It can be difficult to know when drinking goes from casual to problematic. Since drinking is common in many cultures, what’s normal varies for everyone, making it hard to recognize when there’s an issue. If you find yourself drinking to cope with problems or to escape bad feelings, that’s a warning sign.
Other signs that you might have a drinking issue could include:
It’s important to recognize when drinking may be becoming a problem, as these issues can come up unexpectedly. By understanding the signs of alcohol abuse, you can take the first step toward a healthier path, whether that means cutting back on drinking or stopping entirely.
Alcoholism can really impact your everyday life. Prolonged drinking can cause health issues that can affect almost every organ in your body, including your brain. Problem drinking can take a toll on your mental health, finances, job, and relationships, creating challenges for family, friends, and coworkers alike.
Beyond individual health risks, the social consequences can be tough. Those grappling with drinking issues might deal with challenges like divorce, domestic turmoil, job loss, and financial difficulties. Even if everything seems fine at work or your marriage feels stable, alcoholism can still create tension in personal relationships. Drinking struggles can put a strain on loved ones, leading them to possibly feel the need to support you emotionally, which can be really stressful, especially for kids.
Does any of this hit hard?
If so you may want to reach out and speak with us about getting the help.
Each person is a unique individual with a unique story. Everyone who comes to us must be seen as such, however there are some commonalities among those who seek treatment for Alcohol use disorders, one of these are co-occurring disorders.
A co-occurring disorder, or dual diagnosis, occurs when an individual faces both substance abuse and mental health issues such as depression or anxiety. This complicates addiction recovery.
Such disorders can negatively impact work, studies, and social life, often worsening each condition. Untreated mental health issues can lead to increased substance abuse, and vice versa.
Research indicates that about 50% of those with severe mental disorders also have substance abuse issues. Among them, 37% of alcohol abusers and 53% of drug abusers have serious mental illnesses. Additionally, 29% of those with a mental illness misuse substances.
Ignoring these issues will worsen them over time. However, with the right support, self-help strategies, and treatment, you can effectively manage a co-occurring disorder and regain control of your life.
Our founder, Catherine Cosgrove, has over 35 years of experience in the addiction field. It was her experience working with inmates where she saw firsthand the shortcomings of the traditional 28-day rehab programs, and 12 step programs.
These approaches based a persons recovery on a 28-day abstinence model, this was followed up with a 12-step program.
Right away she would see from a cognitive therapy stand point that in the 12-step model people were not only asked to reinforce their failures they were also told they could not address and overcome the root causes of addiction, instead they were asked to admit that they were doomed to be failures.
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