The danger of alcohol addiction and when to ask for help

Alcohol addiction - 1

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Alcoholism often sneaks up unnoticed, eventually becoming alcohol addiction and completely capturing the human psyche. From the first to the last stage, alcohol abuse addiction is exhausting both for close family and friends as well as the one who’s dependent on the poison. In the early stages, there is a painful craving for alcohol in an attempt to have fun and forget about everyday worries, but then the doses increase and the morning hangover begins to loom. Over time, when the body is exhausted, the alcoholic only requires a minimal amount of alcohol to feel intoxicated. In the last stage, when it comes to drinking, they no longer care what time it is, where they are, or what condition they are in. In this phase, the alcoholic almost always denies the problem and doesn’t even acknowledge their alcohol cravings, all while continuing to degrade.

Stages of the alcohol addiction cycle

It is crucial to understand that alcoholism does not manifest itself unexpectedly. More often than not, alcoholics begin by drinking habitually and don’t see the negative consequences for themselves. However, in the future, periods of alcohol intake begin to rapidly increase in frequency. In this case, it would be wise to look into alcohol addiction information to examine and reflect upon your own behavior.

  • The first stage of alcoholism

The start of the first stage of a drinking addiction is characterized by a sharp spike in one’s craving to drink. Moreover, the more often someone drinks, the greater the desire to increase the intake. In this heightened state, with little control over the situation, the person who can’t stop drinking often demonstrates unusual or uncharacteristic behaviors. For example, they might be overly excited about simple dinner plans, and a feeling of euphoria could manifest itself due to the excuse to drink. Any change of plans would lead to the surfacing of negative emotions: irritation, anger, and dissatisfaction because of the missed opportunity.

  • The second stage of alcoholism

A distinctive feature of this stage is an increased tolerance to alcohol and a daily intake of alcoholic beverages. The higher the tolerance threshold, the more the alcoholic drinks—sometimes even up to 2 liters a day (normally of vodka or other strong liquors). It also depends on the individual’s mood or how long they’ve been abstaining from alcohol. It is worth noting that in a sober state, a person might not have a desire to drink, but after taking a critical dose, they lose control of the process.

  • The third stage of alcoholism

One of the main issues of alcohol addiction in the third stage is considered to be a persistent decrease in the level of tolerance to alcoholic beverages. A person may experience epileptic seizures and other conditions in the body, including alcohol encephalopathy. The hangover at this stage is a more severe and prolonged process, with the manifestation of feelings of anxiety, suspicion, fear, and even tremor in the limbs.

Getting to the first stage of alcoholism can occur anywhere between a year and 10 years after the start of regularly consuming alcoholic products. Subsequently, it all depends on each person’s predisposition to alcohol dependence. You can stop this nightmare solely with the help of specialists.

Differences between male, female, and adolescent alcoholism

When considering what alcohol addiction is, it is customary to divide it into 3 groups: female alcoholism, male alcoholism, and child alcoholism. Each category has different characteristics of addiction to alcohol, each type of person being captivated by it in different ways.

  • Male alcoholism

With men, addiction tends to develop slowly, and they can abuse alcohol for years. Over time, disturbances in the activity of the gastrointestinal tract begin to form, and the liver, pancreas, intestines, and cardiovascular system suffer. Additionally, they can suffer social degradation and the loss of moral values. In the absence of early assistance or intervention, the prognosis is poor—prolonged alcoholism can lead to an incurable mental illness or even death.

  • Female alcoholism

There are now 2.5 men dependent on alcohol for every 1 woman with the same problem. Despite this low frequency among women, female alcoholism is much more complex; a woman not only swiftly acclimates to drinking alcohol, but she also develops long-term drinking habits earlier on. For this reason, women should not hesitate in considering if this could be a problem in their own lives. “Can you get addicted to alcohol?” Everyone should reflect upon this question and, if necessary, ask for help as soon as possible.

  • Adolescent alcoholism

This type of alcoholism is fraught with the most serious consequences, as addiction to alcohol normally occurs rapidly. A teenager needs only a small dose in order to soon feel the negative consequences on their body. In this case, the decaying products of ethanol are poorly excreted from the body, and the constant use of alcohol for several months leads to serious diseases of the internal organs and possible mental disorders.

If you want to ask for help for yourself or your loved ones, you can call an alcohol helpline to get information on the recovery course. Sometimes people do not understand the difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism, and, because of this, believe that everything in their life is already perfectly in order. However, as a result of a careless attitude to this problem, the people around them suffer and family ties are destroyed.

How to convince a loved one to seek help

It is extremely difficult for an alcoholic to recognize their illness and the need to recover from their dependence. This is due to the same reason as to why alcoholics are mean—they consider their condition to be normal. Telling them directly that they need help can cause them to deny the problem and become aggressive. Therefore, it is vital to talk with an alcohol-dependent person carefully and without pressure.

A calm presentation of the current and potential problems with concrete examples will have a greater effect than manipulating or threatening. As soon as they give their consent for you to help them, you should immediately contact a specialist. Additionally, you can further investigate how long it takes to get addicted to alcohol as well as how to go about everyday life with someone who struggles with alcohol abuse addiction.

Programs for overcoming alcohol addiction

The first step towards a successful cure for alcoholism is the recognition of the problem and the desire to beat the addiction. Even in a severe stage of the disease, each addict has the opportunity to start a new life without an old habit. In our recovery center, encouraging and welcoming environments have been created, and we construct and apply an individual program for each guest.

  • Step one: diagnosis

This process is based on clinical symptoms and testing that each patient must pass. Having said that, laboratory tests do not replace the clinical diagnoses, rather they pinpoint them, hereby allowing us to distinguish between domestic alcohol abuse and pathology. People often make the comparison of alcohol abuse vs alcoholism and don’t understand the difference. Our experts educate on these issues without fail and provide the necessary clarifications to any doubts or questions.

  • Step 2: relief of alcohol withdrawal symptoms

To relieve withdrawal symptoms, detoxification therapy, in combination with medicinal support, is necessary for the functioning of the vital organs. After the human condition improves, it is then possible to move on to an overall recovery of the body, as it will have been exhausted by the constant intake of alcohol. Sometimes successful patients leaving our center ask the question, “can an alcoholic drink be enjoyed occasionally?” Our unequivocal answer is that you cannot do this, so as to avoid relapsing.

  • Step 3: the body’s recovery

With alcoholism, organs of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and cardiovascular system all suffer. Endocrine disorders also surface, and immunity decreases. Our center uses special procedures aimed at restoring the health of damaged organs and general body conditions.

  • Step 4: moral support

An individual’s mental health is largely dependent upon biochemical processes in the brain, which are changed and disturbed by constant alcohol intoxication. Group therapy and moral support greatly accelerate the process of overcoming an addiction and returning to normal life. The specialists of our center also advise each patient’s relatives and give recommendations about his or her further restoration in society.

  • Step 5: the path to social adaptation

Generally, relationships with the family can be broken when it comes to a drinking addiction. Often times, the addict’s authority at work diminishes, and professional qualifications can be lost. The goal of our center is to return the recovering alcoholic to society, to re-create an adequate system of relationships for a sober lifestyle, and to help them adapt to an alcohol-free life.

If you are experiencing a difficult time in your life and you find yourself addicted to alcohol, please do not delay asking for help. The immediate intervention of specialists will help you solve these problems and overcome addiction before it destroys your life. You can always contact our HKC recovery coaching center and get advice on any topic that’s of interest to you. Each person for us is unique, and we always find an individual approach to their method of recovery from alcohol dependence. Contact us today so we can start your personalized process to the new and better life you’re dreaming of!

If you are ready to make your pain the source of your power, just give us a call!

Addiction has become major problem of modern humanity. It should be known that HKC is not just a drug addiction recovery center. Primarily, HKC recovery coaching is a place for those who are ready to change and can no longer remain in despair. Our goal is to create a supportive environment so that you can better understand yourself and destroy your addictions, fears, and fixations. Remember, you are not alone in your struggle. If you are ready to make your pain the source of your power, just give us a call!