Beach House Center for Recovery offers a safe and comfortable environment for lasting recovery from alcohol addiction. By addressing fundamental causes of addiction, Beach House helps our patients identify the mental, spiritual, and physical roots of substance dependency.
What is Alcohol Addiction?
Alcohol use disorder, commonly known as alcoholism, involves a cycle of unhealthy or uncontrollable substance use that persists even after it starts to cause physical, emotional, or professional problems.
Alcohol addiction affects more than 14 million Americans over the age of 12. The 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that only 7% of people with alcohol use disorder were treated for the condition during the previous year.
Over time, this type of addiction can cause serious personal, psychological, and physical problems. An estimated 380 people in the United States die every day from alcohol overdose or serious medical complications that accrue from long-term excessive drinking. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excessive drinking is the cause of one-in-five deaths of people in the United States between the ages of 20 and 49.
Signs and Symptoms of Alcohol Addiction
The American Psychiatric Association includes the following criteria for diagnosing alcohol use disorder:
- Drinking more alcohol than intended
- Making multiple unsuccessful attempts to curb drinking
- Spending a significant portion of a day either drinking or recovering from the effects of drinking
- Obsessing about the next drink
- Being unable to care for family or perform at work or school because of drinking
- Persisting in drinking regardless of resulting relationship problems
- Persisting in drinking regardless of resulting health problems
- Limiting pleasurable or important activities in order to drink
- Engaging in high-risk behavior as a result of drinking
- Having to drink larger quantities to achieve the desired level of intoxication
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not drinking
The magnitude of alcohol addiction can range from mild to severe. The early stages of alcohol use disorder might involve experiencing two or three of the above signs. Moderate addiction involves the presence of four or five of the above signs. Severe alcohol use disorder will involve the presence of six or more of the above signs.
Because alcohol use is more socially acceptable than illicit drug use, it can be difficult to recognize disordered alcohol consumption in loved ones. Very often, friends and family members experiencing an addiction to alcohol will conceal their alcohol misuse, making identifying the disorder challenging. Some common signs a loved one is experiencing alcohol addiction include the following:
- Inattention to personal hygiene
- Uncharacteristic secretiveness or lying
- Sudden job loss
- Theft
- Hiding bottles of alcohol
- Social isolation
- Dramatic shifts in mood
- Loss of friends
One of the most significant indications of alcohol addiction is the inability to cease drinking due to fear of experiencing physical withdrawal symptoms. Without a safe environment, alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening. Individuals who have long been exposed to alcohol have significant changes in their bodies. They may suffer a heart attack, seizure or simply stop breathing from not having access to alcohol over a short period of time. People with long-term alcohol use disorder or underlying medical conditions are more likely to experience severe, potentially fatal withdrawal symptoms.
Withdrawal from alcohol includes the following symptoms:
- Heart palpitations
- Seizures
- Fever
- Inability to breathe steadily
- Difficulty sleeping
- Nightmares
- Nausea
- Hallucinations
- Sweating
- Significant Anxiety
- Changes in blood pressure
Because of the potentially dangerous effects of alcohol withdrawal, it is imperative to go through the detoxification process under close medical supervision to ensure safety and comfort.
Beach House Alcohol Rehab Florida: Our Treatment Approach
The team at Beach House offers a stellar record of providing effective substance use disorder treatment programs for a diverse population of patients. We strive to foster a healthy rapport and connection with our patients, crafting individualized treatment plans depending on their needs, health, and history of substance use. We offer holistic treatments of bio-bed biosound therapy, massage therapy, yoga, and meditation for alcohol addiction treatment in a nontraditional setting.
We understand the struggle with alcohol addiction. At Beach House, we believe the opposite of addiction is love and connection. Learn to love yourself again, discover the powerful connections within the recovery community, and find freedom from addiction. To learn more about our alcohol rehab in Florida, contact our compassionate and helpful admissions counselors today.