When Does Drinking Become a Problem?

Early Signs of Alcoholism

One of the difficult aspects of alcoholism is the fact that alcohol consumption is something that is perfectly legal in the United States provided that you are above a certain age. In many cases, when you go to liquor stores to buy drinks, the person selling you those drinks will not bat an eye or question you when it comes to what you’re purchasing. In most cases, the same holds true if you go to a bar to drink. However, when your drinking begins to escalate, you expose yourself to a potential health risk which is something that negatively impacts your life. Here are some examples of the early signs of alcoholism: 

Signs of Heavy Drinking

There are several signs that a person may be heavily drinking. For example, if a person has a problem drinking, they may do everything that they can to justify their alcohol consumption so that they can continue to drink more. One of the other signs of alcoholism and heavy drinking revolves around a person having issues maintaining certain responsibilities in their life. That person may begin drinking just to make it through the day at work or may go to parties and completely lose track of how much they have actually drunk. If you find yourself losing all control of your life as a result of your heavy drinking, then it’s undoubtedly time to reach out for help. 

Identifying You Have A Drinking Problem

In order for you to truly overcome your binge drinking or excessive drinking once and for all, it’s imperative that you come to an understanding that you have a drinking problem and that you’re ready to face it. One of the best things that you can do is take into account how many drinks per week you have, how often you make excesses to social drinking and then end up binge drinking, and how much drinking is controlling your life. When you initially reach out to an alcohol addiction treatment facility, their intake team will help you to assess your alcohol intake and help you to identify other signs of alcoholism so that they can help you to put together a plan to address your problem drinking. 

Long term Effects of Alcohol Abuse

It goes without saying that there are several long-term effects of alcohol abuse. One of the most direct effects of alcohol is the impact that it can have on your health. Over time, binge drinking or chronic drinking will cause your body to simply begin to shut down in many ways. There will be a direct effect on the major organs in your body. There is also a strong possibility that one of the effects of alcohol is that it will have an impact on your mental health. Excessive drinking can cause you to experience a multitude of mental health symptoms including putting yourself at an increased risk of depression and anxiety which is why you always want to address the signs of alcoholism sooner rather than later. 

Going to Alcohol Rehab

Regardless of whether you have been binge drinking or you have been drinking heavily for years, in order for you to truly address your alcohol addiction, the best thing for you to do is to commit to a treatment program through an addiction treatment facility with a team of professionals who are specifically trained to help you. Depending on a number of factors including the amount of alcohol you consume as well as your overall mental health, alcohol rehab can provide you with the addiction and medical education and support that you need to tackle your addiction as well as tips for cutting alcohol out of your life completely. 

One of the treatment programs that are typically offered at an alcohol addiction treatment facility is inpatient treatment of alcohol. If you have been identified as having a chronic problem drinking alcohol, you may find that inpatient treatment of alcohol is the best way for you to overcome your continuous or binge drinking. The reason for this is that inpatient alcohol addiction treatment will provide you with the structure and the support that you need to address your alcohol intake once and for all. During inpatient patient care, you will have around-the-clock access to your addiction treatment team and have a safe and sober environment to live in during this stretch of time. 

Another type of treatment program that you can commit to so that you can address your alcohol misuse is an outpatient alcohol addiction program. There are many people who are unable to commit to inpatient treatment of alcohol for one reason or another. However, outpatient patient care provides you with the opportunity to have a certain level of flexibility in your plan to address your problem drinking. During outpatient treatment, you will be able to address your alcohol misuse, however, you will still have the flexibility to work or go to school as needed. You will be able to live at home while you address your problem of drinking which can help you to adjust to real work. Although there are some that feel that outpatient patient care is ineffective because it can increase your risk of relapse, the reality is that when you work with an alcohol addiction team that understands the steps that you need to take to address your alcohol misuse and you’re committed to the process, an intensive outpatient treatment program or a general outpatient alcohol addiction program to address your problem drinking will help you to navigate the situation. 

It’s important to remember that going to inpatient or outpatient rehab for problem drinking is only the first step that you need to take in a lifelong recovery journey. Part of alcohol use disorders is understanding that your alcohol addiction is something that can impact you at any point in your life, even if you have been sober for years. One of the best things that you can do once you complete your initial treatment of alcohol is to make plans to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings on a regular basis. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings will give you the opportunity to meet other people that are working through their own addiction treatment plans. Not only will going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings provide you with a unique level of support but it will also give you access to certain mental health resources which is something invaluable, no matter which stages you are at in your alcohol addiction recovery journey. 

Will You Need Alcohol Detox?

In the majority of cases, when a person has experienced problem drinking, they will need to complete a detox program before they can commit to a program for the treatment of alcohol abuse. The reason for this is that within mere hours from the time that they take their last drink, they will begin to experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms which will make it impossible for them to properly care for themselves during this stretch of time. When you’re alcohol dependent, withdrawal symptoms are something that can certainly take their toll on you. Also, symptoms associated not only with alcohol abuse but with addiction, in general, are something that is unpredictable. While it’s possible that another person who has been struggling with drinking and alcoholism may experience one set of alcohol withdrawal symptoms, you may experience a completely different set of withdrawal effects. Due to this unpredictability, you should never attempt to manage this stage of your treatment of alcohol abuse on your own. 

On average, detox for alcohol abuse and excessive drinking lasts approximately seven days. During that stretch of time, your body will start to heal itself from drinking and alcoholism which can result in feeling nausea sweating, experiencing cravings, shakiness, stomach issues, feeling as though you have trouble breathing, and a multitude of other possible alcohol withdrawal symptoms. 

Checking Into Resurgence Alcohol Rehab

Have you come to a place in your life where you’re ready to stop drinking? Are you concerned that you’re drinking too much alcohol and you’re concerned about alcohol’s effect on your overall physical and mental health? If the answer is yes, then the team at Resurgence Behavioral Health is here to help you. We understand the impact that drinking too much alcohol can have on your life which is why we help every client to decide on an alcohol addiction treatment program that is specifically designed to help them address their excessive alcohol abuse. Keep in mind that we also have experience in helping clients struggling with other forms of substance abuse. When you’re ready to commit to alcoholism treatment, get in touch with us at (855) 458-0050 and learn more about what you can expect when you commit to treatment and you begin recovering from alcoholism. 

David Rofofsky
After growing up in New York, David chose to get help with substance abuse in California because of the state's reputation for top-tier treatment. There, he found the treatment he needed to achieve more than nine years of recovery. He's been in the drug and alcohol addiction rehab industry for eight years and now serves as the Director of Admissions for Resurgence Behavioral Health. David remains passionate about the field because he understands how hard it is to pick up the phone and ask for help. However, once the call is made, someone's life can be saved.

Research | Editorial