Alcohol is one of the most complex types of drugs. Some people can drink on a consistent basis and never form an addiction or dependence on the substance. For others, a glass of wine a day can create dependence that’s hard to break. But for some, the defining factor of whether or not to get help comes down to if a person is an alcoholic. A person suffering from alcohol use disorder may suffer from addiction if they recognize that continuing to drink is dangerous to their health or others and yet cannot stop engaging in it.
What Is Heavy Alcohol Use?
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines heavy alcohol consumption in several ways. Drinking in moderation is considered limiting intake to 2 drinks or less a day for men and 1 drink or less a day for women when alcohol is consumed.
Binge drinking is one form of heavy drinking that can lead to a significant onset of dependence. It occurs when a person drinks 5 or more drinks as a male or 4 or more drinks as a female within a 2 hour span of time. Doing this can lead to addiction and dependence quickly, even if a person only binges a few times a month.
Heavy alcohol use is another way of indicating alcoholism. For men, consuming more than 4 drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks a week is considered heavy alcoholic intake. For women, consuming 3 drinks on any day or 7 drinks per week can lead to heavy alcoholism risk.
Are You an Alcoholic?
Alcohol use disorder isn’t always defined by how much you drink. It is also about the way it is impacting you. Here are some common signs of alcohol use disorder that you should not ignore:
- Feeling the need to drink every day, even if you do not do so
- Feeling agitation and anxiety when you do not drink every day
- Drinking at odd times of the day, such as first thing in the morning or at work
- Using alcohol as a way to deal with thoughts and feelings, including stress
- Experiencing cravings when you cannot drink
- Needing to drink more than you used to
- Trying to refrain from drinking a significant amount of alcohol but failing to do so
If you have tried to stop drinking alcohol and could not do so, that may be because you’ve developed dependence. When this occurs, the brain has learned to consistently seek out alcohol in order to function normally. Dependence is not something that just goes away but rather can continue to cause addiction to impact every facet of your life.
You may be able to go to work, but you are not performing at the level that you should or used to. You may want to be a part of your family, but you need to use alcohol as well, and that often means you do not participate in their lives like you used to or want to. Your health may start to be impacted. You’re anxious or depressed when not using.
Finding Help for Alcohol Use Disorder
If you think you or a loved one is suffering from addiction to alcohol, taking action is the best possible way to provide help. Our alcohol treatment programs are designed to provide exceptional support to you, providing you with tools to help your body finally stop relying on alcohol. Without a doubt, alcohol addiction will worsen over time, limiting relationships and career success and even leading to health complications. Yet, you can take action now to get the help you need to recover.
America’s Rehab Campuses are available to provide you with the type and level of support you need. Take the time now to embrace treatment. To do that, you need to invest in a medical detox program, in some cases, or inpatient treatment. We can create a customized treatment plan to meet your specific needs.
You can overcome addiction to alcohol. You do not have to be limited by this disease. What you do now to get into treatment really defines what your future is likely to be. Contact us today to learn more about how we can provide you with a way forward.
