Concerned about your alcohol use?
Have you ever wondered if your alcohol use is something to be concerned about? Maybe there were a couple of times you realized that binge drinking was starting to take its toll or maybe chronic alcohol use has led to some serious setbacks. It can be hard to know where the line is between alcoholism vs. alcohol abuse, so Centered Recovery is here to break it down for you. Recognizing the severity of your alcohol use is a hard thing to take a look at, especially if it is causing problems in your life. However, that recognition is the first step toward making positive, healthy changes in your relationship with alcohol. Let’s take a look at what alcohol abuse and alcoholism are, why they are dangerous, and how to seek treatment for your alcohol use concerns.
Defining Alcoholism vs. Alcohol Abuse
When trying to define the different levels of alcohol use that a person may engage in, there are a couple of terms to be aware of. Whether you are struggling with alcoholism, alcohol abuse, binge drinking, or social drinking, there are ways to understand the differences. Let’s dive into the main differences between alcoholism vs. alcohol abuse!
Alcohol Abuse
Even though alcohol is one of the most commonly abused substances, that does not necessarily mean a person has alcoholism. Alcohol abuse refers to the continued pattern of drinking that may come with harmful consequences. Typically, individuals engaging in alcohol abuse may engage in risky habits like drinking and driving. Also, they may be struggling with work or school responsibilities, but still managing to just get by. Relationships may start to be impacted due to alcohol abuse. However, one of the key differences is that the individual may not necessarily be physically dependent on alcohol – or not yet! Alcohol abuse happens gradually! The individual may not be drinking every single day, but when they do, they may binge drink and consume a large amount at one time.
Alcoholism
Alcoholism, also known as alcohol use disorder, is a diagnosable condition and is more severe than alcohol abuse. Alcohol use disorder is seen as an inability to control drinking habits because the individual is not only psychologically dependent, but they are physically dependent, too. For so long, the body has become known to function with alcohol and when the individual stops drinking, they may experience mild to severe withdrawal symptoms. In addition to the consequences that are commonly seen with alcohol abuse, the impact may be more severe with alcoholism. The individual may have severed relationships completely, lost their jobs, or started to isolate. Often, the individual will need to keep increasing the amount of alcohol they drink to receive their usual effects. Alcoholism usually involves daily drinking and is known to cause additional health problems like liver disease or mental health conditions.
Dangers of Alcoholism vs. Alcohol Abuse
Although the intensity of drinking and its consequences may look different between alcoholism vs. alcohol abuse, they both have their dangers!
Accidents and Injuries
It is not uncommon for those engaging in risky drinking behaviors to have accidents or injuries. Since alcohol impacts cognitive functioning, an individual’s judgment is at risk. This may look like drinking and driving, increased falls, and car crashes. Additionally, people may become more violent and aggressive while engaging in drinking. People may end up in more physical or verbal altercations and put themselves in dangerous situations. For those with alcoholism, accidents may turn fatal due to the increased impairments in judgment.
Legal Implications
Signs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse can be seen through legal consequences. The most common legal implications involve DUI charges, public intoxication, assault, and other alcohol-related charges. Not only will these charges be permanent, but they can also come with financial obligations, required treatment, probation, or suspended licenses.
Mental Health Concerns
As alcohol abuse continues and turns into alcoholism, a person’s mental health may start to deteriorate. Anxiety and depression are commonly seen with alcohol use and may start to get worse as alcohol use increases. Cognition may start to decrease making it difficult to concentrate, make decisions, or remember things. If alcoholism continues, more serious cognitive issues may occur such as dementia or Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome. This condition is a neurological disorder that develops from extended alcohol use due to a thiamine deficiency. In some cases, this syndrome may improve but some aspects may be irreversible or even fatal.
Social Issues
Alcohol abuse may mark the beginning of strained relationships with family, friends, or coworkers. People may start to notice a change in the individual’s personality or behaviors. This may look like neglecting responsibilities at home or work, increased isolation, or changes in their mood. As alcoholism begins to worsen, individuals may lose their jobs altogether, have family conflicts leading to separations, or increased financial burdens from medical, legal, or work concerns.
Poor Health Status
Alcohol abuse may begin with the introduction of mild health concerns like hangovers, alcohol poisoning from binge drinking, or digestive impacts. Over time, these mild health concerns may turn more serious and chronic as alcoholism progresses. Chronic alcoholism is known to lead to liver diseases such as fatty liver, cirrhosis of the liver, or even liver cancer. Additionally, the pancreas can be impacted by alcoholism and show increased inflammation. On top of that, there are heart risks to alcoholism such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
Seeking Treatment for Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse
Whether your struggles are with alcoholism or alcohol abuse, seeking treatment when alcohol is negatively impacting you is a huge accomplishment. Taking that first step to improve your well-being is a difficult one, but will make a huge impact on your quality of life!
Seeking treatment for alcohol use is always recommended, regardless of how severe a person’s drinking habits are. If you find that your alcohol use is impacting your mental health, responsibilities, and health, treatment centers are equipped to help you through your recovery. Medical professionals and staff can manage your withdrawal symptoms with you to make coming off of alcohol more comfortable. Additionally, treatment for alcohol use can provide you with alternative coping skills to strengthen your relapse prevention. Let’s look at some common treatment options to get you started!
Alcohol Detox
In most cases, whether you are experiencing alcohol abuse or alcoholism, detox will be the first step in your recovery journey. The detox process always your body to completely remove alcohol from its system over a short period. Most detox centers are inpatient to monitor your medical progress and safety, however, for more acute cases there are outpatient detox options. Medication is commonly used to ease the withdrawal process and help you stabilize without having alcohol in your body.
Inpatient Treatment
Following detox, depending on the severity of alcohol use and history, treatment can begin with inpatient or residential treatment. This level of care continues to offer round-the-clock medical support and structured daily routines. Typically, individuals will stay in residential treatment for 30-90 days, depending on their personal needs.
Outpatient Treatment
Once an individual is ready to return to their regular routines at home, they are recommended to attend outpatient treatment, like Centered Recovery. This level of care offers flexibility in going back to work and fulfilling duties at home while still providing support. Most individuals will participate in group therapy, individual therapy, and random drug screenings for accountability and relapse prevention.
Support Groups
Free community support groups are a great alternative for those without the time to commit to long-term treatment or who need a lower level of support. Many support groups are available online or in person such as Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, Celebrate Recovery, and many more!
Medication Management
For some, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) can be helpful in the early stages of recovery. Several medications are approved for the treatment of alcohol abuse and alcoholism such as naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. These medications help to lower cravings and provide an extra layer of support in refraining from alcohol use.
Centered Recovery for Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse Treatment
Centered Recovery Programs in Roswell, Georgia, is a mindfulness-based non 12 non-12-step outpatient drug and alcohol treatment program that may be the perfect fit for you! We offer our clients various levels of outpatient care, including partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient services. For clients who have attempted sobriety in the past and were unsuccessful, our program utilizes an entirely fresh approach. We believe that support, understanding, and compassion are key to helping clients find a lasting solution coming from within.
Our unique mindfulness-based program integrates common sense with cutting-edge neuroscience to illuminate how to find resilience even among the chaos, both from the past and in the future. We offer flexible scheduling with morning and evening availability, as well as in-person and virtual IOP options for those throughout the entire state of Georgia!
Contact Centered Recovery Programs Today
Let’s get you started on your personalized alcoholism and alcohol abuse treatment program! Contact Centered Recovery drug rehab and alcohol treatment center today and embark on your journey towards sobriety. Call us today at 800-556-2966 to speak with an admissions counselor!
Written by Jennifer Lopes, BS Psy
