If you’re asking yourself, “Am I an alcoholic,” you’ve taken an important step. Whether the answer is yes or no, you now have the opportunity to assess your drinking behaviors. How can you tell if you’re affected by alcoholism? Doctors look for a range of potential symptoms. If enough of these symptoms are present, you need help from some form of alcohol addiction rehab.
At New Start Recovery, we understand the importance of examining your alcohol use. We also understand the crucial need for prompt treatment of alcoholism. That’s why we include comprehensive alcohol addiction treatment among our many services. With help from our staff of experts, recovery from the effects of alcoholism is within reach.
Am I an Alcoholic? – What Doctors Look For
Today, experts don’t view alcoholism as a separate substance problem. Instead, they view it as part of a larger condition called alcohol use disorder or AUD. Also included in the definition of AUD is serious, non-addicted alcohol abuse. In total, there are 11 possible AUD symptoms. Most, but not all, of these symptoms, are signs of alcoholism. Specific indicators of alcoholism include:
- Having a rising tolerance to alcohol’s intoxicating effects
- Lacking control over how much you drink and/or how often you drink
- Not being able to quit drinking after making multiple attempts
- Creating a daily routine that’s focused on drinking-related things
- Continuing to drink despite clear signs of mental or physical damage
- Reducing or quitting important activities so you have more time to drink
- Going into withdrawal if you rapidly cut back on drinking or completely stop
- Experiencing powerful cravings to drink more alcohol
The presence of even one or two of these symptoms is a cause for deep concern.
Other Potential AUD Symptoms
The remaining symptoms of AUD are signs of serious, non-addicted abuse of alcohol. They include:
- Having a habit of using alcohol in risky or dangerous situations
- Not quitting alcohol use despite its harmful impact on your relationships
- Failing to meet important commitments as a consequence of your drinking
Why are alcoholism and non-addicted alcohol abuse grouped? The two problems often overlap. If you have symptoms of one, you may also be affected by symptoms of the other. In addition, both alcoholism and serious abuse have the potential to disrupt your daily life in important ways.
Am I an Alcoholic? – Diagnosing AUD
How do doctors diagnose the presence of AUD? You are affected if you have at least two of the 11 possible symptoms within a year. It doesn’t matter whether those symptoms are related to alcoholism or non-addicted abuse. This means that you can qualify for an AUD diagnosis even if all of your symptoms are alcoholism-related. The same holds if all of your symptoms are related to non-addicted abuse.
AUD can be mild, moderate, or severe. Mild cases are limited to two or three symptoms. Moderate cases involve four or five. Severe AUD involves at least six symptoms. Be aware that only a doctor or addiction specialist can make an official AUD diagnosis.
Turn to New Start Recovery for Quality Alcohol Addiction Rehab
New Start Recovery is committed to helping you recover from serious drinking problems. No matter how severely you’re affected, support is available in our alcohol addiction rehab program. If you have mild-to-moderate AUD, outpatient treatment may be the best option. For moderate-to-severe AUD, you may need the additional help provided by inpatient treatment.
All recovery plans at New Start are customized to meet your needs and situation. Every step of the way, we treat you as an individual, not a statistic. To learn more about our treatment options, call us today at [Direct]. You can also reach us through our online form.