Causes, Signs and Symptoms of Alcohol Abuse

Causes, Signs and Symptoms of Alcohol Abuse

Our culture has had a large part in creating “social drinkers” who unfortunately, can end up becoming alcohol abusers, needing alcohol rehabilitation.  Unlike those that need drug treatment, alcohol abuse is more widely accepted.  Most people do not rush into the notion that help is needed, unlike drug abuse, where there is a more obvious need for drug addiction recovery.  Unknown by many, alcohol is a drug and affects your mind and body as such.  Because alcohol abuse is more accepted and more difficult to identify, alcohol rehabilitation is usually postponed until the person’s life is literally falling apart and they have no other place to turn.

The causes of alcohol abuse are varied.  For some people, they can drink responsibly and never got snared into the vicious alcohol cycle.  For others, this is impossible and they drink excessively to the point of losing their jobs, family and health.  You see, there are many contributing factors to alcohol abuse.  Perhaps you have a family history of alcoholism.  While the exact line between environment and genetics isn’t totally clear, there seems to be a correlation between those that end up needing alcohol rehabilitation and a family history of alcoholism.  Also, there might be peer pressure as the factor.  This type of pressure is not just attributed to teens, although teens do become alcohol abusers and end up in need of alcohol rehabilitation just as they would need drug treatment.  But adults fall into this as well.  Finally, there might be very stressful situations around the person and they use alcohol to cope and help get them through.  Whatever the reason the individual becomes engaged in alcohol abuse, it is imperative that they must seek help for alcohol rehabilitation before they end up losing everything they love.

People often wonder what the physical signs are of alcohol abuse so they can be on the alert for this disease amongst family members.  It’s true that people use alcohol at different levels, but the basic pattern of abuse is pretty much the same.  When the person has been drinking, their speech is slurred, they are unsteady and clumsy as well as they might black out.  There is unexplained weight loss, a red face or cheeks, frequent upset stomachs and even numbness in their extremities.  When discovered, this can be alarming, but remember, there is help through alcohol rehabilitation and treatment centers.  With this support, the road to alcohol or drug addiction recovery is challenging but can be rewarding as well.

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