Alcohol addiction affects around 15.1 million Americans over the age of 18, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, but only around 11 percent get the help they need to recover. Whether you heavily abuse alcohol, are addicted to it, or have a dependence on it, alcohol rehab in Bonham can help you quit drinking for good to improve your health, your quality of life, and your well-being.
Alcohol abuse, addiction, and dependence are not the same thing, although these terms are often used interchangeably. Nowadays, abuse, addiction and dependence fall under the diagnosis of an alcohol use disorder, which is classified as mild, moderate, or severe.
Alcohol abuse is the act of using alcohol in a way that causes problems in your life. Maybe you get a DUI, or put yourself at a higher risk of sexual assault or STDs. Maybe alcohol causes problems in your relationship. You may be struggling at your job or at school, or you may be in poor overall health due to your drinking.
Binge drinking is the most common form of alcohol abuse and occurs when you drink enough alcohol over the space of two hours to bring your blood alcohol level up to .08 percent. For women, this is typically four drinks, while for men, it's typically five.
Alcohol addiction occurs due to brain changes that cause the brain to associate liking alcohol with wanting or needing it. This causes intense cravings for alcohol, particularly when you encounter a trigger, or a person, place, thing, emotion, or event that your brain associates with drinking. Alcohol addiction is characterized by compulsive alcohol abuse and the inability to stop drinking despite the problems it's causing in your life.
Alcohol dependence is also the result of brain changes that occur with heavy alcohol abuse. As your brain changes the way it functions chemically to compensate for the large amounts of alcohol in your system, you build a tolerance to alcohol. This means that it takes increasingly larger doses to get the same effects.
The more you drink to counteract these brain changes, the more the brain works to compensate. At some point, brain function may shift, and your brain will begin to function more comfortably when alcohol is in your system than when it's not. Then, when you stop drinking, brain function rebounds, and withdrawal symptoms set in. These alcohol withdrawal symptoms, which may include headache, tremors, nausea, insomnia, seizures, and hallucinations, are the major indication that a dependence on alcohol has developed.
This is why it's essential for addicts to be aware of their drinking problem and seek immediate treatment at our inpatient drug rehab in Bonham. It's the only way for an alcoholic to quit drinking for good.
Eleven criteria are used to diagnose an alcohol use disorder. Meeting two to three criteria denotes a mild disorder, while three to four denote a moderate disorder. More than five criteria indicate a sever alcohol use disorder. The criteria are:
Our center for alcohol and drug detox in Bonham helps you withdraw from alcohol safely and comfortably. Once the detox process is complete, our alcohol rehab in Bonham can help you curb your alcohol abuse or send your addiction into remission through abstinence.
Through a variety of traditional and complementary therapies, high quality alcohol addiction treatment addresses the complex issues behind your addiction, which may include a history of trauma, chronic stress, or family dysfunction. Treatment therapies also help you:
Fear is a major reason why so many people neglect to seek help for an alcohol addiction. Some are afraid of what others will think, or they worry that treatment won't work for them. Others are worried about the cost, or they're afraid that life will be dull and boring without alcohol.
Our alcohol rehab in Bonham helps you transform your life from the inside out. There's nothing to be afraid of, and there's everything to gain. Call us today at (877) 804-1531 to get started.