If someone you care about struggles with alcoholism, the best thing you can do is find them help. Unfortunately, recognizing an alcohol addiction may not always be simple. Are you confident that you can spot alcoholic behavior? If not, read on for the signs of alcoholism to be on the lookout for.
Legal or Criminal Problems Stemming From Alcohol
One of the most obvious signs of alcohol abuse is legal or criminal problems that stem from alcohol consumption. This can include someone getting a DUI for drinking while under the influence of alcohol or getting fined for urinating in public. It could also include things like sleeping in a vehicle overnight because he or she was too drunk to drive home. While these things can happen without addiction, they’re often a result of an inability to say no to alcohol.
High Tolerance for Alcohol Consumption
Tolerance changes as individuals drink more alcohol. If a person has an addiction to alcohol, then they likely have a tolerance that is far higher than it used to be.
You might notice that a friend who always used to drink two glasses of wine a night is now drinking five. That increase in tolerance is how the brain reacts to chronic alcohol consumption. A person doesn’t have to visibly look intoxicated, but an increase in consumption is definitely a warning sign.
Avoiding Alcohol-Free Situations
One way to spot alcohol abuse or addiction is to look at how a person spends his or her time. An individual struggling with addiction may actively avoid any situations that don’t include alcohol. This is because it makes him or her feel awkward or uncomfortable to be sober, or because he or she simply prefers environments where others are also drinking. If you have a loved one who is quick to meet you at a bar, but rarely wants to socialize without alcohol, it might be a problem.
Difficulty Setting Limits or Cutting Back
A loved one may be an alcoholic if he or she has trouble sticking to limits when drinking. A person might say that he or she is just staying for one drink, but could end up staying for several and becoming intoxicated. It’s also possible for a person to say that he or she wants to cut back on consumption, but never actually makes the change. These are often signs that a person wants to tackle his or her addiction, but that he or she lacks the tools to make it happen.
What to Do if You Recognize Alcoholic Behavior
If you spot any of these signs in loved ones, then make sure you get them the help they deserve. That might mean a rehab program at Crestview Recovery. The right rehab program can help clients overcome addiction through all the following methods:
- Trauma therapy
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Individual behavioral therapy
- Life skills training
- Relapse prevention techniques
Once you’re able to identify alcoholic behavior, you can help people turn their lives around. Help is available at Crestview Recovery in Portland, Oregon. Call 866.262.0531 to learn more about alcoholism treatment.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
