Do you ever say things like “I’m addicted to chocolate” or “My my worst addiction is coffee”? We all seem to use that word to describe the things we like, and never think about what an addiction really is. While we make jokes and laugh about being addicted to everyday things, there are many people in the United States who really are addicted to substances that are harmful to them, and it is not a laughing matter.
There are many things that are not good for you that you can get addicted to if you start using them: cocaine, heroin, meth, and other scary drugs. But, you can also be addicted to cigarettes and alcohol. And, if you are addicted to cigarettes and alcohol, those two things are accepted in our society, even though they are destructive to a person’s health. Alcohol addiction can even ruin a person’s life.
Alcohol addiction can be a problem for every age group and every socio-economic group. When I was the manager of a large RV resort in south Texas, the residents there were all over 65 years old. They went across the border on a regular basis to Mexico to shop, get dental work done, and to buy their liquor at the duty free shop on the way home. Social drinking after 4:00 in the afternoon went on until way late at night. There were many times that I saw these elder residents stumbling home from the activities building after a night of drinking “cocktails” with their friends.
I know without a doubt that these happy go lucky retired people would deny that they had a drinking problem, but many the signs of an alcohol problem were there. Here are some of the signs of alcohol addiction from WebMD:
- You cannot quit drinking or control how much you drink.
- You need to drink more to get the same effect.
- You have withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking. These include feeling sick to your stomach, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety.
- You spend a lot of time drinking and recovering.
- You have given up other activities so you can drink.
- You keep drinking even though it harms your relationships and causes health problems.
- You drink in the morning, are often drunk for long periods of time, or drink alone.
- You change what you drink, such as switching from beer to wine because you think that doing this will help you drink less or keep you from getting drunk.
- You feel guilty after drinking.
- You make excuses for your drinking or do things to hide your drinking, such as buying alcohol at different stores.
- You worry that you won’t get enough alcohol for an evening or weekend.
If you have a friend or family member who is addicted to alcohol, you can help them start to get treatment for alcoholism by telling them about drug rehab centers such as Advanced Health and Education in New Jersey. Advanced Health and Educationa drug and alcohol addiction counseling center located in Eatontown, New Jersey. They have been in business for over 40 years, and help guide you through the recovery process, from intervention through treatment and aftercare.
thanks for bring awareness to this problem
I was lucky to have loving friends who got me help 20 years ago. Day by day.
slehan at juno dot com
Good posting. Sadly, it is teens (and even younger!) that make up many of today’s alcoholics. It’s so important for parent’s to be aware of this. Many parents think , “Oh, well – at least it’s not drugs”. But there has been more misery caused by alcohol than by drugs.