Am I an Alcoholic?

What is an Alcoholic?

When it comes to asking yourself tough questions, one of the hardest might be: “Am I an alcoholic?”

It can be difficult for someone to tell if they are drinking more than they should be.

But it is an important question to find an answer to if you are questioning your drinking habits.

Alcoholism is becoming a growing problem in the United States.

In 2019, it was estimated that over 14 million adults have a drinking problem.

It also causes an estimated 95,000 deaths annually.

Emerald Isle Health and Recovery is here to answer your questions about alcoholism, and tell you ways that we can help you to get sober – and stay that way for good.

Understanding Alcoholism

In today’s society, drinking in all types of situations is often considered to be normal. We see alcohol advertisements on television, we hear them on the radio, and you cannot go out to a restaurant without being offered a drink menu. With so much exposure to alcohol on a daily basis, it is no wonder that so many people end up becoming alcoholics.

Alcoholism is a chronic disease in which a person cannot stop drinking even when they know it is harming them. Alcoholics often simply cannot stop drinking on their own because the urge to drink is too strong.

That is why Emerald Isle offers scientifically-proven alcohol rehab options to help our clients stop drinking.

The Physical Effects of Being An Alcoholic

When many people begin drinking, they think that it is a harmless way to socialize or enjoy a meal.

Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. Excessive drinking does not just run the risk of turning you into an alcoholic. It is also risky for your health. Alcoholics have a higher risk of having problems with their liver, including cirrhosis. Drinking also damages your brain by changing the way that it regulates chemicals.

Over time, being an alcoholic can have even more serious health risks. It can increase your chances of developing many different types of cancer, including liver, mouth, throat, colon, and breast cancer.

For women who are pregnant, being an alcoholic does not just risk their own health. Drinking can cause harm to your baby, leading to issues like low birth weight and learning disabilities.

All alcoholics also have a higher risk of dying from things like car accidents, injuries, homicides, and even suicide.

Mental Illness and Alcoholism

For many people who suffer from alcoholism, mental illness symptoms are something they also struggle with.

Some of the most common mental illnesses that are seen in alcoholics include bipolar disorder, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Often, people often try to use alcohol to reduce their mental health symptoms. This is especially true for people with severe depression. When you drink, alcohol makes your brain release dopamine, which is what helps you feel happy and relaxed.

But, over time, your brain begins to rely on alcohol to release dopamine. This means that, when you are not drinking, you may feel even more depressed or anxious. Your brain becomes dependent on alcohol and makes you crave it in order to feel better. This is what makes it so hard for many alcoholics to stop drinking.

Ways to Tell if You Are an Alcoholic

It can be difficult to tell if you have become an alcoholic, or if your drinking is normal. But if you are drinking too much, it is important to get help. There are a few questions you can ask yourself to try and decide if you need the help of an alcohol rehab program. These include:

• Do you end up drinking more than you meant to, or for a longer period of time?
• Have you tried to stop drinking before, but could not?
• Do you spend a lot of your time drinking or recovering from hangovers?
• Do you feel a strong urge to drink when you are sober?
• Does your drinking make you miss days at work or school, or is it causing problems in your relationships?
• Have you given up things you used to enjoy doing so that you can drink instead?
• Have you participated in risky behaviors while drinking, like driving or having unprotected sex?
• Do you keep drinking even though it makes you feel depressed?
• Is your drinking causing problems with your physical health?
• Do you have withdrawal symptoms, when you stop drinking? This can include shakiness, anxiety, depression, nausea, sweating, or insomnia?
• Do you have to drink more alcohol than you used to in order to feel drunk?

If you answered “Yes” to more than just one or two of these questions, there is a chance that you may be an alcoholic. And, the more of these questions that apply to you, the more serious your drinking problem is.

It is time that you enlist the help of an alcohol rehab center, like Emerald Isle, to help you address your alcoholism.

Medicinal Treatment Options to Help Alcoholics

When it comes to getting treatment for your alcoholism, there are many different options available.

There are currently three medicines available that have been approved to treat alcoholism.

Disulfiram is a medicine that makes an alcoholic have unpleasant side effects if they drink, including nausea and skin flushing. These can make it easier for you to say no to drinking.

Another medicine is naltrexone. It blocks the receptors in your brain that make you feel good when you drink, and reduces cravings. This helps an alcoholic cut back on their drinking because it does not reward your system with dopamine.

The last medicine for treating alcoholism is acamprosate. This medicine is very effective in helping to reduce cravings for alcohol, especially when you first get into an alcohol rehab program.

Each of these medicines is a great option to help alcoholics quit drinking. And since they are all non-addictive, you do not have to worry about ending up with a different addiction. While they will not cure your alcoholism, they will help you manage your symptoms so that you can stay sober.

Therapy Options for Alcoholics

Another part of your alcohol rehab will be therapy. Therapy is an extremely important part of your treatment journey. It helps you to change the behaviors that were causing you to drink excessively. Therapy is also very important for alcoholics that are struggling with a mental health issue, as it helps to treat these issues as well. There are a few different types of therapy available, depending on what will work best for you.

These include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which helps you identify the feelings and situations that can lead to heavy drinking. It also teaches you ways to manage your stress, and avoid things that trigger your drinking.
• Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), which helps to build positive motivations to avoid drinking.
• Marital and Family Counseling, which can include your spouse, children, or other family members. This type of therapy works to repair family bonds that have been affected by your alcoholism. Strong family support has been shown to significantly improve your chances of staying sober.

Free Insurance Verification for Alcoholism Treatment

Let Us Help You on the Path to Sobriety

If you have developed an alcohol addiction and need help overcoming it, we are here to help.

At Emerald Isle Health & Recovery, we pride ourselves on our unique approach to individualized, evidence-based treatment.

Our comprehensive clinical and medical programs help our clients achieve long-term, sustainable recoveries.

Our state-of-the-art facility was built in a highly private location to ensure clients are able to get away from things that cause them stress or trigger their addiction.

We also focus on ensuring that each of our clients feels safe and comfortable so that they can approach their recovery in the most positive way possible.

We realize that many of our clients wonder about how they are going to pay for their treatment.

That is why we accept most major insurances through our free insurance verification.

Simply give us a call, and one of our addiction specialists can verify whether or not your insurance will cover your detox and rehab.

We will also communicate with your insurance provider to ensure that you receive every benefit that you are entitled to.

You can complete a simple form right from our website, or call us directly.

Alcohol addiction can be a very difficult problem to overcome.

But with proper treatment at an alcohol rehab, you too can kick your drinking problem.

At Emerald Isle, we are here to help you design your recovery plan for maximum success.

Let us help you with all of the tools that you need to get on the path to a healthy life.

Call us today to get started on the path to sobriety.