Understanding Alcohol Addiction
What Is Alcohol Addiction?
Alcohol addiction is a disorder in which a person’s use of alcohol becomes compulsive, difficult to control, or impacts daily life, with repeated use and consequences dictating daily life.
Those living with addiction may be aware of the risks and dangers of alcohol use, but continue to use anyway or find it incredibly difficult to stop. This compulsive use of alcohol can also come with intense urges and cravings to drink despite better judgment.
Alcohol addiction can also look different for each individual. Some living with addiction may drink consistently throughout the day, hiding use from loved ones, even if they do not always appear to be completely inebriated. Others can go long periods between drinks, but find it difficult to control or stop once they start, leading to binge drinking, blackouts, and more.
Analyzing the expectations and relationship with alcohol, rather than the number of drinks, is important when identifying alcohol addiction.
What Is Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)?
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the official term used to describe alcohol addiction and is a form of substance use disorder (SUD) that deals specifically with alcohol and its effects.
However, AUD affects each person differently. There are also varying levels of severity of AUD, with an individual not necessarily having to engage with alcohol every day, or reach a point of blackout or extreme inebriation, to have a problematic relationship with alcohol that is difficult to control.
AUD and alcohol use can feel isolating. However, the effects rarely stay confined to an individual. AUD affects not just personal physical and mental health, but also the wellness of families and friends, professional ambitions and performance, personal goals, academics, and can lead to legal challenges.
How Does Alcoholism Develop Over Time?
AUD is a disease that develops and progresses in stages, and identifying early stages of AUD can empower individuals and families to pursue early intervention and care.
These stages are:
- Initial Use: This is when a person may be first exposed to alcohol. They may have a drink socially, to relax, or even out of curiosity. During this stage, alcohol use is typically still infrequent, under control, and consciously voluntary. However, early exposure to alcohol can lead to this initial use occurring at a young age, which can increase the risks of AUD.
- Regular Drinking: This stage is where alcohol use can become part of a routine. Drinking socially with people on weekends can become normalized. Alcohol not only becomes an accepted part of daily life, but may even be an expected part of routines. While regular drinking does not always mean addiction, it can mean a developing positive relationship or association with alcohol use that should be monitored.
- Increasing Tolerance: A person may begin to need more and more alcohol to achieve the same effects as before, leading to drinking more often than in routines before, in higher quantities of drinks, or drinks with heavier alcoholic content.
- Addiction: This stage occurs when alcohol use becomes uncontrolled, and a person drinks in more situations and even against their own wishes. Increased tolerance and a changing relationship with alcohol can lead to drinking becoming part of daily life, feeling out of control of one’s use, and developing routines around alcohol based on urges and compulsive use. For those living with addiction, alcohol can not just be expected, but necessary, with the body and brain adapting to expect alcohol use, and bringing withdrawal symptoms when not drinking.
What Is the Difference Between Alcohol Abuse, Alcohol Misuse, and Alcohol Dependence?
While these terms can be used interchangeably, they have key distinctions, especially regarding the reasons and consequences of drinking.
Alcohol misusedescribes using alcohol in ways that can be dangerous, such as in unsafe situations or drinking unsafe amounts, such as during binge drinking. People may also misuse alcohol to address other needs like stress, anxiety, depression, and more. However, alcohol misuse does not necessarily indicate a pattern or addiction.
Alcohol abuse describes a pattern of continuing to drink despite negative repercussions. It can indicate a developing pattern or relationship with alcohol despite these negative consequences.
Alcohol dependence occurs when the body and brain adjust to the expectation and use of alcohol, not only increasing tolerance, but also coming with withdrawal symptoms that can indicate addiction.
How Does the DSM-5 Diagnose Alcohol Use Disorder?
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) diagnoses alcohol use disorder (AUD) by assessing each person’s unique relationship with alcohol over a 12-month period.
These assessments consider not just how much alcohol is consumed, but also how alcohol impacts daily life. This may include expectations around use, ability to control or monitor use and stop, and how alcohol use may impede other areas of life like workplace performance and attendance.
Prevalence of hangovers or withdrawal symptoms is considered during these assessments, as well as the impact of alcohol on daily responsibilities and family life. Professionals may also examine if a person is drinking in physically hazardous situations, like while driving or in public spaces.
Continuing to use alcohol despite negative consequences to physical health, relationships, or spending time either drinking or recovering from hangovers all contribute to a diagnosis of AUD, in addition to the actual amount of alcohol used.
AUD is diagnosed depending on severity, and not all AUDs are the same, making talking to a professional necessary to understand the unique impact of alcohol on each person’s life.
Early Signs of Alcohol Addiction
What Are the Top 10 Signs a Loved One Is Living With AUD?
The top ten signs of AUD include:
- Inability to control drinking
- Difficulty cutting back or stopping, even if they want to
- Intense cravings for more alcohol interfering with daily life
- Onset of withdrawal symptoms when alcohol is not available
- Self-isolation or inability to tend to academic or household responsibilities
- Disinterest in previous hobbies or interests
- Hiding alcohol use from loved ones and family
- Increase in risky behaviors
- Unexplained financial changes
- Continuing to use alcohol after being confronted or despite negative consequences
Knowing the signs can help families identify potential AUD in their son or other loved one.
What Are 5 Warning Signs of Addiction?
Five warning signs include loss of control over drinking, intense cravings to reengage with alcohol, increasing tolerance to alcohol and using more than before, the onset of withdrawal symptoms, and continuing to drink despite negative consequences.
How Can You Tell if Someone Has a Drinking Problem?
Increased self-isolation, secretive behavior like locking doors, leaving or being cagey about daily comings and goings, avoidance of personal, workplace, or academic responsibilities, or continuing to drink even after being asked about their relationship can all indicate a potentially problematic relationship with alcohol.
When Does Binge Drinking Become Heavy Drinking?
Binge drinking becomes heavy drinking when a pattern of consuming large amounts of alcohol in a short period escalates into frequent, high-volume weekly use.
Binge drinking describes drinking an excessive amount of alcohol in a single sitting.
How Does Craving Alcohol Affect Daily Life?
Compromised routines and responsibilities, planning activities around availability of alcohol, intrusive thoughts about alcohol use, or increased anxiety, depression, or irritability when alcohol is not present due to cravings can all affect daily life.
Physical Signs of Alcohol Addiction
What Physical Symptoms Can Alcohol Addiction Cause?
Alcohol use and addiction can cause physical symptoms like:
- Slurred speech
- Compromised motor skills and coordination
- Nausea
- Sweating
- Unexplained scrapes or injuries
- Headaches
- Persistent hangovers
- Gastrointestinal issues
Why Do People Experience Slurred Speech, Mood Swings, and Blackouts?
Alcohol interferes with the central nervous system, slowing the communication between the body and brain, resulting in changes in speech patterns, slowed or slurred speech and reaction times, and memory blackouts or difficulty recalling memories.
Alcohol can also impact the efficacy of neurotransmitters associated with mood regulation, leading to more intense experiences with anxiety, depression, stress, euphoria, and more.
How Can Alcohol Affect Sleep and Cause Insomnia?
Alcohol can disrupt normal sleep cycles, making it difficult to fall asleep despite physical fatigue, or difficult to stay asleep.
Nightmares and insomnia can also compromise sleep quality, and lingering feelings of nausea can further disrupt regular routines.
What Are the First Signs of Liver Damage From Alcohol?
Excessive and chronic use of alcohol can lead to liver damage and liver cirrhosis, with early warning signs including:
- Persistent nausea
- Sudden weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Persistent aches around the belly
- Darkened urine
When Can Alcohol Use Lead to Alcohol Poisoning?
Alcohol poisoning occurs when an individual drinks more alcohol than the body can process in the amount of time, often due to binge drinking, extremely heavy drinks, or combining alcohol with other substances that exacerbate alcohol’s impact on the body.
Alcohol poisoning is a medical emergency.
Emotional and Behavioral Signs of Alcohol Addiction
How Does Alcohol Addiction Affect Mental Health?
Alcohol can interfere with the brain’s ability to monitor mood, impacting dopamine and serotonin release, and GABA.
This can lead to increased feelings of depression, anxiety, mood swings, irritation, anger, increased impulsivity, and difficulty focusing.
Can Alcohol Cause Anxiety and Depression?
Yes. While alcohol may be used as a short-term solution to “push down” these feelings, it worsens their effects over time, leading to further anxiety and depression while compromising other, healthier coping skills.
Compromised sleep and physical wellness can also contribute to increased feelings of anxiety and depression.
Why Do Some People Become Secretive or Withdraw From Loved Ones?
Some may hide their drinking, lock doors, or hide bottles from loved ones to avoid a confrontation about alcohol, or out of fear of being judged.
Many of those living with AUD may understand that their use of alcohol is problematic, and want to avoid confronting the issue due to prevalent stigmas or fears. Some may feel misunderstood or embarrassed, or want to “protect” family and loved ones from their behavior.
Can Alcohol Affect School, Work, and Relationships?
Yes. From compromised attendance and performance to missed deadlines, inability to tend to responsibilities, compromised communication and trust, emotional distance, financial strain, and friction between partners or between parents and children, alcohol can dictate every area of daily life.
What Are the 6 Signs of a Functioning Alcoholic?
Six signs of a functioning alcoholic include:
- High tolerance
- Regular drinking habits
- Drinking in high-risk situations, such as while driving, at school, or at work
- Intense cravings throughout the day
- Becoming defensive when topics like alcohol are brought up
- Drinking to cope with stress, anxiety, depression, or other challenges
“Functioning alcoholism” is not a technical term. Instead, it is a descriptor typically used to describe those living with AUD who continue to maintain responsibilities on the surface, despite mounting challenges and damage to physical, mental, and emotional wellness.
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
What Are Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms?
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms are a set of symptoms that occur when an individual stops or cuts back on the amount of alcohol they drink.
Common alcohol withdrawal symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Shaking and tremors
- Nausea and vomiting
- Restlessness
- Irritability and mood swings
- Elevated heart rate and blood pressures
- Intense cravings or preoccupation with alcohol
Why Do Sweating, Tremors, and Shaking Occur?
Alcohol affects the central nervous system and disrupts regular homeostasis, and the brain slowly adapts to its presence.
When alcohol is removed, the balance is disrupted again, leading to withdrawal symptoms like sweating and tremors.
Can Alcohol Withdrawal Cause Nausea and Restlessness?
Absolutely, these are common withdrawal symptoms and can be experienced alongside emotional symptoms, making it a complex challenge to navigate without support.
When Do Hallucinations and Seizures Become Medical Emergencies?
Hallucinations or seizures are always medical emergencies.
Noticing signs of seizure or visual, auditory, or olfactory hallucinations can be a reason to contact emergency services or a medical professional. These can also be symptoms of delirium tremens (DTs), an intense form of alcohol withdrawal that demands immediate medical attention.
When Is Medical Detox Necessary?
Medical detox is almost always necessary to address AUD and withdrawal, especially if your son or loved one has a history of relapse, experiences intense withdrawal symptoms, or is living with co-occurring disorders.
Effective medical detox can also support the transition to further levels of care.
Stages of Alcohol Addiction
What Are the 4 Stages of Alcoholism?
The four stages of developing alcohol addiction are typically experimentation, regular use, dependence, and addiction, showing increased use and a changing relationship and expectations with alcohol.
How Does Alcohol Tolerance Progress Into Dependence?
Tolerance is when the body becomes accustomed to the use of alcohol, requiring more to achieve the same effects.
However, as more alcohol is used, the body and brain will not only tolerate its use, but actively expect it, becoming dependent or expecting alcohol use for daily life.
When Does Heavy Drinking Become Alcohol Use Disorder?
Regular heavy drinking can create unhealthy relationships and expectations with alcohol, and when this use affects daily life, impedes other responsibilities or goals, or begins to impact physical health, routines, and other responsibilities, then heavy drinking is becoming AUD.
Why Is Early Intervention So Important?
Early intervention helps individuals confront the effects of developing alcohol addiction before it becomes too severe, enacting prevention strategies, addressing withdrawal, and making sustainable changes to daily life before alcohol can dictate wellness, improving chances of successful abstinence and commitment to long-term sobriety.
Treatment for Alcohol Addiction
What Are the Most Effective Treatments for Alcohol Addiction?
Effective treatment for alcohol addiction involves a combination of evidence-based therapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, acceptance and commitment therapy, and more, alongside holistic healing opportunities to empower sustainable lifestyle change.
Combining individual and group therapy, peer support, and ongoing therapy that addresses underlying mental health needs, daily stresses, and more can further empower each person to develop coping strategies and maintain a sober life.
How Does Behavioral Therapy Help People Recover?
Behavioral therapy empowers those in recovery to understand how their thoughts, feelings, and perspectives influence their behavior.
By addressing underlying thoughts or beliefs and identifying triggers, a person can change how they respond to stress, putting them in control of their behaviors and daily wellness.
When Are Medications Like Naltrexone, Acamprosate, and Disulfiram Used?
Medications can be used during detox and ongoing recovery in some situations, depending on the severity of AUD and personal needs and underlying factors.
Naltrexone is a prescription medication that reduces cravings and decreases the rewarding effects of alcohol to encourage abstinence and maintain sobriety.
Acamprosate is used after a person has already stopped drinking, helping lessen the intensity of cravings and supporting long-term sobriety.
Disulfiram is a medication that, when used alongside alcohol, creates an unpleasant reaction, discouraging drinking.
What Role Does Alcoholics Anonymous Play in Recovery?
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a dedicated 12-Step program that provides effective support, a community of peers, and structure to each person’s healing.
While AA is not for everyone, its community, spiritual healing, and consistent and accessible support can be integral to sober success.
Can Someone Recover Without Residential Treatment?
Yes, healing is possible without residential treatment, depending on the severity of addiction and personal needs.
However, those without at-home support, who have underlying needs, or who are living with severe cases of AUD can benefit from a dedicated residential setting, with a curated sober atmosphere, access to around-the-clock support, and structure while building new skills and daily routines in sobriety.
Staying in a curated space can also ensure each person has the opportunity to develop effective relapse-prevention skills and coping strategies before returning to daily life, equipping them to maintain sobriety.
Alcohol Addiction Treatment at Resilience Recovery
How Does Resilience Recovery Help Adolescents and Young Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder?
Resilience Recovery Resources has dedicated programs for adolescent and teen men, blending evidence-based care with specialized support that addresses the stresses and influences unique to young men.
With clinical excellence, life skills development, ongoing aftercare, and individualized programs, we focus on resilience and empowerment to bounce back from setbacks and emerge from adversity.
Our programs include various levels of care, from partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) to our intensive outpatient program (IOP), outpatient program (OP), and ongoing aftercare and alumni support.
Why Is Family Involvement Essential During Recovery?
Addiction and AUD are a family affair, and while family can be intimately affected by it, they can also provide incredible support.
Family involvement helps educate family members on how to support healing, make their own changes, and become knowledgeable and effective supports without inadvertently enabling further use.
Regular family involvement can also help develop communication and honesty, rebuild relationships, and challenge personal needs to heal as a family, holding each other accountable while making change together.
How Do PHP, IOP, and Outpatient Programs Support Long-Term Recovery?
These programs ensure that each person has access to the level of care that best fits their needs, structuring healing into attainable goals and stages.
Resilience Recovery Resources also combines education with milestone celebrations, with each person building new skills alongside peers that incorporate into practical sober life, normalizing new strategies and creating an effective toolkit for lasting change.
Does Resilience Treat Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions Alongside Alcohol Addiction?
Absolutely. We help each person get to the core root of these challenges, addressing not just the impact of alcohol addiction, but the mental health disorders and underlying factors that impact stress and alcohol use, from anxiety and depression to trauma, ADHD, and much more.
With developmentally informed care, a transitional and skills-based treatment approach, and comprehensive case management, we address each person’s needs to create real, transformative change.
What Makes Resilience’s Transitional Care Model Different?
Resilience Recovery Resources specializes in personalized, evidence-based care, with the NeuroAffective Relational Model forming the basis of our personalized programs.
With family-centered programs, multiple levels of care, and both individual and group therapy, our program is focused on the unique needs and goals of young men through developmentally informed care and life skills development.
Healing with us is unique. We focus on skills development without compromising academic progress, empowering young men to not just address alcohol use, but continue to build toward future goals.
With weekly family therapy and family-integrated care, as well as a peer mentorship program model, we empower change both inside and outside our walls through practical, effective, and evidence-based programs.
FAQs
Can someone have alcohol use disorder without drinking every day?
Yes. Addiction is unique to the individual, and AUD can still affect daily life even if a person is not drinking daily.
What not to say to someone with AUD?
Avoid stigmatizing language or accusations, and take needs seriously.
Statements like “Can’t you just stop?” can be dismissive and make an individual feel like it is their fault or a moral or personal shortcoming, rather than the effects of a diagnosable addiction.
Likewise, separating the person from the disease is crucial to ensure they feel seen, heard, and valued.
Can parents recognize the signs of alcohol addiction in teenagers?
Absolutely. Some signs may include:
- Lying and secretive behavior
- Increase in risk-taking behaviors
- Changes in academic attendance or performance
- Disinterest in previous hobbies
- Unexplained financial changes or needs
- Increase in disciplinary actions or ramifications
- Difficulty concentrating
- Mood swings
- Anxiety
- Depression
How do you talk to someone you think has a drinking problem?
Take the situation seriously, but approach it calmly.
Avoid accusatory language and assumptions, and choose the right time and place. Give the person a chance to speak, creating a calm, honest atmosphere, and approach them with sympathy rather than anger or resentment.
Focus on specific observations and evidence over assumptions or feelings, listen and truly internalize their side of things, and express concern over blame.
When should you encourage a loved one to seek professional help?
If alcohol use impedes daily life, routines, and wellness, then it may be time for professional support, especially in young adults and adolescents.
Can alcohol addiction be treated successfully?
Yes. With the right support, education, and care, alcohol addiction can be treated, and those with the disease can live a fulfilling sober life.
While early intervention can make this easier, nobody is ever “too addicted” for healing to be impossible.
How long does recovery from alcohol use disorder take?
It depends on the severity of addiction and underlying needs.
Resilience Recovery Resources works with you to find the best level of care for your loved one or son, structuring a plan that supports change through developmentally informed care and skills that grow with you.
Alcohol use disorder is a complicated disease, and a teen or young adult living with alcohol addiction can affect the entire family. Call Resilience Recovery Resources today to learn more about the signs of AUD, as well as the treatment options available for your family to take the first step toward comprehensive, effective change.
