Substance abuse is a serious problem in our society, especially due to confinement and its effects on us. Often, when people happen to find themself in a situation that requires them to deal with many problems daily, some people try to find comfort in some, unfortunately, sometimes very harmful mediums. Among the many different substance abuse problems, people are usually the least aware of alcohol abuse since it seems harmless. It might also be because it is generally accepted in society. Alcohol abuse is a serious problem that can lead to long-term health problems, including liver damage and cancer. It can have just as crucial a consequence as other forms of substance abuse. If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol abuse, it’s important to get help. There are treatments available that can help people recover from alcohol addiction and live healthy lives. Banana bag IV uses can be part of the solution. They include helping people recover from alcohol addiction by providing them with the nutrients they need to detoxify their bodies and heal from the damage caused by alcohol abuse.”
Sometimes, you are unaware of your addictions or that people around you may struggle with them. Since you happened to run into our article, read these few signs and treatment options for alcohol abuse we have prepared for you, just in case – better to be safe.
Before we start
It’s crucial to stress just how important is it to really try and look at things critically. Oftentimes, it’s easier to justify certain things one way or another, but taking a stand for your future and looking yourself in the eyes is an indicator of great bravery and strength.
There is no shame when it comes to these topics – all of us are susceptible to acquiring an addiction. That being said, if you happen to spot any of the warning signs that we are going to talk about in the following text, getting an evaluation from a professional is the best place to start. Now, let’s start talking about the most prominent warning signs.
Larger and longer alcohol intake than normal
As we have mentioned before, oftentimes, people tend to get into alcohol abuse over a long period of time, hence being unable to spot any major increase in alcohol intake. That being said, it might be a good idea to reflect on how much you did drink in the last, let’s say, month.
If you happen to see that you have been drinking more days than you haven’t, there might be a problem there. The same goes for the quantities drank per day.
Tolerance
Tolerance of alcohol is a major red flag. Basically, if a person needs a huge amount of alcohol to feel just a mild effect, they might have acquired a certain level of tolerance towards alcohol.
Not being able to cut down alcohol intake.
Another important sign is when a person decides to cut down the alcohol a bit, but when they run out of it, they cannot stop themselves from buying it. Many people have a distorted view of how this actually looks, thinking that the problem is critical only when they become hysterical when they wake up without any alcohol in their homes. However, the truth is that it can be a lot more subtle and still be a warning sign.
For instance, people might think about buying another bottle of wine after a day after the last one was emptied, and think about it, well, I won’t drink it – maybe a glass or two max, but it will stay in the home for a week at least before I open it. That thought process actually isn’t followed through, meaning that the bottle is emptied the day after, and the cycle begins again.
Needing alcohol to relax or to feel better.
While sure, there are some tough periods, and drinking a bit more here and there when those situations can be attributed to those situations – but it also means that a problem can arise from such coping mechanisms, since they sure aren’t, by any means, healthy nor do they actually solve the problem.
On the other hand, if there isn’t a real external issue and alcohol abuse is the problem, one might find themselves making nonexistent problems up or exaggerating current problems to compensate for the addiction. This doesn’t need to be done consciously, and oftentimes really isn’t.
Craving and urges
Now, we continue to some serious red flags. Physical urges and feeling unwell and obsessive about drinking if left without alcohol are undoubtedly signs of a problem. If this happens to you or someone you know, it’s vital to take action.
Choosing alcohol over other more important things
Another serious sign is continuing to abuse alcohol even though it is very obviously impacting other important factors in their lives like financial situations, relationships, mental and physical health, and similar. At this point, it’s crucial to act and ask for help to start the journey to getting better. Hang in there – you can do it, it’s hard, but it’s absolutely possible.
To wrap things up
In the end, what’s important to take out of this text is that alcohol abuse doesn’t happen overnight – it creeps into peoples’ lives slowly and gradually. This is precisely why it’s vital to know and understand all the warning signs so that you can act if you happen to see one.
If you or someone close to you suffer from alcohol abuse, you should know that there is a way out – but it requires great vigilance and hard work. And that being said – recognizing the problem is the first step to recovery.
