Alcohol is often enjoyed during social gatherings. However, when drinking alcohol on celebratory occasions turns into having a drink regularly, there could be a developing alcohol addiction brewing. Too much alcohol consumption comes with an array of negative consequences, having harsh impacts on both your body and mind.
Being addicted to alcohol can be incredibly dangerous, often resulting in long-term health complications, such as liver disease, heart disease, and high blood pressure, to name a few. If either you or a loved one is battling an alcohol addiction, continue reading to find out why this popular substance is so addictive.
Understanding Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol addiction, also commonly referred to as alcoholism, alcohol abuse, or alcohol dependency, is a progressive condition. Essentially, alcohol addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder associated with compulsive alcohol drinking, the loss of control over intake, and the emergence of a negative emotional state when alcohol is no longer available.
When someone is frequently binge drinking or showing signs of bad drinking habits and alcohol misuse, they likely have an addiction. When you drink alcohol frequently, it has the potential to cause some serious health problems. Additionally, heavy drinking can also affect relationships with family and friends, while disrupting your daily life.
It’s important to seek help from medical professionals if you have an alcohol addiction. The best course of action to take is to reach out to a handy referral service that’ll be able to find the best-suited rehabilitation centre for either yourself or a loved one to attend.
How Does Alcohol Affect the Brain?
Alcohol use can affect the brain in numerous ways. The effects of alcohol on the brain are profound and contribute significantly to its addictive nature. When you consume alcohol, your neurotransmitter levels, which affect your mood, behaviour, and cognition, are altered. Alcohol releases dopamine, which is associated with pleasure and reward.
When dopamine is released while drinking, feelings of relaxation and euphoria become present. These feelings of happiness make alcohol addictive, and many people crave these feelings and sensations. Repeated alcohol consumption typically leads to an alcohol use disorder, which is when an individual becomes dependent and consumes more to achieve the desired effects.
Alcohol makes it harder for the brain areas controlling balance, memory, speech, and judgement to do their jobs, resulting in a higher likelihood of injuries and other negative outcomes. This is why it’s incredibly dangerous to drink alcohol in large quantities regularly.
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
If you’re dependent on alcohol, trying to stop drinking can be difficult. Although it’s great to be able to recognise that you need to quit drinking, unpleasant withdrawal symptoms often become prominent when you stop drinking alcohol. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can differ and vary depending on how severe your addiction is.
Anxiety, depression, irritability, insomnia, nausea, vomiting, sweating, and elevated heart rate, to name a few. The most severe manifestations of withdrawal include delirium tremens, hallucinations, and seizures.
The symptoms that come with alcohol withdrawal can be quite tedious and hard to manage. In some cases, the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal are so severe that they can be life-threatening. It’s important to have the right network of people around you while you experience withdrawal from both alcohol and drug abuse.
With the right addiction treatment, you’ll have a better chance of being able to manage your withdrawal symptoms. Rehabilitation centres offer a safe space for individuals seeking expert help to overcome their addiction. Rehab centres are there for you to safely detox from alcohol and drugs while being supervised by healthcare professionals.
How to Overcome Alcohol Addiction
Overcoming alcohol addiction comes with some challenges. The first step in overcoming your addiction to alcohol is to acknowledge the problem at hand. In some cases, it’s difficult to recognise an addiction, and it sometimes takes close family members and friends to notice before you.
Once you’ve acknowledged that there is, in fact, an issue, you can kickstart your journey to get better. Addiction doesn’t need to be faced alone; reach out to friends, family, or support groups for help and advice. Recovery is a journey and can be a lengthy yet rewarding process.
We recommend setting realistic goals for yourself and celebrating each milestone along the way. Whether it’s a day sober, or a month, all efforts should be celebrated. However, the process of overcoming an addiction isn’t as easy. as it is for others. If you’re struggling to overcome an alcohol addiction, the best option might be to seek professional help.
Seeking professional help can greatly increase your chances of success in overcoming alcohol addiction. Attending a rehabilitation centre is the best way to overcome addiction, and the clinics are there to provide you with everything you need to successfully complete treatment for alcohol misuse.
Rehab offers supervised detoxification and counselling sessions, to name a few, which can be most beneficial for those who are facing tedious challenges in overcoming addiction.
Are You Struggling With Alcohol Dependence?
Are you or someone you know suffering from an alcohol addiction? If so, you’ll be glad to know that Verve Healthcare can help. We consist of a specialist team of dedicated professionals who are experts at referring individuals in need to the most suitable rehabilitation centres.
We understand how difficult it can be to live with an alcohol addiction or witness the warning signs of an addiction unfold before your eyes Our service is second to none, and we’ve successfully helped people across the country find rehab to suit both their needs and requirements.
From living with a cannabis addiction to struggling with alcohol misuse, we deal with a wide range of addictions. Finding the best type of treatment to overcome alcohol addiction is key to a happy and healthy future. We want the best for our clients, which is why we’re dedicated to finding the best-suited rehab clinic for them to attend.
We’ve worked with people from all walks of life and have taken the time to understand each individual’s requirements when it comes to finding a rehab centre suitable for them to attend.
Private rehabs are best when you need to receive the highest level of care. Rehab allows you to express your emotions freely while undergoing alcohol detoxification in a relaxing environment.
Additionally, rehab also offers expert mental health treatment for those who need to participate in therapy. If you’d like to find out more about our referral services, don’t hesitate to contact us today.