The Importance of Alcohol Addiction Awareness

The Importance of Alcohol Addiction AwarenessAlcohol is commonly misused, and many people don’t realize how common alcohol abuse actually is. Alcohol is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States. Not only can alcohol cause death from accidents and poor choices, but, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol also shortens the average life span by up to 26 years.

Common signs of alcohol abuse

As with many substance abuse disorders, alcoholism has some symptoms that are common among many of the people that struggle with alcoholism.

Generally, someone struggling with alcohol addiction will have a severe craving throughout the day. They will feel that they cannot successfully complete simple tasks without having a drink.

Someone with an alcohol problem usually doesn’t have control to have just one drink. Once they begin drinking, they feel out of control, and unable to stop – this sometimes leads to binge drinking.

Alcohol addiction can alter someone’s physical appearance and overall physical health. Their skin may be an off color or they may look very tired in the face. You can often see when a person suffering from alcohol abuse is experiencing a withdrawal. Signs of alcohol withdrawal can be severe shakiness, sweating, nausea and increased irritability.

Alcohol also creates health issues further down the road including cancer, liver disease, high blood pressure and increased chance of stroke.

What to do if you or someone you know is experiencing alcoholism

 It is important to get help when suffering from alcohol addiction. It is best to seek an inpatient alcohol detox program, and then an intensive outpatient program afterward.

You can visit your doctor to get a referral for in patient detox or call Michiana Behavioral Health directly.

Life in Recovery

While recovering from alcohol addiction is very tough, it is extremely worth it. You will be more in control of your life and feel better overall. It is best to surround yourself with people who will not trigger old habits. Find new friends, and hobbies to keep yourself occupied and to have something to look forward to each day.