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Signs You Need Alcohol Addiction Rehab

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How to Know if Someone Has a Drinking Problem?

You recognize that you drink…a lot. But is your drinking life-threatening? Do you actually need to go to an alcohol rehab center- or do you just need to get a grip on the problem?

Sometimes alcohol addiction is incredibly obvious. Other times, the symptoms can be a bit more confusing. Fortunately, regardless of the situation, there are many effective treatment options available.

Here are the top warning signs to consider:

You Keep Lying About Your Substance Use

Deceit goes hand-in-hand with addiction. Lying is a product of shame and fear. You may feel worried about family members judging your drinking, so you try to sneak it. When confronted about your behavior, you might flat-out deny or minimize what’s going on.

This lying is a serious cause for concern. If the drinking wasn’t problematic, you probably wouldn’t have an issue being honest about it.

You Experience Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

What happened when you stopped drinking in the past? Did you experience physical symptoms like nausea, shakiness, or poor coordination? Did you experience psychological symptoms like irritation, poor sleep, or anxiety?

Alcohol withdrawal coincides with alcohol addiction. That’s because the body has become dependent on the drug to maintain a baseline level of functioning. When the body no longer has alcohol, it feels “shocking,” and it takes time to recover.

Withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to severe, depending on how frequently and intensely you drink. In rare cases, they can be fatal, and that’s why seeking medical alcohol detox is crucial.

You Consistently Experience Intense Cravings

Cravings are often characteristic of addiction. Your body becomes accustomed to drinking, so you crave alcohol to cope with stress, feel relaxed in social settings, and unwind after a long day.

After a while, you simply pair alcohol with almost everything you do. When it’s not available, you may feel restless or irritable.

Managing cravings can be challenging on your own. Because they feel so distressing, many people simply just give in to them. That’s why seeking substance use disorder treatment is so important- having support and tools can help you reduce the risk of a relapse.

You Engage in Binge Drinking

Some people might assume they don’t have an alcohol problem if they don’t drink every day. But addiction isn’t just measured by pure alcohol consumption. How you drink can be just as telling as how much you drink.

For example, once you drink, do you find it hard to stop? Do you keep going until you pass out? Does it seem pointless (or impossible) to just have one or two drinks? If so, you may have more of a problem than you realize.

Your Mental Health Is Suffering

Alcohol can exacerbate mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. However, the behavior often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You might drink to self-medicate uncomfortable symptoms, but then drinking often aggravates them.

As a result, many people with active alcohol addiction experience a significant decline in their mental health. They struggle to look after themselves, and they may feel discouraged or even hopeless about turning things around.

Dual-diagnosis treatment can help. In fact, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) advises that people receive support for addiction and mental health disorders simultaneously.

Your Loved Ones Have Given You an Ultimatum

Even if you don’t think you have a life-threatening problem, what do your loved ones think? Have they set some serious boundaries? Are they cutting you off if you don’t go to inpatient treatment or stop drinking immediately?

You may feel annoyed by their requests. You may even want to call their bluff. But if they’re drawing those hard limits, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with serious drug addiction.

You’ve Developed Health Issues

Alcohol abuse is rough on the body. Chronic drinking can wreck your physical health and cause problems with everything from your liver and stomach to your bone density and memory. You may not experience these concerning symptoms right away. This is especially true if you’re young.

But over time, the risk of developing health consequences increases. At some point, you’re no longer immune to the toxic signs of alcohol addiction. Some of these health problems are reversible- others are permanent.

You Also Struggle With Drug Abuse

Many people with a drinking problem also abuse other substances like opioids, stimulants, benzodiazepines, or cannabis. Even if you stop drinking, you can’t overlook the role these other substances play in your life.

Alcohol addiction treatment encompasses comprehensive recovery. That means stopping the use of all mood-altering symptoms and gaining control over your drug use.

You Keep Having Blackouts

Blackouts are one of those signs of addiction that people often overlook. They might chalk it up to having a good time or simply losing control.

But an alcohol-induced blackout literally halts how the brain stores memory. Sometimes, the events seem hazy or fragmented. Other times, in the event of complete amnesia, you can’t recall what happened at all.

While a blackout doesn’t necessarily mean someone has an alcohol use disorder, frequent episodes mean it’s time to reevaluate your drinking patterns.

You Can’t Stop Drinking

This is probably the key risk factor in determining alcohol use disorder. Be honest- can you stop drinking? How many times have you tried in the past? Have you completed a relapse program, only to relapse soon after?

The inability to stop drinking doesn’t make you a failure. Addiction is a chemical disease, and quitting isn’t just a matter of sheer willpower. With that in mind, you probably need a professional rehab program that can guide and support you during this time.

About Celadon Recovery

Celadon is comprehensive addiction and mental health treatment center located along the shores of the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers, Florida. With a full-continuum of care including detox, residential, and outpatient programs, we are committed to quality substance use and co-occurring disorder care. Call us today at 239-266-2141.