Addiction is a widespread disease that can destroy anybody’s life. Victims either recover or suffer fatal consequences depending on how severe the addiction is. Alcohol addiction is a kind of disease that can bring about other health issues that can endanger a person’s life. There are substances that are used mainly to treat illnesses but this substance is only used for personal gain, addiction to alcohol is no joke.
What is Alcohol Addiction?
Alcohol Addiction, known as Alcoholism, is one of the most known addictions. This type of addiction is extremely prevalent due to the fact that it is a legal substance, as long as the user is 21 years or older (or younger if you’re in European countries). individuals are exposed to alcohol at a very young age whether at home or in school. It is a disease that can affect anybody. According to some experts, psychology, family history, and behavior greatly affect a person’s chances of abusing alcohol.
Alcohol affects your brain functions, thus making it difficult for people to control their actions and decision-making. It is important to understand that irresponsible alcohol drinking will severely affect your body and can even cause fatal health issues.
The effect of alcohol addiction varies differently from person-to-person. It depends on how a person consumes alcohol. Some people are heavy drinkers, and others enjoy binge drinking from time to time.
What are the signs and symptoms of Alcohol Addiction?
An individual who suffers from alcohol addiction is not easy to point out in a group of people. It may be easier to spot someone who is addicted to meth because they show many physical symptoms of addiction. However, people who are victims of alcoholism tend to be more secretive with their dependencies and do a good job of hiding it. What also helps these people hide their addictions is the society we live in. Our society has been groomed into making drunkenness seem like a normal thing to do, so people with alcohol addictions can blend right in.
However, if someone, close to you experiences the following signs, then that person may be suffering from alcoholism. Remember these signs for future reference.
Some of the signs and symptoms of Alcohol Addiction
Short-term memory loss
An individual who develops alcoholism will experience temporary short-term memory loss or blackouts due to excessive alcohol. There are two types of blackouts, one is en-bloc and the other one is fragmentary episode blackout. The en-bloc blackouts occur when a person forgets everything that happens during alcohol consumption. Fragmentary episode blackout is not as serious, an individual forgets only parts of what happened during their alcohol consumption.
Mood Swings
Most people who are victims of substance abuse usually experience mood swings, especially if an individual does not have access to a substance. An individual gets easily irritated from anything around them, and they act recklessly to the point where they can hurt themselves or others.
Cravings for more alcohol
A person who suffers from alcoholism tends to seek for more alcohol to satisfy their needs, even if they have had too much. An individual starts to develop a tolerance to the substance and soon needs more in order to get the desired effects.
Mental Health Problems
An individual suffers mental health problems such as anxiety and depression when developing a substance abuse disorder. It is quite difficult to deal with someone who is suffering from mental health problems, it’s best to seek professional help for the person. Depression and anxiety are serious mental health problems that can arise through alcohol addiction; they can result in suicide if left untreated.
How to deal with Alcohol Addiction and victims of Alcoholism?
Dealing with a substance abuse disorder, such as alcoholism, is hard. It can feel almost impossible to overcome the desire to abuse the substance if tolerance is developed. But rest-assured, recovery is possible. You just need to motivate yourself to get that change you’re looking for and then seek professional help.
For starters, a person should lay out the pros and cons of drinking alcohol. If a person does this, they’ll soon find out that there are far more cons to drinking alcohol than there are pros. If you are someone looking from the outside in, always remember that you can help people recover by supporting them through their journey into recovery. If you are someone who is trying to help an individual struggling with alcohol addiction, here are a few things you should do.
Research Alcohol Addiction
You need to know the roots of their actions and why their last resort is to abuse alcohol. There is no such thing as drinking moderately to an individual who is suffering from this disease.
Think before talking to them
People who are alcohol addicts can be very sensitive, you need to use your words carefully. Also, find a perfect time to talk to them, consider the place you want to go and the mood of a person. Usually, they’ll feel more comfortable in a place that has more privacy. It is important that you assure them that you will stay beside them no matter what the circumstances may be. When they feel secure, they will begin to trust you and, ideally, listen to you.
Support them with their recovery
You should always be there for them, especially when they’re dealing with withdrawal. Offer your support to them, not just words but in action. Be sincere in your words and actions. Accompany them in the treatment center, and let them feel that they are still welcome in society. Do not judge them just because they are addicts.
How to Treat Alcohol Addiction?
Victims of alcohol abuse may choose to have an inpatient rehabilitation program where they are required to enter a facility for a while. Others choose outpatient programs to enjoy living with their family and friends while going through recovery.
There are treatments available during the programs which include, detox. People should always detoxify the chemicals inside their bodies before entering a sober life. For people who drink excessively, this is the first step to eliminate the urge of drinking. This treatment normally takes a week to be completed.
Consult your doctor
It is important to consult your doctor for any irregularities as the process of recovery continues. Doctors are assigned to make you feel more secure about your treatment, and they also know how to counter withdrawal symptoms when they happen.
Recovering from addiction is never easy but with proper guidance, support and with the right mindset everything is possible. You still have a chance to change, do it now, visit any treatment facility for a proper introduction to an addiction recovery treatment process.
