How Do You Know if You’re Addicted to Alcohol?

Alcohol is a huge part of our national culture, and it seems like we don’t even have national holidays where drinking isn’t often considered a major component of the celebration. This has given rise to a significant uptick in the amount of problem drinking and alcohol use disorder in the US. 

As a result, even here in Orange County, there is a substantial number of individuals that have problematic drinking habits, but either don’t know that it’s time to seek help or are unaware of the options nearby for alcohol detox and rehab. We’re going to cover these options, as well as the biggest indicators that you may want to seek professional help in the first place.

How Do You Know If You’re Addicted To Alcohol?

Here are the most common ways that you can tell you have developed some level of alcohol use disorder.

Being Unable To Stop By Themselves

One of the most common things that many people express, who are living with an alcohol use disorder, is that they have a strong desire or want to cut back or quit alcohol entirely, but are not able to do it by themselves. This is incredibly common, because of the intense dependency that alcohol creates, and is one of the reasons that the relapse rate is so high among those who fail to get professional help.

Experiencing Withdrawals

Another huge indicator that professional help is needed is if you start to experience withdrawal symptoms after not drinking for 12-24 hours. This means your body has an established dependency, and you need professional treatment to help minimize the effects.

Changes In Priorities

A big shift in priorities is often visible in those developing drinking problems. They begin to prioritize drinking over nearly all other activities, including hygiene, school, work, and even family. Sometimes this can extend to being caught up in criminal activity and being arrested. 

Neglecting Existing Responsibilities

Daily responsibilities will often be some of the first things to be forgotten with an addiction. Giving less care to your hygiene, your housework, or sleeping too much or too little can be good indicators that you need to ask for some help. 

Developing High Tolerance

When someone drinks enough on a frequent basis, their body will begin to grow accustomed to the effects of alcohol. This is called developing a tolerance, and as the drinking habit grows, so will the tolerance. With a high tolerance comes the requirement to drink much more to feel the same effects once felt with far lower doses. 

Drinking Daily

This isn’t a glass of wine with dinner. This is drinking when you wake up, or before going somewhere, or drinking when your doctor says not to. These are all signs of problem drinking, and even if you haven’t found yourself in legal trouble or other issues because of them, they are still a sign that alcohol has an unhealthy level of influence over you.

Developing Problems In Relationships

Alcohol is infamous for causing the slow destruction of nearly all interpersonal relationships the alcoholic is involved in. Professional relationships are often first, then close friends, family, and even domestic partnerships and marriages can be jeopardized by alcohol abuse.

Capo Canyon Provides The Most Comfortable Alcohol Rehab In Southern California

If you or a loved one have determined that the drinking has just gotten out of hand and that it’s time to talk to a professional about it, Capo Canyon operates the OC’s leading luxury drug and alcohol rehab facility. Reach out today to discuss your needs privately and to begin creating your personalized treatment plan.