Signs of Alcohol Addiction
Is alcohol interfering with a happy and fulfilling life for you or a loved one? You might already know you have a problem and are unsure whether or not treatment will help you. On the other hand, you might still have a job, a car, and a home, and drinking hasn’t ruined your life (yet) so you’re not really sure you need help (yet). Either way, you might already be familiar with Los Angeles alcohol rehab centers.
The good news is that no matter where you are with an alcohol use disorder (AUD), help is available. Even if you’re at the point where you need alcohol to stop feeling nauseous and shaky, getting help to stop drinking will benefit you. Conversely, even if you haven’t lost it all or even very much, if you think alcohol is getting in your way, getting sober will get you back on the right path for you.
Not everyone who drinks alcohol needs to stop, and not all drinkers who need to stop have to get help to stop. But millions of Americans suffer from AUD and have better chances of long-term success when they do get treatment. The signs of the disorder may be a little bit more subtle at the beginning when your brain is starting to develop a dependence on the drug (and yes, alcohol is a drug). However, as you continue to drink and the dependence grows, the signs of the addiction will be clearer.
Need more alcohol to get the pleasant feelings you’re looking for
In other words, you’ve developed a tolerance. The more you drink, the more you need to drink to get the same pleasure.
Want to stop drinking, but you feel powerless to do so
This is a key sign that something is wrong. If you weren’t already heading down the path to addiction, you could stop or decrease your alcohol intake whenever you wanted to.
Stop doing formerly pleasurable activities and drink instead
You may withdraw from friends you used to spend time with or no longer want to do the hobbies you used to enjoy. And you fill this “extra” time with alcohol.
Spend a lot of time finding alcohol and drinking it
If you’re at the stage where thoughts of drinking are almost always present, you definitely have a problem. If you didn’t, you would rarely think about how and where you’d get the drink. Your mind would be on other things.
Have problems at work or school and home due to alcohol
These problems may be mild initially, but they get worse the longer you drink. Your boss might start talking to you about poor performance, or you start failing classes you previously did well in, and maybe you get into more arguments and fights with your family.
Must drink to avoid feeling nauseous, sweating, and/or shaking
If you experience these issues when you’re not drinking, and the only time they go away is when you pick up a drink, then you have serious alcohol dependence. Your brain is so used to your drinking that you end up with chemical imbalances when you don’t have liquor in your system, which causes these symptoms.
Crave alcohol when you don’t have a drink in your hand
Someone who is a casual or “social” drinker can take or leave alcohol. Cravings are a signal that your brain is dependent on alcohol, and you will need help to stop drinking.
See if the brain can heal from alcohol addiction here:
Who Should Go to Alcohol Rehab?
Los Angeles alcohol rehab centers provide a safe environment for you not only to stop drinking but to understand what led to your AUD. You’ll learn life skills like stress management and healthy coping mechanisms to stay sober even after you leave rehab.
While not everyone needs rehab, it’s necessary if you experience withdrawal symptoms such as feeling sick, shaky, and sweaty. The only thing that makes you feel better is to take a drink. In fact, even if you don’t experience withdrawal but the only way for you to feel better is to drink, you should still likely go to rehab.
Treatment is especially important when you’re so dependent on alcohol that you start withdrawing without it. You’ll need a supervised medical detox to stop drinking without serious, even life-threatening consequences. Detox in rehab monitors you and keeps you comfortable, so you don’t have to relieve your symptoms by drinking again.
Once you go through detox and are free of the toxins, you can then start the important work of treatment. Not everyone needs a supervised detox, but you may still benefit from rehab even if you don’t. You’ll need to unlearn the destructive habits, thoughts, and feelings that led to the addiction. A safe environment where you can learn from trained therapists and other specialists, as well as your peers, will help you develop a solid foundation of sobriety. Rehab is the kind of environment that can help prevent alcohol-related deaths.
It’s also a great solution for anyone with a co-occurring mental health disorder such as anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. It’s critical to be “off the sauce” to treat your dual diagnosis. Mental health issues and addictions feed off each other, so you’ll treat both while you’re in rehab.
Inpatient vs. Outpatient Alcohol Rehab
There are several levels of care in Los Angeles rehab centers. Where you start off depends on a few factors such as your physical health, age, and how long and heavy you’ve been drinking. For anyone who’s developed significant alcohol dependence, you’ll probably need to start with inpatient rehab. On the other hand, if you don’t have a long drinking history and you’re in good health, you may be able to start at an outpatient level.
Outpatient rehab generally allows for more freedom. You may be able to start in a general program where you attend sessions on weekday evenings or on the weekends so that you can still go to work or school during the weekdays. Some with AUD may need an outpatient program that’s a bit more intensive instead and takes place during the day for 6 to 8 hours.
Inpatient treatment is very structured, with each hour of the day accounted for. You’ll live in the facility for the duration of your inpatient stay, waking up and going to bed simultaneously each day along with the other residents. You’ll also eat your nutritious meals with the community at specific mealtimes.
In between, you’ll normally attend therapy sessions in the mornings and afternoons. Some of these will be group sessions with your peers, and others will be conducted one-on-one with a therapist. After dinner, there will often be games and socializing or other fun activities in the evenings.
Generally, when you get to rehab, you’ll be assessed by the clinical staff. They might take blood or run other tests to see whether you have health issues that must be addressed. Based on their findings, they’ll suggest the type of rehab that will most help you.
Muse Has a Premier Alcohol Rehab Center in Los Angeles
If you want or need help with your alcohol use disorder, our Los Angeles alcohol rehab center could be the right answer for you. We are dedicated to your recovery and making the experience as affordable as possible. Since not everyone gets sober in the same way, we customize your treatment plan for you specifically.
Muse Treatment Center provides alcohol rehab services in a tranquil environment allowing you to focus on your healing. Our compassionate and caring staff wants to help you recover, not to blame or shame you. Don’t wait any longer to get help to live a sober and joyful life. Call our Los Angeles alcohol rehab centers at (800) 426-1818 today.
