What Is the Definition of an Alcoholic?The word “alcoholic” is a term for a person who has a substance use disorder relating to alcohol abuse, but you may be wondering, “is my friend an alcoholic?” Alcohol addiction is a physical dependence on alcohol that causes withdrawal symptoms when a person tries to cut back or stop drinking and the disordered thinking, causing the person to lose control over their consumption, with an unhealthy obsession and cravings for alcohol. Keep reading to learn more so you can answer the question, is my friend an alcoholic?
Signs of AlcoholismEverybody is different and will display different signs of alcohol addiction. Still, if you are wondering, “is my friend an alcoholic?” you have likely observed some signs and symptoms that tell you they have a problem. Some of the signs of alcoholism you may want to look out for include:
If these signs sound familiar, it may be time for your friend to enter a professional detox and rehabilitation program. Stages of AlcoholismThe stages of alcoholism are as follows: Early-stage alcoholismIn early-stage alcohol addiction, your friend may be an occasional binge drinker, just “having a few” to take the edge off a stressful day. This can look like a college student experimenting with alcohol, somebody going through a bottle of wine or two at a dinner party, or a co-worker who buys a case of beer to drink on a Friday night after a busy week. Binge drinking is characterized by having approximately four drinks in two hours for women, or five drinks in two hours for men, resulting in high blood alcohol content and debilitating physical and mental side effects. Chronic alcoholismChronic alcoholism is characterized by years of daily drinking, with severe effects on the body and consequences to their lifestyle beginning to show up. Heavy drinking—seven drinks per week for women or fourteen drinks per week for men—will cause the body to become dependent on alcohol, eventually causing a psychological addiction to form. Some people are also genetically predisposed to continue to drink heavily, and others have been environmentally conditioned to do so. Children of alcoholics have a much higher likelihood of developing an alcohol use disorder themselves. People with mental health issues may also turn to alcohol to mask symptoms of mental illness, and emotional or psychological attachments to drinking (like relying on drinking to be able to “have fun”) can cause a person to develop an alcohol use disorder. End-stage alcoholismIf your friend has end-stage alcoholism, they will experience serious withdrawal symptoms when they try to cut back or stop drinking, and they require professional medical care when they decide to quit. Heavy alcohol abuse may lead to issues like:
How to Help an AlcoholicDetoxing at home or going “cold turkey” from drinking is never a good idea, as the withdrawal symptoms from alcohol can become deadly if they are not taken care of by medical professionals. Detoxing from alcohol is serious. Even if your friend has only been drinking for a short period, withdrawal can be unpleasant enough to cause them to be unsuccessful in quitting alcohol and relapse. There are underlying causes of addiction that need to be treated, and physical dependence. A professional alcohol detox and rehabilitation program is the best way for a person with an addiction to stop use and move on with their lives, with the addiction under control. The best ways to help a person who is addicted to alcohol and get them the help they need include:
It can be frustrating and scary to see somebody you care about struggling with an alcohol use disorder. If you do not know where to turn or how to get started, contact us at Muse Treatment, and we can guide you through our intake process for our safe detox and rehab programs, as well as provide you with resources to help guide you and your friend through this difficult time. We offer inpatient and outpatient rehab programs that can be customized to suit your friend’s needs, so whether they are just beginning to walk the road to alcoholism or have been a heavy drinker for years, there is help for them with Muse Treatment. We will ensure they are safe and are not suffering in our medically assisted treatment (MAT) detox program. Then we will work with them through counseling, therapy, education, life skills training, and medical care in rehab to help them gain a new mindset. This process will help put drinking in the past as patients move forward with their life with all the sobriety skills they will need for the future, including a long-term continued connection to our resources and our sober community. We are here for you and your friend, and we are happy to provide all the information you need so you do not have to go through this challenging time on your own. Contact Muse Treatment at (800) 426-1818 today if you keep asking, is my friend an alcoholic? The post Is My Friend an Alcoholic? appeared first on Muse Treatment. Via https://musetreatment.com/blog/is-my-friend-an-alcoholic/
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