Alcohol Addiction: Signs, Causes & Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder

Understanding Alcoholism & Alcohol Addiction

What Is Considered Alcoholism?

Alcoholism, clinically called Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), is a medical condition where a person’s drinking causes significant problems or distress.

It ranges from mild to severe and is diagnosed based on patterns of behavior and symptoms, not a specific number of drinks.

Is Alcohol Addiction Different From Alcoholism?

Alcoholism and alcohol addiction refer to the same disorder, alcohol use disorder (AUD). 

However, alcohol addiction is generally considered the more severe side of the spectrum. Individuals with alcohol addiction struggle with high levels of dependence and will continue to use alcohol despite negative consequences.

​Does Alcoholism Mean You Drink Every Day?

No. Alcoholism (Alcohol Use Disorder) does not require drinking every day. 

AUD is defined by harmful patterns and consequences of drinking (loss of control, inability to cut down, craving, continued use despite problems), not by a specific daily frequency.

People can meet AUD criteria with heavy episodic alcohol misuse or binge drinking (e.g., drinking large amounts on weekends) if it causes harm, neglect, or meets other DSM-5 symptoms.

At Wellbridge, we work with adult men and women, including first responders and healthcare workers, who find themselves dependent and struggling with alcohol addiction after regular use.

Effects of Alcohol Consumption

What Does Alcohol Do to Your Body?

Alcohol impacts the brain and body, causing sedation in the nervous system, dehydration, and poor sleep. 

Sedation in the nervous system causes individuals to experience slow reaction times, stumbling, and slow processing. Over time, alcohol use can also cause inflammation in the stomach, decreased metabolism, and decreased immune function.

​Is Alcohol a Stimulant?

No, alcohol is not a stimulant. 

A stimulant is a drug that speeds up the body’s nervous system, commonly called an upper.

​Is Alcohol a Depressant?

Yes, alcohol is a depressant.

As a depressant, alcohol decreases the processing in the brain and body, slowing processing time, reaction time, and altering judgment.

The depressant effects of alcohol often lead to drinking becoming a coping mechanism for those with mental health problems. When people drink, they experience a decrease in symptoms, leading to a repeated cycle of drinking.

In treatment at Wellbridge, we help patients find alternative tools to manage mental health symptoms as a way to help them recover from alcohol dependence.

Does Alcohol Raise Blood Pressure?

While alcohol often decreases blood pressure in the first few hours after consumption, it can cause high blood pressure over time. 

Even low to moderate levels of alcohol increase blood pressure. Furthermore, the more alcohol an individual drinks, the higher their blood pressure.

​Does Alcohol Affect the Kidneys?

Yes, alcohol has a direct and indirect impact on the kidneys. 

The kidneys are the filtration system in the body. When an individual consumes alcohol, the kidneys work to filter waste from alcohol out of the body. In the short term, the kidneys have an increased workload when alcohol is consumed. Long-term alcohol abuse can cause acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

How Does Alcohol Affect the Liver?

Long-term alcohol abuse and excessive alcohol consumption cause inflammation in the liver.

Over time, alcohol use can cause fatty liver disease and scarring in the liver, known as cirrhosis.

Does Alcohol Make You Gain Weight?

Yes, alcohol causes weight gain. 

Alcohol slows the metabolism, impacting weight. However, alcohol also contains a high density of calories. This combination often leads to weight gain.  

Does Alcohol Kill Brain Cells?

Alcohol does not directly kill brain cells. 

However, alcohol does act as a neurotoxin that impacts cognitive abilities. Over time, alcohol problems can cause the brain to shrink and inhibit cell growth.

What Are the Long-Term Effects of Alcoholism on Health?

​The long-term health impacts of alcohol include cirrhosis, cardiovascular diseases, increased cancer risk, cognitive decline, and severe dependency.

While not every person with alcoholism develops these health conditions, long-term alcohol abuse puts individuals at a higher risk.

Signs of Alcohol Addiction

How Can I Recognize the Signs of Alcoholism in Myself or Others?

Recognizing signs of alcohol addiction requires noticing how alcohol affects a person, including their drinking habits, mood, and activity levels.

What Are Common Signs of Alcohol Addiction?

Common signs of alcohol addiction include secrecy or lying regarding alcohol use, wanting to stop without being able to, and alcohol negatively affecting daily life. 

When an individual is struggling with alcohol addiction, they commonly hide their alcohol use, even to the point of self-denial. In practice, this looks like telling lies related to drinking, secrecy, or neglecting responsibilities to drink.

Additionally, alcohol addiction causes physical dependency, where an individual wants to stop but is unable to, as they experience severe withdrawal symptoms.

How Can I Tell if I’m Drinking Too Much Alcohol?

Alcohol is a substance that is common in our society, but when an individual is drinking too much, it begins to negatively impact their responsibilities and daily life. 

When an individual is struggling to stop drinking, seeking alcohol as a sole way of coping, or noticing that alcohol is making it difficult for them to fulfill personal or professional responsibilities, it is too much.

Causes of Alcohol Addiction

What Causes Alcohol Use Disorder?

There is no direct cause of alcohol use disorder (AUD); however, its development can be attributed to a combination of genetics, environmental factors, and psychological factors. 

Commonly, individuals struggling with AUD have a predisposition, genetically, for addiction. However, environmental factors such as trauma or high stress also contribute. Additionally, mental health disorders and other psychological factors can increase an individual’s risk of AUD.

Can Alcoholism Lead to Addiction?

Yes, alcoholism can lead to addiction. 

Alcoholism directly leads to both physical and psychological addiction to alcohol. Continuous excessive drinking alters the brain’s chemistry, resulting in a diminished ability to control intake, powerful cravings, and significant withdrawal symptoms.

Is Alcoholism Genetic?

Yes. Alcoholism is a disease with many genetic factors, and is often passed down through families. 

While alcoholism is genetic in itself, behaviors are also commonly learned from parents. An individual with alcoholism in their family will not necessarily struggle with alcoholism, as environmental factors also play an important role.

What Other Risk Factors Contribute to Alcoholism?

​Other risk factors for alcoholism include trauma, mental health disorders, early initiation of drinking, and a culture of heavy drinking. 

At Wellbridge, we understand that the risk factors of alcoholism are complex. We help adults struggling with alcoholism navigate the challenges of culture, trauma, and mental health to recover from alcoholism.

Signs of Alcohol Poisoning

​What Is Alcohol Poisoning?

Alcohol poisoning is a serious condition where excess consumption of alcohol causes vital physical processes to shut down. 

While any alcohol use impacts the body, alcohol poisoning is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate care.

What Are the Signs of Alcohol Poisoning?

Signs of alcohol poisoning include confusion, vomiting, seizures, trouble breathing, and blackouts.

When an individual has alcohol poisoning, they are often not able to be woken up or brought to consciousness. Additionally, their respiratory rate, or breathing rate, will decrease significantly.

What Do You Do If You Have Alcohol Poisoning?

If an individual has alcohol poisoning, seeking emergency care is the best course of action. 

Common treatments for alcohol poisoning include monitoring, oxygen therapy, and fluids.

Alcohol Withdrawal & Symptoms

What Happens When You Stop Drinking Alcohol?

When an individual who is dependent on alcohol stops drinking alcohol, they commonly experience withdrawal symptoms. 

However, stopping alcohol initiates a healing process in the body that has significant and positive long-term effects.

What Are Common Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms?

Common alcohol withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, sleep disruption, tremors, and an increase in blood pressure. 

However, more severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms can put individuals at increased risk for hallucinations, seizures, and disorientation.

How Long Can Alcohol Withdrawal Last?

Alcohol withdrawal commonly lasts 1-5 days. 

However, every person’s experience of withdrawal is unique based on their alcohol consumption and individual health.

At Wellbridge, we believe that working with a treatment center is the safest way to ensure a safe detox process that protects long-term wellness.

When Is Medical Detox Needed?

Medical detox is needed when patients require medical care as they undergo withdrawal symptoms. 

At Wellbridge, we offer medical detox in a safe space that helps patients start the process of recovery. Medical detox not only helps protect physical and mental health, but also sets the stage for treatment as a whole.

Alcohol Addiction & Relationships

What Impact Can Alcohol Dependence Have on Families?

Alcohol dependence has a significant impact on families, making it difficult to have safe and secure relationships. 

When one member of a family is struggling with alcohol dependence, they affect every other person in the family.

Alcohol dependence decreases a person’s ability to think critically, connect emotionally, and fulfill responsibilities. As such, their alcohol use has a significant negative impact on their loved ones.

How Can Alcohol Dependence Impact Relationships With Friends?

When a person is dependent on alcohol, they are unable to be present in their friendships. 

Friendships require that both parties are available to connect and be there for each other. Alcohol dependence impacts a person’s ability to think clearly and process thoughts and feelings. As a result, it inhibits their ability to connect with friends and loved ones.

How Does Alcohol Dependence Affect Professional Relationships?

Professional relationships are affected by alcohol dependence as alcohol makes it difficult for a person to fulfill their responsibilities and communicate well. 

Alcohol dependence impacts memory, decision-making, and emotional regulation. In professional relationships, this creates challenges in a person’s ability to fulfill their role’s responsibilities and communicate with their superiors and coworkers.

Treatment for Alcohol Addiction

​How Do I Stop Drinking Alcohol?

In order to address a drinking problem, an individual with alcohol addiction needs to seek help. 

It is important to understand that an individual does not stop drinking with willpower, but instead needs to learn skills to support their sobriety.

At Wellbridge, we understand that alcohol addiction is a disease. We offer alcohol treatment that addresses each patient’s unique needs.

What Treatment Options Are Available for Overcoming Alcoholism?

Multiple treatment options for alcohol-related issues are highly effective, including detox, inpatient treatment, and outpatient care. 

Treatment for alcohol addiction ranges from flexible programs that can be incorporated into life without much change to inpatient care where patients live at a treatment facility. Appropriate care requires evidence-based, holistic practices to ensure an integrated approach. Further, the most effective treatment is that which considers an individual’s unique needs and family history of alcohol abuse.

Will I Need Detox for Alcohol Dependence?

Detox is a necessary and important part of treatment for individuals struggling with physical dependence. 

At Wellbridge, we offer detox as a first step to treatment. This is because detox is a necessary and important aspect of healing.

However, it is important to work with a treatment facility to understand if detox is necessary and helpful in the recovery journey. Detox can be offered in both inpatient and outpatient treatment programs, depending on a patient’s unique needs.

Will I Require Medication?

Medication can be helpful in detox and treatment for alcohol addiction, but not everyone will need to take medication.

Every patient’s journey to recovery is unique. Working with an addiction treatment facility that offers medication management during detox and treatment helps patients learn whether medication can help them in recovery.

Medication can be used in multiple ways to treat alcohol addiction. It can be a vital aspect of treating mental health disorders that contribute to alcohol addiction, as well as a crucial part of medical detox as a way to protect long-term health and decrease withdrawal symptoms.

Does Treatment Address Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions?

Yes. Effective treatment for alcohol addiction considers a patient’s mental health needs. 

Commonly, patients with alcohol addiction also struggle with co-occurring mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Mental health conditions impact decision-making and brain chemistry, and therefore, play an important role in a patient’s risk for alcohol addiction.

Effective care from a health professional will consider a patient’s mental health needs and offer supportive treatment to address both in a unified program.

What Kind of Harm-Reduction and Aftercare Support Does Treatment Offer?

Harm-reduction and aftercare programs bridge the gap between active drinking, treatment, and recovery by providing tools such as overdose prevention and response education, support group recommendations, referrals, and relapse prevention planning.

Treatment at Wellbridge offers harm-reduction and aftercare support to help patients reintegrate into their lives with support and structure.

FAQs

Does alcohol show up on a drug test?

Yes. Blood alcohol levels alcohol can show up on more extensive drug tests. 

While alcohol does not show up on standard drug tests such as 5-panel tests, it can be detected in the hair for up to 90 days, and in the blood for up to 12 hours.

Drug tests commonly administered in the workplace do not test for alcohol, but test for other drug use.

What happens if I mix ​ibuprofen and alcohol?

Mixing a large amount of alcohol with ibuprofen increases the risk of harmful side effects. 

If ibuprofen is taken regularly or heavy drinking is involved, mixing the two can lead to gastrointestinal bleeding and kidney or liver problems.

Does Alcoholics Anonymous work?

Yes, Alcoholics Anonymous is a highly effective peer support group that aids in recovery. 

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a peer support group that is not led by a clinician, but instead is composed of others struggling with alcohol addiction.

In AA, each group member is encouraged to talk about their challenges with addiction, sharing their experiences with others. AA members offer support and empathy for fellow group members, and often share things that are helping them on their journey to recovery from addiction.

Sobriety is celebrated within AA. However, failure is not met with shame, but instead, peers offer support and care that helps each member begin again if they are unable to remain sober.

Can I fully recover from alcohol addiction?

Yes, full recovery is possible from alcohol addiction. 

Alcohol addiction commonly takes over a person’s life. Individuals struggling with substance abuse find themselves drinking more than they want, unable to stop, and every aspect of their lives is negatively affected. While it is common to feel hopeless and despair, change can happen.

Seeking detox and treatment is the first step to recovery. In treatment, patients learn coping skills that help them make important life changes that support their sobriety.

But recovery is a lifelong journey. It takes time and effort to learn skills in treatment that support recovery. Treatment is just the first step in recovering from Substance Use Disorder (SUD), allowing patients to rebuild their lives and support their well-being.