These complications are reasons why it’s important to treat alcohol addiction early. Nearly all risks involved with alcohol addiction may be avoidable or treatable, with successful long-term recovery. Regardless of how the addiction looks, someone typically has an alcohol addiction if they heavily rely on drinking and can’t stay sober for an extended period of time. The severity of the disease, how often someone drinks, and the alcohol they consume varies from person to person.
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- You might miss work, forget to pick up the kids, become irritable, and notice physical signs of alcohol abuse (facial redness, weight gain or loss, sluggishness, stomach bloating).
- Much like my cat’s relentless search for the hard-to-reach fishy treat, humans often exhibit behaviors driven by a deeper rationale that isn’t immediately apparent.
- According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, women shouldn’t drink more than one drink per day, and men shouldn’t drink more than two drinks per day.
- Some people may drink alcohol to the point that it causes problems, but they’re not physically dependent on alcohol.
Eventually, the brain becomes accustomed to this chemical imbalance, causing individuals to drink more in order to experience the “feel -good” feeling they had before. There are many ways to get sober and no one “right” path. You’ll want to find a rehab center that has medically-supervised detox capabilities so that you can comfortably and safely detox from alcohol.
A strong support system is helpful for making a complete recovery. Someone with an alcohol addiction who has remained sober for months or years may How Long Does Weed Stay in Your System A Comprehensive Guide find themselves drinking again. They may binge drink once or drink for a period of time before getting sober again. It’s important that the person get back on track and resume treatment.
Alcohol use disorder
The American Medical Association recommends a two-drink daily limit for people assigned male at birth (AMAB). Heavy drinking in this population is five or more drinks in one day or 15 or more drinks in a week. People assigned female at birth (AFAB) should limit drinking to one drink a day.
Risk Factors Associated with the Development of an Alcohol Use Disorder
This is of particular concern when you’re taking certain medications that also depress the brain’s function. Typically, a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder doesn’t require any other type of diagnostic test. There’s a chance your doctor may order blood work to check your liver function if you show signs or symptoms of liver disease. Ultimately, sobriety is the responsibility of the person who has the alcohol addiction. It’s important to not enable destructive behaviors and to maintain appropriate boundaries if the person with the alcohol addiction is still drinking. This can mean cutting off financial assistance or making it difficult for them to fulfill the addiction.
We asked them about their alcohol use, reasons for drinking, alcohol-related outcomes, health and more. Over time, the brain becomes used to these chemical imbalances. In turn, a person needs to drink larger amounts more frequently to reach the same state of relaxation and well-being that they once did. As the brain continues to adapt to alcohol, when a person is not drinking, they can start to go through unpleasantsymptoms of withdrawal because their brain chemistry has changed.
“It’s addictive for people … and then it’s causing problems. We can’t then get frustrated with those people because we built out a cultural norm around it,” he says. “So the actual cause (of any health benefit) probably wasn’t the alcohol at all,” Dr. Oesterle says. Additionally, alcohol can damage the nerves in the inner ear, affecting balance. This is a recipe for falls, which are typically much more traumatic in older adults and can even be deadly.
