Does Having a High Alcohol Tolerance Make Me an Alcoholic?
If someone drinks heavily for long periods of time, they could soon start to develop a physical and mental dependence on alcohol, and they’re at a high risk of starting to show the telltale signs of alcoholism. But what if someone realizes they now have a high alcohol tolerance and can drink much more than they used to, sometimes without even showing obvious signs of intoxication? That, too, could be a sign that they’re on the path to alcohol use disorder, and they could need professional help to address the growing problem before it becomes even more serious.
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Table of Contents
Can You Be an Alcoholic Without Showing Obvious Signs of Intoxication?
Alcohol is a drug, and like other drugs, it can cause a whole host of signs of intoxication that can include things like:
- Bloodshot or glassy eyes
- Red face
- Slurred speech
- Rambling speech
- Fast or slow talking
- Acting aggressively, obnoxiously, or belligerently
- Staggering
- Drowsiness
- Sudden behavior changes
- Difficulty walking or standing up
- Vomiting
- Sweatiness
For many people, as they get to a point of having consumed several drinks, they’ll start to show obvious signs of intoxication, including changes in their speech, attitude, and behavior. But what if someone is drinking and doesn’t show these obvious signs? If that’s the case, that could be evidence that they have developed a high alcohol tolerance, which means they can drink more before they’ll feel drunk.
That isn’t a good sign, and it can actually indicate that they’re suffering from one of the many symptoms of alcohol use disorder. In this case, their brain and body have actually started to adapt to the frequent presence of alcohol, and they’re on the path toward addiction if they don’t change their patterns of drinking.
What Causes Alcohol Tolerance to Develop?
Binge drinking is on the rise, and some other patterns of unhealthy drinking are still significant threats to the health of the overall population as people get into bad drinking habits that can turn into addictions. But what actually causes someone to develop a high alcohol tolerance, and what does that mean?
When someone has an alcohol tolerance, it means they’ll react differently to drinking in many ways, including:
- They could be less likely to vomit or pass out than someone else who drank the same amount but doesn’t have a high tolerance.
- They could be better able to do things like standing, walking, or speaking normally after having some drinks.
- Even though they have a higher tolerance, their reaction time and peripheral vision—both things that are affected by intoxication—will continue to be impacted by the drinking.
- Their blood alcohol content (BAC) will still rise normally as they drink, so even though they might not seem as intoxicated, they are still putting themselves and others in danger if they drink and drive.
- The rate of metabolizing alcohol will remain the same regardless of whether they have a high alcohol tolerance or not.
What Are the Health Risks of Having a High Alcohol Tolerance?
Even if someone develops a high alcohol tolerance, it doesn’t make heavy drinking any safer, and several serious health risks can happen to anyone if they drink a lot for long periods of time. If they have a high tolerance, they might feel like they’re not drunk or intoxicated, but they still are, and their body is still at risk of physical damage and impairment in areas like vision and reaction time.
One of the big problems is that their body has adapted to the toxins of alcohol, which can make them less likely to puke or pass out—things that your body would normally do to signal to you that it’s time to quit drinking and go to sleep, rather than continue to drink even more of this substance.
This can lead people with a high tolerance to drink even more. The more someone drinks at once, the more they’re put at risk of things like alcohol poisoning, poor decision-making (such as drinking and driving or doing other dangerous things while drunk), and serious damage to the liver as the amount of toxins builds up to high levels.
The truth is that consuming more alcohol in one sitting can put someone at risk of organ failure, permanent damage, and alcohol dependence and addiction. Even if they don’t seem as intoxicated as someone without a tolerance, they are still drunk, and the damage of high alcohol consumption can still happen to them.
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Do People With High Alcohol Tolerance Experience More Severe Withdrawal?
Research has shown that developing a high tolerance for alcohol can be one of the first signs of the person’s brain adapting to heavy drinking, but it isn’t the only thing happening here. As they continue drinking over time, their brain and critical communication pathways in the central nervous system will continue to adapt to this constant presence of alcohol in the body, and that can rewire their brains to make them even more driven to continue drinking to feel these euphoric or positive feelings.
What does that all mean? Their brains can change to make them want to drink more, and that can clearly lead to growing problems with alcohol consumption, especially alcohol addiction.
Once someone’s body is dependent on alcohol, including a high tolerance to the drug, they’re at extreme risk of suffering from withdrawal symptoms if they try to cut down or stop drinking. Withdrawal from alcohol can be life-threatening, with symptoms starting just hours or a day after they quit drinking:
- Headaches and pain
- Feeling anxious or irritated
- Sweating
- Stomach problems
- Increased heart rate or blood pressure
- High body temperature
- Insomnia
- Tremors
- Confusion, hallucinations, seizures, or delirium
The risk of experiencing alcohol withdrawal is much higher in someone who has been drinking heavily each day, especially if they’ve been a heavy drinker for an extended period of time. Unfortunately, the reality is that anyone who starts to suffer withdrawal is at extreme risk of dangerous symptoms that can be much more than just uncomfortable or physically distressing—they can become life-threatening.
Seizures, heart problems, and other serious medical issues can start to occur as the body reacts to no longer having alcohol. That’s why people who are quitting drinking are advised to go through a medical detox program, rather than try to quit cold turkey on their own, so they can receive medications and medical support to minimize and manage their potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms.
Key Takeaways on High Alcohol Tolerance
- A high alcohol tolerance can develop as someone consumes a lot of alcohol over a long period of time.
- With this tolerance, they might not feel intoxicated as easily anymore, but they’re still exposing their bodies to high blood alcohol content.
- Someone with a high tolerance could seem to stand, walk, and talk normally, even if they’re drunk.
- A high tolerance is a symptom of alcohol addiction.
- Someone with a high tolerance is at a higher risk of suffering from serious alcohol withdrawal symptoms if they try to quit.
A high tolerance for alcohol can be one of many signs that someone has an alcohol problem, and ignoring the problem or waiting for it to get better on its own can be deadly. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction to alcohol, the team at Resurgence Behavioral Health can help. We know what it takes to get you back on track toward a better future. Call us at 855-458-0050 today to learn how to get started.
Resources
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- The University of Toledo University Counseling Center – Alcohol Tolerance
- National Library of Medicine – Tolerance to Alcohol: A Critical Yet Understudied Factor in Alcohol Addiction
- Oregon Liquor & Cannabis Commission – 50 Signs of Visible Intoxication
