When Casual Drinking Leads to Problems with Alcohol

Denial is a problem that affects many people with an addiction. For those who abuse alcohol through excessive social drinking that leads to dependence, denial can mask the fact that you’ve gone from casual drinking to real problems with alcohol. As the problems with alcohol grow larger and affect everyday life, the key to getting help lies in eventually realizing there’s a problem and making the decision to do something about it.

Signs that You or Someone You Love Has Problems with Alcohol

If you believe that you or someone you love have problems with alcohol, some signs can confirm your suspicion. If there’s a problem, you can then forge a pathway to help.

Many people do not immediately recognize the symptoms of too much drinking. There are some that or more obvious than others. But some essential signs of problem drinking include:

• Frequent drinking
• Drinking until intoxicated
• Day drinking, even when working
• Drunk driving
• Poor decision making when drunk
• Legal problems associated with drinking
• School problems or social issues from drinking
• Family problems related to alcohol
• Using alcohol to “medicate” depression, sadness, stress or anxiety
• Drinking alcohol too quickly or “gulping” alcoholic beverages
• More than two drinks per day for a man or more than one drink per day for a woman, every day
• Lying, hiding or self-deceit about drinking
• Always needing a drink to feel happy or relaxed
• Irritability or negative mood when not drinking
• Financial problems due to drinking
• Health problems due to drinking

It can be difficult seeing the signs of alcohol abuse since social or casual drinking is usually encouraged. If they show any of the symptoms, try to have an honest conversation with your loved one. It may show you outright that they have a problem if they open up or get very defensive.

Things You Can Do to Help a Friend Who Has Gone from Casual Drinking to Problems with Alcohol

When you suspect a friend has these problems with casual drinking, you can help. Some things you can do include:

• Learn about addiction so you can help your friend make the decision to enter treatment
• Realize that alcohol addiction is a disease, not a “personal problem” or character flaw
• Stop protecting, enabling or lying for your friend
• Start talking about treatment
• Respect the needs of a friend in recovery by not drinking around them

Beaches Recovery in Jacksonville, Florida Is Ready to Help

There’s no shame in admitting you have a problem with what you believe is casual drinking. Making the decision to get help through an accredited treatment center is the best thing you’ll ever do for yourself. In fact, making this decision will improve just about every facet of your life, as you emerge from treatment and into recovery. In recovery, your future can again be bright, hopeful, fulfilling and productive. During recovery, we introduce you to a number of programs to help make a full recovery. These programs include:

• Residential rehab programs
• Alcohol detox programs at Tides Edge
• Partial hospitalization program (PHP)
• Intensive outpatient program (IOP)
• Outpatient treatment program
• Dual diagnosis treatment
• Men’s and women’s specific rehab programs

While you’re in the above rehab programs, you can also partake in the following addiction therapy programs:

• Equine-assisted therapy
• Individual therapy program
• Life skills training
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavior therapy
• Outdoor ropes course

Beaches Recovery provides a continuum of care from detox, through rehab and into aftercare. When you’re ready to admit you have a problem with alcohol, contact Beaches Recovery by calling 866.605.0532 to get the help you need. These are problems you can overcome for a better life, so don’t wait to make that call.