Alcoholism: Causes, Risk Factors, and Symptoms
Under the direction of licensed therapists or counselors, behavioral therapies involve psychological strategies to modify drinking behaviors. The therapy goals are to develop the skills needed to manage your habits, build social support, set and work toward realistic goals, and deal with or avoid things that trigger drinking. If you or a loved one is struggling with AUD, make an appointment with a primary care provider such as a medical doctor or nurse practitioner. People with severe AUD who have used alcohol long-term may experience severe withdrawal symptoms that require medical evaluation and treatment. A healthcare provider can evaluate the AUD severity and its health intermediate familial subtype impacts, refer you to specialists, and determine the appropriate treatment.
Symptoms of alcohol use disorder are based on the behaviors and physical outcomes that occur as a result of alcohol addiction. Although the exact cause of alcohol use disorder is unknown, there are certain factors that may increase your risk for developing this disease. Alcohol use disorder develops when you drink so much that chemical changes in the brain occur.
- Stressful life events, mental health disorders, peer pressure, easy access to alcohol, and normalization of heavy drinking can contribute to its development.
- There’s a chance your doctor may order blood work to check your liver function if you show signs or symptoms of liver disease.
- Relationships may deteriorate, as their social circle narrows to other drug or alcohol users.
- In fact, stress is a completely normal reaction that helps people cope with overwhelming events.
What Are the Symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder?
Because denial is common, you may feel like you don’t have a problem with drinking. You might not recognize how much what does it feel.like to be drunk you drink or how many problems in your life are related to alcohol use. Listen to relatives, friends or co-workers when they ask you to examine your drinking habits or to seek help. Consider talking with someone who has had a problem with drinking but has stopped. Binge drinking is when you drink enough alcohol to raise your blood alcohol content (BAC) to 0.08% or higher.
Relationships may deteriorate, as their social circle narrows to other drug or alcohol users. Their work may decline as well, and they may lose a spiritual or religious practice they once valued. Too much alcohol affects your speech, muscle coordination and vital centers of your brain.
Find Help for an Alcoholic Loved One Today
Research suggests this form of treatment can help people shift from heavy to moderate drinking, improve quality of life, and enhance emotional well-being. One recent analysis found a sobering relationship between alcohol and health. Alcohol consumption was also linked to a greater risk for stroke, coronary disease, heart failure, and fatally high blood pressure.
But alcohol is a nervous system depressant and easily alters behavior, culminating in some cases in the emotional pain and physical disintegration of alcohol addiction, colloquially known as alcoholism. Experts continue to debate the benefits and risks of drinking and passionately argue over addiction recovery art whether moderation or complete abstinence is the best option for those who struggle with alcoholism. Unhealthy alcohol use includes any alcohol use that puts your health or safety at risk or causes other alcohol-related problems. It also includes binge drinking — a pattern of drinking where a male has five or more drinks within two hours or a female has at least four drinks within two hours.
What Is Alcoholism and How to Get Treatment
Cognitive behavioral therapy is another path, available in person or online. Non-abstinence-based recovery models—such as Moderation Management—advocate for reducing one’s alcohol consumption rather than abstaining completely. Heavy drinking can fuel changes in the brain—about half of people who meet the criteria for alcoholism show problems with thinking or memory, research suggests. The ability to plan ahead, learn and hold information (like a phone number or shopping list), withhold responses as needed, and work with spatial information (such as using a map) can be affected. Brain structures can shift as well, particularly in the frontal lobes, which are key for planning, making decisions, and regulating emotions.
See your doctor if you begin to engage in behaviors that are signs of alcohol use disorder or if you think that you may have a problem with alcohol. You should also consider attending a local AA meeting or participating in a self-help program such as Women for Sobriety. Some have criticized Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs because they are rooted in religious ideology rather than scientific principles. As anyone who has had even a glass of wine can attest, alcohol can have a noticeable influence on mood. Drinking releases endorphins which can lead people to feel happy, energized, and excited.