Can You Be an Alcoholic if You Just Drink Beer?
The Alcoholic Stereotype
When you think about what an alcoholic looks like, you might have a specific image in mind. Usually people picture someone who looks like a slob or looks like they haven’t slept all day. This is considered an overexaggerated stereotype. An alcoholic can look like a normal person that is the CEO of a company, a stay-at-home mom or a teacher. The more typical image of what an alcoholic looks like was created on stereotypes portrayed by the media, which is an unhelpful stereotype of a person who:
- May be experiencing homelessness
- Looks unhealthy, with a puffy face and a red nose
- Has a tragic, unfulfilling, and depressing life
- Drinks every day
- Drinks until they blackout every time
- Is alone in the world, without friends and unmarried, or their family has left them
- Is drunk, hiccupping and swaying in the streets, drinking out of a paper bag
- Is violent and angry
- Does not own a home, have a good job, or have good friends
- Grew up in a “bad” home or neighborhood
- Shows signs of declining productivity and grades at work and school
- Is not successful in their career
- Has no morals and is unreliable
- Does not go to church/synagogue/etc. regularly
- Is unkempt
- Has no control over their lives
- Drinks hard liquor
Addiction Treatment that
Just Works
Individualized treatment programs delivered in a comfortable, relaxed setting promote healing in your recovery journey.
Since the media usually portrays alcoholics with specific stereotypes, it might be harder for people to recognize having an alcohol issue themselves. When you already view alcoholics in a specific way, it’s hard to break the association of what a stereotypical “alcoholic” looks and acts like. This is how people come up with excuses and have a harder time to admit their problem with overusing alcohol.
Having a supportive family, a meaningful career, and a healthy social life, doesn’t mean you can’t still have an addiction to alcohol. People may also have a hard time believing you are addicted to alcohol, as you are able to function fine in social and public spaces and not acting intoxicated in public by stumbling through the door.
Since drinking is legal for people ages 21 and up in the United States, it can be more socially accepted in society. This isn’t always a good thing as more people can become more dependent to alcohol since they can consume it regularly out in public without judgement. Not everybody hits a hypothetical “rock bottom” in their addiction. If you notice signs of addiction to alcohol, it’s important to get help right away and begin your treatment into recovery. A proactive way to begin your recovery is to seek help by looking at addiction rehabs that catered to your needs and criteria you want in a treatment center.
What is the Definition of Alcoholism?
Alcoholism, or alcohol use disorder (AUD) is when someone has a craving they can’t get rid of until they have another sip of alcohol and continue drinking it even when you should be stopping. If you are an alcoholic, you will constantly crave alcohol and feel the side effects of withdrawal symptoms if you go hours or days without consuming alcohol.
How Much Beer is Too Much?
Even though beer is a very popular alcohol when out with your friends and advertised constantly, it doesn’t make it a “safe” drink as it still contains alcohol. When consuming beer, it is still the same as drinking any other type of alcohol. You can become addicted to beer, especially when it is consumed excessively.
The two ways to misuse alcohol are binge drinking and heavy drinking.
Binge drinking
This is when there’s a large amount of consuming alcohol in a small amount of time, which gives the effect of bringing the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08% or higher. This gives your body the symptoms and effects of feeling “drunk” and intoxicated.
- Binge drinking for men is considered five drinks within two hours.
- Binge drinking for women is four drinks within two hours.
- Even if someone has a higher tolerance to alcohol and doesn’t feel the effects of drunkenness doesn’t make consuming those amount of drinks based on their gender to not be binge drinking.
Heavy drinking
Heavy alcohol use, is defined by the NIAAA as:
- Drinking 14 or more drinks per week for men
- Drinking 7 or more drinks per week for women
It’s never a good day to consume a ton of alcohol in one sitting and in a short period of time, but it’s not something you should do especially if you are underage, pregnant or are recovering from alcohol addiction. It’s important to plan ahead if you think you’re going to drink as well since it’s not a smart and legal thing to do if you need to drive a vehicle or use heavy machinery. Always have a plan if you are going to drink and will need a way to get home, whether it’s through a ride share app or a friend who will be the designated driver. Taking prescription medications with beer and any type of alcohol can be very dangerous type of combination, as well as drinking when you have certain medical conditions.
It’s harder to measure beer for the average person who consumes it as the companies who manufacture the different brands aren’t required to label the alcohol content on the packaging. The higher the alcohol in your favorite brand, the higher the likelihood of developing a dependence due to accidental heavy drinking.
How Much Alcohol is in One Beer?
All alcoholic drinks have the same active ingredient, which is ethyl alcohol. This means that malt liquor, hard liquor, wine, and beer have the same effects on the body and the brain, and they all come with the same risks when drinking anything with alcohol for a prolonged period of time and having the same long-term effects when binging alcohol as well.
Although beer has less alcohol per fluid ounce than other drinks, the standard serving size of beer is larger than the standard serving of liquor or wine. The standard serving sizes are:
- Beer – 12 fluid ounces
- Hard Liquor – 1.5 fluid ounces
- Malt Liquor – 8 to 9 fluid ounces
- Wine – 5 fluid ounces
- Wine – 3 to 4 fluid ounces
- Liqueurs and Cordials – 2 to 3 fluid ounces
The measurement for beer is dependent on how much percentage of alcohol is actually in it. The standard beef had 5% alcohol but craft beer brands tend to have a higher alcohol content. Beer brands that have 10% to 12% alcoholic content can vary in size and are usually larger than the standard 12 ounces. This will make the alcohol more potent for someone to consume.
Signs of Alcohol Dependence
Even though beer has a relatively low alcohol content, and is socially acceptable, it can still trigger alcohol abuse and addiction issues in many people, as the body does not know it is “just beer” you are drinking.
Some common signs of alcohol dependence include:
- Having an increased tolerance to alcohol, meaning you need to drink more to achieve the same level of intoxication
- Your social activities begin to revolve completely around going to the bar, getting a few drinks somewhere, bringing a case of beer to the next gathering, and other alcohol-related activities
- Feeling an intense urge (cravings) to drink when engaged in other activities, wanting a drink so badly you cannot think of anything else
- Drinking in secret, drinking alone, needing to have a drink first thing in the morning, or keeping stashes of alcohol around the house, work, or on your person
- Prioritizing drinking over anything else in your life, including your usual interests and hobbies or other people’s needs
- Continuing to drink even when it impacts your life financially or socially, or when drinking and hangovers begin to cause issues at work, at home, or with your health
- A pattern of drinking that increases your exposure to dangerous or risky situations (drunk driving, fighting, etc.)
- Being unable to slow down once you have started drinking, even if you only meant to have one
- Experiencing unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when you try to cut back or stop drinking
Treatment Options for Alcohol Use Disorder
When first getting diagnosed with alcohol addiction, the first step to do as part of your treatment is to detox from alcohol before starting any other options for treatment. Treatment for alcohol addiction can only be successful once the alcohol leaves the body through detox. Detox is only safe when done at a rehab facility or hospital so medical professionals can keep an eye on you to make you comfortable during the withdrawal symptoms. The detoxing of alcohol can take up to seven days for it to completely leave someone’s body. Since your body is so used to craving alcohol, it will be a period of time of going through withdrawal as your body won’t have alcohol in it anymore.
After detoxing from alcohol, a medical professional at a rehab or hospital will set up a treatment plan for you follow. It’s up to you whether you choose to enroll in a treatment plan that’s inpatient or outpatient. Part of the treatment program is going through your goals and behavior change techniques you can use to fully be in recovery.
Once you set up your goals and go through different strategies to implement, you will be set up with a therapist to go through what’s going on with you mentally. People going through addiction treatment should do individual and group therapy to get different perspectives on their recovery.
30 to 90-day stay in inpatient rehab
After you stay in an inpatient rehab, it should be followed by outpatient programs, sober community gatherings, groups, and aftercare programs, which is following detox. It takes time to fully recover after detoxing and going through an extensive treatment plan 24/7.
Alcohol Rehab and Detox at Resurgence Behavioral Health
At Resurgence, we will work with you to tailor a treatment plan that includes:
- Medical detox with 24-hour clinical care, medications, therapy, counseling, and dual diagnosis treatments
- Trauma-informed care so you feel safe and comfortable throughout your stay with us
- Inpatient rehab, usually for 30 to 90 days, with structured daily living, healthy food, and a comfortable room as you receive treatment in a safe, sober environment
- Therapies and treatments you can get ranges from cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy, and EMDR
- A full spectrum of outpatient programs including the Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) to help you transition back into your everyday life with full support and continued treatment and care for as long as you need it
- Extensive aftercare, with access to support groups, therapy, counseling, and medical care for as long as you need it, as well as sober living home options.
At Resurgence, we will help you stop drinking, by giving you the care and step by step treatment toward recovery. Every person has a different path to recovery and what works best for them treatment wise, which is why Resurgence Behavioral Health tailors each program to the specific patient. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you quit drinking today.
Can you be an alcoholic if you just drink beer? Find out in the blog linked below! #alcoholic #Beer #resurgencehttps://t.co/Bgd44E3aQ2
— Resurgence Behavioral Health (@RBHRecovery) April 13, 2022
Addiction Treatment that
Just Works
Individualized treatment programs delivered in a comfortable, relaxed setting promote healing in your recovery journey.
