Many people enjoy having a drink with dinner or unwinding after a long day. But when the amount of alcohol you drink starts to interfere with your daily life, you may have developed alcohol addiction.
Mayo Clinic describes alcohol use disorder, the clinical term for alcohol addiction or alcoholism, as the inability to stop drinking alcohol even if a person’s alcohol use is having negative effects on their health, relationships, or other areas of their life.
Tower Behavioral Health provides inpatient treatment for adults of all genders age 18 and older who are struggling with alcohol addiction that co-occurs with a mental health concern. Our multidisciplinary team can help you start the recovery process for co-occurring alcohol use disorder.
Alcohol Addiction Signs & Symptoms
Grabbing a beer after work or having a glass of wine with colleagues doesn’t automatically put you at risk for developing alcohol addiction. But there are certain warning signs of alcohol addiction, along with alcohol use disorder symptoms, that may indicate that your alcohol use has turned into alcohol abuse.
These are some warning signs and symptoms of alcohol addiction:
- Starting to drink more or for longer than you intended
- Spending more time drinking than you used to
- Cutting back on other activities to spend more time drinking
- Drinking or being sick from drinking is interfering with your daily life
- Your usual number of drinks doesn’t have the same effect anymore
- When the alcohol wears off, you feel sick, irritable, or depressed
- Continuing to drink even though it’s causing problems with your loved ones
- Frequently getting into dangerous situations while drinking
Alcohol Addiction Statistics
- The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that 14.4 million adults age 18 or older in the U.S. suffer from alcohol addiction.
- Alcohol is the third-leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., with about 88,000 people dying from alcohol-related causes every year.
- More than 10% of American children live with a parent who is struggling with alcohol abuse.
The Effects of Alcohol Addiction
When you struggle with alcoholism, this disease can impact your health and various aspects of your life. The people closest to you may also suffer from the consequences of your alcohol use and experience damage to their lives.
Alcohol addiction impacts everyone differently depending on various factors that shape their life experiences and how alcohol affects them.
These are examples of the effects of alcohol addiction:
- Weakened heart or irregular heartbeat
- High blood pressure or stroke
- Liver damage
- Weakened immune system
- Heightened cancer risk
- Injury or death by alcohol-related accident
- Strained relationships with friends and family
- Job loss or chronic unemployment
- Development of another mental health condition
- Worsening symptoms of another mental health condition
- Suicidal thoughts or actions
Benefits of Co-Occurring Alcohol Addiction Treatment
When you’re suffering from alcohol addiction that co-occurs with a mental health disorder, it can be a struggle to get through the day. Drinking alcohol may be a method of self-medicating, but the expert team at Tower Behavioral Health can help you find healthier coping tools to manage the co-occurring conditions you’re facing.
The care we provide at our inpatient treatment center in Reading, Pennsylvania, helps adults who are in crisis from severe co-occurring alcohol addiction. Our expert team provides round-the-clock support in a safe, secure setting so that you can reach stabilization and start to function at a higher level.
Getting co-occurring alcohol addiction treatment will help you start to make essential behavioral changes that mark the first steps in your recovery journey. You can identify what led you to begin abusing alcohol and learn healthier ways to cope with the overwhelming feelings and emotions you’ve been struggling with.
A person’s struggles with alcoholism can be an isolating experience. Throughout your time in co-occurring alcohol addiction treatment, you will interact with others who have also faced alcohol use disorder. You will see that you are not alone and that others are available to offer support throughout your recovery process.
Therapies Used in Co-Occurring Alcohol Addiction Treatment
Your path to successful long-term sobriety is just as unique as you are, which is why we complete a detailed assessment of your needs and recovery goals before you begin co-occurring alcohol addiction treatment. This assessment informs the personalized alcohol addiction treatment plan we develop for you so that you receive care tailored specifically to you.
During your stay at our inpatient treatment center in Reading, Pennsylvania, you may take part in various types of evidence-based therapies, including individual therapy, group therapy, art therapy, music therapy, and dance/movement therapy.
Some of the treatment modalities we use to promote long-term recovery from co-occurring alcohol addiction include acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Depending on the needs and goals identified in your assessment, your care team may also prescribe certain medications to help support your recovery.
This content was written on behalf of and reviewed by the clinical staff at Tower Behavioral Health.