What Are the Signs of Alcohol Addiction?

Alcohol addiction is a medical condition that affects 29.5 million people in the United States. It’s the most common substance use disorder in the world. However, less than five percent of Americans with alcohol addiction receive the treatment they need. 

The early warning signs of alcohol addiction can be hard to recognize in your own life, especially if you resist admitting there’s a problem. The specialists at KETA Medical Center help patients overcome the compulsion to drink and achieve long-lasting sobriety with intravenous (IV) ketamine therapy. 

Signs and symptoms of alcohol addiction

Alcohol addiction occurs when your use of alcohol significantly interferes with your life, and you find yourself unable to control how much or how often you drink. 

The condition can range from mild to severe. Without early treatment, a mild alcohol disorder can easily escalate and cause serious problems. Watch for these signs:

Frequent binge drinking

Binge drinking refers to alcohol consumption that raises your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to around 0.08 grams per deciliter, around five drinks in two hours for men and four drinks in two hours for women.

Frequent binge drinking increases your risk of developing alcohol addiction, as well as other dangerous health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. 

Neglecting responsibilities

Alcohol addiction can cause people to neglect responsibilities and obligations at home, work, or school despite negative consequences. You may want to quit drinking but feel unable to stop or when you have a series of unsuccessful attempts in the past.

Increased tolerance

One of the first signs of an alcohol use disorder is increased tolerance, showing the need to consume more alcohol to achieve the desired result. If you have a high alcohol tolerance, you may exhibit fewer signs of intoxication; however, your judgment and reaction time are still impaired. 

Withdrawal symptoms

When people with alcohol addiction stop drinking, they often experience withdrawal symptoms such as:

• Sweating
• Rapid heartbeat
• Hand tremors
• Insomnia
• Nausea and vomiting
• Anxiety or depression

These symptoms may occur within several hours or up to five days after you stop drinking. Withdrawal symptoms from severe alcohol addiction can be dangerous and may include seizures and hallucinations.

Treating alcohol addiction

Traditional methods for treating alcohol addiction include counseling, behavioral therapy, and medications that reduce the urge to drink. Though these treatments can be effective in some cases, 40% to 60% of people with substance use disorders relapse in less than a year.

When other treatments fail, medically supervised IV ketamine therapy may be the solution. Low doses of ketamine, in combination with psychotherapy, can help patients with severe alcohol addiction stay sober for a longer period of time, often with fast results starting soon after treatment. 

At KETA Medical Center, your ketamine treatment takes place in a comfortable, private room with doctors and staff members on-site at all times. To find out if ketamine treatment is right for you, schedule a free ten-minute phone consultation or make an appointment online today.