For many people struggling with an alcohol use disorder, their alcoholism started innocently enough. People don’t start drinking and immediately become alcoholics. Instead, when looking at the causes of alcohol addiction, you will see that most people began as social or occasional drinkers when they were young. If you or someone you love struggles with alcohol use disorder, contact Midwest Recovery online or call us at 833.627.0039 today to begin your alcohol addiction treatment and start on the road to recovery.
How Does Alcohol Addiction Start?
Drinking can start young, but just because you try alcohol in high school and college, and go on to drink socially, does not guarantee that you will develop an alcohol use disorder or someday need alcohol addiction treatment.
As far as causes of alcohol addiction, some people continue to drink heavily. To the point where it negatively impacts their home and work life, they have a genetic predisposition or environmental factors contributing to their alcohol abuse. For example, if your parent(s) suffer from an alcohol use disorder, you are four times more likely to have a substance use disorder yourself. Those with underlying mental health issues may also be more likely to transition from having an occasional drink to someone with a drinking problem.
Identifying the Signs of an Alcohol Addiction
Because drinking and alcohol abuse is commonly glamorized in mainstream media on TV and in movies, it is possible that you do not even know if you or a loved one is suffering from alcohol addiction or what the causes of addiction were initially. To better understand what both the physical and psychological signs of alcohol use disorder look like, here is what to be on the lookout for in yourself, a friend, or a family member:
- Drinking in larger amounts
- Drinking over longer periods of time
- Having tried to scale back or stop drinking alcohol but failed
- Craving alcohol
- Alcohol dominates thoughts, conversations, and activities
- Work, school, and home life are suffering because of drinking
- Choosing to drink over other activities
- Engaging in risky behavior while drinking
- A need for more alcohol than ever to feel its effects
When not drinking, there are withdrawal symptoms, including:
- Excessive sweating
- Increased heart rate
- Hand tremors
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Hallucinations
- Anxiety
- Agitation
- Seizures
While you can spot some of the signs, it takes a medical professional to actually diagnose an alcohol use disorder. If you see yourself here, reach out to the skilled team at Midwest Recovery for a free consultation today.
What Will Alcohol Addiction Treatment Look Like?
When you decide it is finally time to get help and take that first step into an alcohol addiction treatment program, you may feel worried, anxious, or scared because a dependency will be removed. Truth be told, those early days of detox and withdrawal may be challenging. This is one reason why it is crucial to be in a safe facility, with a highly trained team around you, to monitor you and assist with your recovery.
Your personalized alcohol addiction treatment plan will begin after you emerge on the other side of detox and its related withdrawal symptoms. No matter the causes of alcohol addiction, your treatment is individualized and focused on teaching you the skills you will rely on for a lifetime of sobriety. Some of these skills include:
- Understanding triggers
- Identifying harmful people, places, and situations to avoid
- Managing stress
- Ways to cope with scenarios outside of rehab
- Confronting negative thoughts and feelings
- Seeing positivity in the future
Learn More at Midwest Recovery
If someone you love needs a professional alcohol addiction treatment program in Ohio, learn how Midwest Recovery can help get their life back on track. Contact us using our secure online form or call us at 833.627.0039 today.
