When you struggle with an addiction to alcohol, understanding alcohol dependence problems and their solutions is a very important part of your alcohol addiction recovery. Perhaps you’ve been thinking about getting some type of treatment for your alcohol dependence for quite some time, but you just weren’t sure what to do or who to turn to for help. The good news is that you’re in the right place to get the professional assistance you need for your alcohol addiction.
Alcohol Addiction Recovery
No one becomes addicted to alcohol overnight. Alcohol addiction typically begins with alcohol abuse. For example, let’s say you had a terrible day at the office and some things were said behind your back that hurt your credibility with your company. As a result, you lost your job. You drove home and you needed a way to cope with the pain of that loss. The only thing you could think to do was drink, so you did. Drinking made you feel better, but only for a little while. Even so, those pleasant feelings were filed away in your brain. The next time you ran into a life challenge, you drank again with the same results. Over time, your alcohol abuse became an addiction.
When you choose to get help for your addiction, you’re choosing to arrest it. As you can imagine, this isn’t always easy. Most of the time it’s not easy at all. However, by allowing yourself to experience that pain again, you’re also able to deal with it in a way that’s healthy and beneficial for you. That’s why professional alcohol counselling is so important when you have an alcohol addiction.
Alcohol Dependence Problems
Alcohol dependence becomes worse as time goes on. You always end up needing more alcohol in order to cope with what’s going on around you, or just to handle life in general. When you have an alcohol dependency you might suffer from any of the following:
Withdrawal – You’re not the same when you’re not drinking. You don’t feel in control and this is exhibited through physical and mental symptoms. You might get nauseous or even start vomiting. You might also have trouble sleeping or have hallucinations (visual or auditory). Sweating, increased pulse rate and hand tremors are also common signs of withdrawal.
Increased Tolerance – In the past, drinking a six-pack was enough to make you feel OK, but now you need much more. Perhaps now you need two six-packs or maybe you’ve started drinking hard liquor because you want to experience those same intoxicated feelings you’re used to.
Extreme Use – Have you often drank to the point of passing out or vomiting? If you have, then you may have a dependence on alcohol. This is a serious problem that could potentially have several negative health consequences.
Inability to Cut Down or Stop – Once you realized you had a problem, you told yourself you were going to cut down on your alcohol use or even stop altogether. You tried it and it didn’t work. You went right back to drinking after a period of time, and then you tried again. When you’re unable to stop drinking on your own, it indicates dependence.
Preoccupation with Drinking – It’s hard for you to think about anything other than drinking. You try to concentrate at work or when you’re with your family, but in honesty, it’s impossible.
If you recognize any of these issues in your own life, you have a dependence on alcohol. The solution is to get the professional help you need to break free from your addiction.
I can help you with that. Please contact me today to make an appointment.
