How to know when someone is struggling with habitual alcohol use
Casual alcohol use is common in our culture, making it important to know the signs of alcohol addiction and when someone might be struggling with abuse of alcohol. Additionally, it’s usually very difficult to discern whether an individual has moved past casual drinking into the realm of functional alcoholic.
Knowing the common signs of alcoholism and understanding the ways alcoholics try to hide their addiction can make spotting the problem easier. Maintaining the facade of a normal life is incredibly stressful and anxiety provoking for people struggling with addiction. Effective treatment options and support systems are available to help people recover from addictions and live a clean, sober life.
Remember, shame and blame are a bad idea when trying to help someone stop drinking — whether it’s a friend or family member. Rather, approach the problem honestly and realistically, with love, to get a person to start the journey from alcohol abuse to freedom from addiction.
Common Signs Someone Is Struggling With Alcohol Addiction
People who struggle with reliance on alcohol come from all walks of life. Many are high achievers, CEOs, business owners, physicians, but many are not and may hold unskilled jobs like construction, truck driver, food service worker, and others. Even so, people often overlook signs of alcohol addiction in high achievers and more readily spot the signs in working class people.
Don’t make this mistake. Anyone can struggle with alcohol addiction and common signs include:
Heavy Drinking. This is one of the more obvious signs a person may have a drinking problem. Not all heavy drinkers necessarily have an alcohol abuse disorder, but regular heavy drinking is a red flag.
Struggling with Obligations at Home. People still in denial about their addicition may continue to toe the line at work, tending to obligations, and may even excel. Rather, it’s at home where they usually fall short. Their drinking may cause conflict in personal relationships when they fail to come home for dinner, miss important family events, or neglect other household responsibilities.
Blacking Out While Drinking. Alcoholics often experience memory black outs while drinking and cannot remember what they said or did during that period. Like heavy drinking, blacking out is one of the more obvious signs someone has an alcohol abuse problem.
Making Jokes About Alcohol Addiction. This sign is a bit less obvious because anyone can make jokes about drinking, not just alcoholics. But joking about alcoholism, especially while drinking, is a tactic alcoholics use to hide their problem from others and even themselves. Sometimes these jokes point to personal insecurities about a person’s drinking, signifying an attempt to reassure themselves and others that they don’t have an alcohol abuse disorder.
Unable to Relax Without Alcohol. Often, alcoholics cannot relax or enjoy social situations without having a drink. They may believe they need drinks prior to a social event to have fun and feel like themselves. Even at home, many who regularly abuse alcohol might need a drink before and during watching a favorite movie or TV series. They may have extensively stocked home bars, claiming it’s because they enjoy entertaining others.
Getting Help – A Priceless Gift
Heavy drinking and alcohol dependence takes a heavy toll on a person’s health, so it’s a no-brainer to seek treatment from a medical perspective. But that’s only part of it. It means getting back to truly living life — a life free of the hiding, making excuses, and slavery to addiction.
Many alcohol addiction programs require that patients take an extended leave from their jobs and home lives because the treatment is inpatient. But there is another option. At Edge Treatment, we provide intensive outpatient treatment for both drug and alcohol addiction. Our proven outpatient treatment modalities allow patients to recover from addiction, while maintaining work and personal life schedules.
Call Edge Treatment today and learn how we can help you live you best life free from addiction.
