Are you concerned that you might have a problem with alcohol? Or perhaps you are worried about a family member that seems to be abusing alcohol.
Alcohol abuse is a pattern of drinking that result in harm to one’s health, interpersonal relationships, or ability to work.
A distinction is made between alcohol abuse and alcoholism itself. Alcoholism is a dependence on alcohol. While alcohol abusers still has some ability to set limits on their drinking. Their use of alcohol can still be self-destructive and hazardous. It may also develop into alcoholism if they do not receive help.
While some alcohol abusers do not become alcohol dependent or alcoholics, it remains a strong risk. Alcoholism can occur suddenly in response to a genetic predisposition from a family history of alcoholism or due to a stressful change, such as a breakup, retirement, or another loss. Sometimes alcoholism can gradually evolve as you develop a tolerance to alcohol.
First Signs of Alcohol Abuse
Neglecting Responsibilities: Drinking causes a person to repeatedly neglect their responsibilities at home, work, or in school. You may neglect children, perform poorly at work, or skip out of work or school or social obligations to drink or because you are hung over.
Drinking in Dangerous Situations: If you drink in situations that you know can be physically dangerous to you like drinking while you drive, drinking when you are in a dangerous neighborhood, mixing alcohol with prescription drugs against your doctor’s advice
Creating Legal Problems: You face legal problems from things you do while drinking, like being arrested for fighting, for drunk and disorderly conduct, for domestic disputes or DUI’s
Constant Relationship Problems: You continue drinking despite the fact that it is causing fights and problems with your family and friends. An example would be that you fight with them because they do not like your behavior when you drink. Or your marriage is strained because you are always out drinking with your buddies.
Using alcohol to de-stress: You use alcohol to relieve your stress. Alcohol acts as a sedative drug. Over the course of time, you build up a tolerance to it. You will need more alcohol to relieve stress. An example would be if you use alcohol to decompress after a hard day at work. After repetitive use, you start becoming drunk to relieve the stress from a hard day at work. Another example would be you get a drink because you have had an argument with your boss, spouse or friend.
Symptoms of the Disease of Alcoholism
Alcoholism will involve the above signs of alcohol abuse, with one more factor added to it: a physical dependence to alcohol as well as a physical tolerance and withdrawal to alcohol. It’s important to note at this point that the person in question has a chronic disease that will only get worse if left untreated.
Tolerance: Tolerance means that you need more and more alcohol to achieve the desired effect. Are you drinking more than others without showing the typical signs of intoxication?
Withdrawal: Once the effects of alcohol wears off, do you become anxious, jumpy, stressed? These are signs that you are experiencing withdrawal from alcohol. You might even experience withdrawal symptoms of shakiness or trembling; sweating, nausea and vomiting, headaches insomnia, fatigue, depression, irritability, or loss of appetite. Do you need a drink in the morning to simply steady your nerves? Drinking to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms is a sign of alcoholism and addiction.
No Control: Do you drink more than you planned to drink, longer than you intended, and despite the fact that you had determined not to do so?
You Can’t Stop: You want to stop drinking, yet despite your best efforts, you continue to drink
Loss of Other Pursuits: You have given up activities and pursuits you use to care about or enjoy because of alcohol. Spending time with friends, favorite hobbies and interests are some examples.
Alcohol takes up all your focus: Your time is dedicated, whether you like it or not, to drinking, thinking about drinking, or recovering from the effects of drinking. Almost all your interests and social or community involvements revolve around the use of alcohol.
Negative Consequences: You continue drinking regardless of the negative consequences from it. You might see that your drinking is destroying your marriage and family relationships, it is causing you to fail at your job, or you are developing health problems from it, but you can’t stop and you continue to drink.
Alcoholism is a chronic disease. It needs to be treated with same rigorous methodology as you would treat diabetes, heart disease or depression. Treatment must involves the latest science that combines medical therapy and private, one-on-one counseling.
Alcoholism is a complex disease that involves changes in the structure and function of the brain. Treatment needs to involve not only therapists and peer groups, but the ongoing involvement of a physician.
More on Dr. Reeves
Dr. Reeves is the Medical director of Destin Recovery and South Walton Medical Center; Director of Addiction Medicine at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast; is a Member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine; a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons; and is Triple Board Certified in General Surgery, Vascular Surgery, and Addiction Medicine.