When Alcohol Becomes an Addiction
Alcohol is something that should only be taken in moderation. Alcohol itself is only mildly addicting, but can be very dangerous when in the hands of somebody who has an addictive personality.
When you drink alcohol, you tend to “loosen up” and this change is very welcome for those who are:
- Under a great amount of stress, or are incapable of dealing with their stress
- Usually withdrawn, or unhappy
- Suffering anxiety
In short, alcohol itself is not a problem. Over dinner with friends, it is okay to have a social drink… but only if it’s not a problem for you. Unfortunately, alcohol addiction is very common and takes many forms. Not all forms of alcohol addiction will cause a visible disruption in your life… but addiction in any form is unhealthy, and unnecessary.
Recognizing the Different Forms of Alcoholism
The most obvious form of alcoholism is apparent when you, or somebody you know, has completely hit rock bottom.
When it has reached this level of severity, you will have already caused a sufficient amount of damage to your body, your relationships, and your life in general. You may have lost a job, lost all your (good) friends, and even caused brain damage.
Even at this point, you can still get help. But you don’t have to hit rock bottom before you recognize alcohol addiction. As mentioned earlier, addiction takes many forms… but it always heads in the same direction—rock bottom.
Habitual Drinking (Cocktail Hour Alcoholism)
Habitual alcoholism is the most difficult to recognize… at first. This is when an individual has a drink, out of habit (Perhaps a drink or two before dinner… every single day…).
While this may appear healthy, it is not. Having a drink, out of habit, causes a dependence on alcohol. The worst case of habitual drinking is when an individual needs a drink to unwind, such as a drink after a stressful day at work.
In this format of alcohol addiction, a person may still function in society and it may not be apparent that there is a problem. Nonetheless, if this dependant behavior continues… he or she will become dependent on alcohol physically, as well as emotionally and psychologically.
Binge Drinking (Weekend Alcoholism)
Binge drinking is a more dangerous form of alcoholism that should be nipped in the bud as soon as possible. This is the case of an individual who can go weeks at a time without drinking… and is not physically or psychologically dependent on alcohol. This is somebody who can also function just fine, keep a job, but they may still have relationship problems related to their drinking.
When somebody shows “weekend alcoholism,” this means that when they do drink… they show no limit. This is called “weekend alcoholism” because it’s common for somebody to cut loose at the end of the week and party… but it is not okay to drink too much alcohol.
Alcohol overdose can be fatal in the worst case, but even if it doesn’t go that far a person will still be causing problems to their health. Somebody who binges on alcohol will behave recklessly, sometimes violently, and will always impair their judgment creating a dangerous situation for themselves, and others.
You don’t have to drink every day, all day, to be struggling with alcohol addiction. If you drink irresponsibly… then you shouldn’t drink at all.
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