How to detect and act upon alcohol addiction

These are the main warning signs that characterize alcoholism.

Alcoholism is one of the most common addictions worldwide and also one of the most deadly, with more than 3 million deaths caused worldwide each year due to this health disorder. It is also the most harmful form of addiction for third parties, since it produces a high mortality rate due to accidents related to driving.

Therefore, it is very important to know how to detect it is therefore very important to know how to detect the warning signs associated with alcohol addiction in time.. In this article you will find a summary of these and of the therapeutic strategies used to help those suffering from this disease.

Warning signs linked to alcoholism

People suffering from this kind of addiction usually present a series of common symptoms; detecting them makes it possible to intervene in this disease in time. These are the most important warning signs of those who have developed or are developing alcoholism; however, some of them are not, by themselves, sufficient criteria to conclude that one is suffering from a disorder, and on the other hand, a definitive diagnosis can only be made by duly qualified health professionals.

1. They always drink in social contexts

One of the first warning signs that indicate the possibility of a possible case of alcoholism is the fact that they always drink whenever they are in social contexts. always drink whenever they are in social and festive contexts: celebrations, meetings, meals or social activities of all kinds..

Alcoholics who are not being treated usually have a glass in their hand at these types of events because they take advantage of the slightest excuse given by the context to consume alcohol. Likewise, they tend to be upset or upset when they do not have access to alcoholic beverages in such festive contexts.

2. Physical and psychological symptoms appear

When the person stops drinking for several hours at a time, he/she experiences the so-called withdrawal syndromeIn this syndrome, a series of very specific physical and psychological symptoms associated with general malaise and anxiety appear, which unequivocally indicate the presence of addiction.

Some of these symptoms are hand tremors, excessive sweating, insomnia, Nausea and also irritability, moodiness and nervousness.

3. They start using very early

Another of the most common warning signs is the consumption of alcohol from very early hours either at home or elsewhere, and even occurs systematically in the early hours of the morning, in the most extreme cases. even occurs systematically in the early hours of the morning in the most extreme cases of addiction..

This early consumption calms their craving to drink and is a characteristic feature of a case of addiction.

4. They drink faster than usual

In order to consume as much alcohol as possible, people with alcohol addiction tend to drink faster than the rest of the people they encounter..

And the fact is that, for a person with alcoholism, drinking is not just an accompaniment or accompaniment of the social situation, but it is the main activity at that moment.

5. They drink on the sly

Again, this is another of the typical signs of alcoholism. Many people with this disease tend to drink alcoholic beverages alone in order to hide their problems and prevent their addiction from being discovered by other people. In this way, they also avoid having to give explanations to anyone about their problem..

Sometimes, they even hide the bottles of alcoholic beverages in order not to arouse suspicion among family members, which is related to the following warning sign.

6. Special interest in the beverage reserves

This interest in knowing whether there are sufficient stocks is given both at home and in any other house in which they are going to stay for several hours at a time..

In addition to that, it is common for them to check, for example, the minibars in hotels as soon as they arrive at the room, or to check in advance whether there is a minibar service in the hotel.

7. They lose interest in activities other than drinking alcohol.

When a person suffers from alcohol addiction, his or her activities, interests or hobbies become less important in his or her life, as they become less of a priority and may be associated with the "risk" of having to spend more time than necessary without drinking, especially in the case of activities carried out in a group.

A good way to identify a possible case of alcoholism is to check whether the person continues to carry out his or her activities, whether he or she continues to pursue his or her interests or hobbies as normal, or whether he or she puts them aside or does not pursue them at all. or if he/she puts them aside or does not follow the fixed schedule structure.

8. They relativize the consumption of alcoholic beverages

People with alcoholism tend to underestimate and play down the importance of their addiction, among other things so that they do not have to face the idea of stopping consuming this substance as soon as possible.

To this end, they use self-deception they use methods of self-deception The use of alcoholic beverages is a way to "subtract" units of alcohol consumed, for example by excusing oneself for having exercised a lot that day or by considering lower alcoholic beverages, such as beer, as non-alcoholic.

9. They lose contact with friends who do not drink.

Since their life revolves around drinking and alcohol consumption, people suffering from alcoholism tend to cut off relations with friends and acquaintances who do not drink or who drink less..

Likewise, they tend to hang out more and more with friends who do drink or who engage in addictive behaviors similar to their own.

Treatments associated with alcoholism

In a case where alcohol addiction is suspected, it is necessary to act as soon as possible by seeking professional helpNo other solution offers sufficient guarantees to invest time and effort in it, giving the addiction the opportunity to consolidate in the meantime. These are the forms of therapeutic intervention associated with alcoholism.

1. Medical assistance in detoxification

In the first phase, it is necessary to help the person to eliminate most of the alcohol accumulated in his or her body (the rest will be eliminated over several weeks) and to manage the withdrawal syndrome. In this way, the person is prevented from consuming again in order to stop feeling bad quickly, which would mean extending the period of abstinence.which would mean prolonging the problem. In addition, the person is prevented from resorting to uncontrolled consumption of other substances with addictive potential to alleviate the discomfort.

2. Residential program

The residential program can be of short, medium or long duration, and consists of a stay in a well-equipped residential module in which a well-equipped residential module in which the person can focus his or her daily activities and leisure time away from the world of drugs.. All this with medical supervision and psychological therapy.

3. Outpatient treatment

The outpatient treatment is composed of review and therapy sessions to check that the person is managing to adapt to his new way of life away from the addictive substance, and to solve his doubts and give him relapse prevention tools. give them relapse prevention tools..

Looking for addiction treatment services?

If you are interested in starting an addiction treatment process, please contact us. In Llaurant la Llum we offer the forms of therapeutic intervention associated with all phases of detoxification and rehabilitation, and we have a complete team of health professionals, both in the medical and psychotherapeutic branches.

Bibliographical references:

• American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
• Dunn, N.; Cook, C.C. (1999). Psychiatric aspects of alcohol misuse. Hospital Medicine, 60(3): pp. 169 - 172.