What is Considered an Alcoholic?
In the beginning, the signs of alcoholism are often quite subtle. For instance, you might notice that you are using alcohol to relieve the stress of a long day or to help yourself fall asleep more easily.
With time, these habits might worsen, leading to bigger and more significant changes. You might realise that you are placing alcohol above all activities that you used to enjoy, as well as everyone you hold dear. In addition, drinking can also lead to troubled sleep, hectic mood swings, and poorer performance and concentration at your workplace. Moreover, you will also notice a higher tolerance for alcoholic beverages. Most notably, you’ll find that you need to consume more alcohol in order to feel drunk or at least slightly inebriated, in other words to get the same feeling from past drinking episodes.
To gauge whether you are displaying clear signs of alcoholism, you can use the CAGE test. This screening tool consists of four questions, and answering affirmatively to two or more of them might indicate the existence of a problem. The questions are as follows:
- Cut – Have you ever felt the need to cut down on your drinking habits?
- Annoyed – Have you ever felt annoyed by others commenting on your drinking?
- Guilty – Have you ever experienced guilt about how much alcohol you are consuming at a given time?
- Eye-opener – Have you ever had an eye-opener (a drink used to get rid of a hangover, for example, or one needed to calm your nerves)?
In the end, it is all about whether alcohol consumption has negatively impacted your daily life and resulted in negative consequences. If that is the case, you may want to seriously consider alcoholism addiction treatment.
FREE Alcohol Addiction Assessment
If you or a loved one are struggling with alcohol addiction, we understand the challenges you’re facing and we’re here to offer compassionate help.
Our highly trained advisers are available to speak to you right away, simply call 0808 252 3379 today.
We can discuss your concerns in complete confidence, explore the options for treatment, and help you to understand what will work best for you.
We’ll also help you to book your free alcohol addiction assessment there and then, with appointments usually available within only a few days.
We understand that taking the first step can be the most difficult, but we’re here to support – with no pressure or judgement.
Professional and compassionate help is just a phone call or click away.
What causes alcoholism?
A large number of risk factors and causes can lead to alcoholism, including:
Nature and nurture
Typically, you are at greater risk of developing an addiction to alcohol if someone in your family (like a parent or sibling) also suffers from this type of addiction. Namely, studies suggest that hereditary factors play an important role in alcohol addiction. In addition to those, certain experts assume that environmental factors are an equally pivotal part of addiction. Those who witness extensive drinking during their upbringing usually perceive it as a normal occurrence and, therefore, often fail to recognise their own developing addiction as time progresses.
Life events
Stressful life events are yet another factor that can lead to alcohol addiction. Potential triggers vary widely, ranging from losing a loved one and experiencing trauma to getting fired and struggling financially, among others.
Namely, these events can lead people to seek ways to soothe their pain and suffering, often leading to alcohol consumption. If this habit goes on for too long or becomes worse, it can turn into an addiction. Thus, it comes as no surprise that over 60% of alcoholics have some type of co-occurring mental health issues.
Social factors
Certain social and cultural factors can also aid the development of alcoholism. For example, many young adults begin drinking as soon as they start university, as it allows them to fit into the college culture. Peer pressure serves as another good example because many people drink due to others indulging in this habit – friends, partners, and family members.
Abuse and neglect in childhood
Children who experience neglect and abuse in the early stages of life often turn to alcohol as grown-ups. In such instances, alcohol provides them with an escape and serves as a coping mechanism, albeit an unhealthy one.
Although responses to childhood trauma may vary greatly, these tendencies arise partly because these individuals might not have had the opportunity to develop healthier coping strategies during their childhood.
Your age
It can be said that most people become addicted to alcohol because of the positive reinforcement it offers. In short, this type of reinforcement promises a certain reward that people receive after specific behaviours.
In the case of alcoholism, drinking can make you feel more confident, beautiful, skilled, and relaxed. Therefore, you will want to consume alcohol over and over to achieve the same effects.
With time, doing so will lead to your tolerance increasing. As a result, you will need more and more alcohol to feel the aforementioned effects again, and you will feel withdrawal symptoms if you try to deny yourself. The vicious circle will continue to repeat as you drink more to alleviate your symptoms and then need even more to feel positive reinforcement once again.
Though no one can go back and make a
brand-new start, anyone can start from
now and make a brand-new ending
Who is Most Likely to Become an Alcoholic?
According to statistics, men are usually more prone to alcohol addiction than women, as well as to binge drinking. Consequently, there are also more hospitalisations due to drinking for men than there are for women.
Furthermore, research also suggests that those struggling with certain mental health disorders are also at greater risk of becoming alcoholics. These disorders include anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia. In most cases, patients use alcohol to treat these conditions, which then leads to an addiction.
Get Help for Alcohol Addiction
At our facilities, our medical experts can help you pinpoint the underlying causes and conditions that might be triggering your addiction. We can then use that discovery to aid you in finding more productive coping mechanisms so that you can take a firm step toward a healthier future.
In our centres, we can provide you with a free addiction assessment. Then, we can help you decide between daycare, inpatient, and outpatient treatment, depending on your needs and wishes.
Start your recovery today!
