoms of alcoholic hepatitis include:
- Dry mouth
- Weight loss
- Vomiting and/or nausea
- Jaundice
- Fevers
- Constant fatigue
Treatment for Alcohol Addiction
Treating alcoholism in the long term takes a lot more than a simple detox and getting sober. Some clients binge drink once or twice a month, some drink daily, and some even wake up and drink first thing every morning.
Alcohol Rehab
We understand that taking the decision to commit to rehab can be extremely scary, and your mind can conjure up all sorts of images. The main focus of the rehabilitation facilities we service is to create a relaxed and stress free environment, surrounded by some of the world’s leading doctors, therapists and counsellors, in order to give you the best possible chance of recovery.
You are able to attend alcohol rehab as either an inpatient or an outpatient. Which is best for you depends on the severity of your addiction and your financial circumstances.
Inpatients will receive all the benefits of staying in private residential rehab accommodation, including alcohol withdrawal management, whereas outpatients will detox from home and receive visits from medical professionals. It is also more effective to stay at a rehab location that is not your home, as it helps to disassociate from your triggers.
Alcohol Detox
Detoxing before alcohol addiction treatment is one of the best things you can do, as it lets you operate without any alcohol in your system, and it gives you confidence in your own ability to control your problems. For help with getting sober please check out our expert guide on how to safely home detox from alcohol.
If this is impossible, you can, of course, be admitted to a rehabilitation centres so that professionals can supervise you and aid in your detox. The severity of your addiction may mean you need to gradually reduce your levels of alcohol intake and/or other substances you are addicted to, rather than detox entirely to start with.
Therapy
Often we find there are other issues in a person’s life that encourage them to drink, and a therapeutic and holistic approach can help identify these issues and work through them. This provides much more reliable and long term results than a simple detox.
Therapeutic treatment is often found to be quite difficult by some patients, and typically isn’t enough on its own, due to alcohol being a crutch in their life for so long.
The NHS
The NHS offers services for those with an alcohol addiction, including prescription drugs, therapy and in the worse case scenarios, hospital treatment. In some circumstances, the NHS can provide support with getting sober and getting into rehab.
However, it is rarely the first prescribed treatment, and it can be difficult for them to justify that level of individual support. Private rehab is much more common and more easily accessible.
Start your journey to a brighter future with Rehab Clinic Advisory Services
The road to recovery begins with recognising you have an issue. Unfortunately, even the world’s best clinicians can’t help someone overcome their alcohol addiction if they don’t believe they have a problem.
If you are ready to take the first step towards a brighter future, you can schedule a tour of a local rehab centre with us, to get a feel of the available facilities, resources and environment. It’s completely free of charge and comes with no obligations, so you have nothing to lose.
You can use our handy map to find rehab centres near you. For more information on our rehabilitation programmes, please see our Alcohol Rehab page to see what we can do for you.
Don’t forget we are always available on the phone to give free advice, so if you’re not sure, give us a call.
There’s nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
FAQs
- Drinking alone or in secret
- Losing interest in extracurricular or social activities that don’t involve drinking
- Often craves alcohol
- Makes drinking a priority over personal and professional responsibilities
- Extreme mood swings
- Experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms
- Drinking early in the morning
- Disregarding the negative impact of alcohol on relationships
- Alcohol inpatient detox
- Alcohol home detox
- Alcohol rehab
- Intervention
- Counselling
- Group Therapy
We have rehab and detox clinics all across the UK to help you on your journey to recovery. Find rehab centres & facilities near you.
For more information on how much alcohol addiction treatment costs, please visit our prices page.
The best way to get started is to give us a call at 0800 118 2892 for free advice and assessment. Let us help you or your loved one figure out the best treatment plan for your alcohol addiction so you can get started on your journey to recovery.
The more alcohol you drink, the higher the health risks are. There is no such thing as a safe drinking level as any amount of consumption carries a significant amount of risk to your mental & physical health.