Clinically Reviewed by Dr. Olalekan Otulana (Advanced Practitioner)
All information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional.
Last Reviewed: 2nd February 2023
Alcohol Addiction Help
Cassiobury Court offers alcohol addiction help for individuals that are in need of urgent help and advice on dealing with addiction, whether it’s yourself or a loved one our caring team will be able to guide you on the best action to take when tackling addiction.
Alcohol addiction is considered to be a disease, specifically a chronic disease of the mind. Alcohol addiction is characterised by a dependency on alcohol.
This dependency is habitual and largely involuntary. Addiction negatively impacts the sufferer’s life in many ways. This includes job loss, a deterioration in physical health and even death.
Alcoholism affects millions of people across the globe. 3 million people are believed to perish from alcohol addiction each year across the world, this represents 5.3% of all deaths.
Alcohol addiction is known as ‘alcohol use disorder’ by health professionals, the most common way to diagnose alcohol use disorder is if the patient experiences one of the following: tolerance to alcohol, withdrawal symptoms, unsuccessful efforts to cut down, time is spent recovering from the effects of alcohol, social and occupational pursuits are given up to use alcohol.
Alcohol Addiction Versus Dependence
Alcohol addiction and alcohol dependency are often used interchangeably. However, addiction and dependency are distinct from one another. Addiction is a disease of the mind, and professional treatment at an alcohol rehab is usually in order to help the sufferer overcome this deliberating disorder.
When a person suffers from alcoholism, he or she is seldom about to control the impulse to continue to drink alcohol. When this person stops using alcohol, he or she will experience withdrawal symptoms and powerful cravings to continue drinking alcohol.
Alcohol addiction: is physical as well as psychological in nature. This means when a person suffering from the addiction attempts to stop drinking alcohol, he or she will begin to suffer from a range of physical withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, hallucinations and seizures.
Alcohol dependency: solely refers to the physical characteristics of the addiction. This includes a tolerance to drinking alcohol and the physical withdrawal symptoms experienced when the person attempts to stop drinking alcohol. These withdrawal symptoms are collectively known as alcohol withdrawal syndrome. This syndrome is potentially life-threatening and it’s recommended those going through this process undergo an alcohol detox programme at a residential rehab facility.
What Drives An Alcohol Addiction?
Alcohol addiction is generally caused by a combination of factors. These factors include social factors, environmental factors, genetic factors and mental factors. These factors must generally be combined with one another for alcohol addiction to arise.
Mental causes of alcohol addiction include depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and bipolar disorder. People suffering from these mental health issues are known to ‘self-medicate’ with alcohol. Alcohol allows sufferers to numb the negative feelings associated with these common mental health problems.
Alcohol Addiction and Hereditary Disposition
Hereditary disposition does indeed cause or at least significantly contributes to the rise of alcohol addiction. In a nutshell, if close family members suffer from alcoholism, you too are more likely to develop the disorder yourself. This is because our DNA largely dictates are behaviour. DNA thus gives rise to a genetic disposition.
Is Alcohol Addiction A Disease?
Contrary to popular belief, alcohol addiction is largely involuntary and it is considered a disease. In the USA, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) states that it is a diagnosable medical condition. Those of us suffering from alcohol addiction should not be considered morally blameworthy for their condition. The concept of the disease was initially proposed by Swedish Physician Magnus Huss in the 1800s.
To this day, many people stigmatise alcohol addiction – and it leads to many feeling ashamed to reach out and seek help for alcohol addiction. Often fearing their family’s reaction to an addiction – they seek no help and fall further down the spiral of alcohol abuse and unhappiness.
You can change that. If you are an alcoholic – why not call us today for help? You are suffering from a disease and at Cassiobury Court – we employ medical specialists who have been trained for years in facilitating alcohol addiction help that can lead to long-term recovery from addiction. Call us today on 01923 369 161 for more information, and one of our specialists will be on the line immediately, to advise you on how we can help you.
Alcohol Addiction Treatment
Cassiobury Court is one of the leading addiction treatment centres in the UK. We offer evidence-based holistic treatment to help individuals beat their addiction to alcohol. The treatment has been designed to heal the mind and body of an individual for long term addiction recovery.
Alcohol Addiction help we offer includes a full 28-day rehab programme which includes a medically assisted detox to remove all traces of alcohol from your system as well as regular therapy and counselling sessions which will help you whilst going through detox and give you the knowledge to beat your addictive behaviours and remove all the bad drinking habits which caused your addiction to develop.
Support groups with other patients suffering from addiction are also held on a regular basis, the groups are there to give you all the help and encouragement you need from people who are going through the same process. If you would like more information on our alcohol rehab programmes then please get in touch with our team on 01923 369 161.
Alcohol Addiction Help FAQ’s
We know that alcohol addiction can be very hard to talk about – if you believe someone is suffering then you may be afraid to ask them about it. Over time, we have spoken to thousands of alcoholics and family members about alcoholism and we truly understand what you are going through.
In the section below, we have answered some of the most commonly asked questions regarding the subject. If the answer to your question is not below then please do not hesitate to call us – we will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
If you suspect you suffer from alcohol addiction, you should consider going to alcohol rehab as soon as is practically possible.
Are you not sure if you are actually suffering from an addiction?
- Your drinking makes you feel remorseful and you often don’t remember what you have done or said when under the influence of alcohol
- You cannot stop continuing to drink after you have consumed your first drink
- You continue to drink despite the fact your drinking negatively impacts most areas of your life e.g. the socially and occupationally
- You have failed to stop drinking despite your best efforts
If you relate to the above guidelines, the time has probably come for you to overcome denial about your addiction to alcohol and finally seek out professional help. The sooner you seek out treatment, the better your chances of succeeding in your recovery.
Alcohol Addiction and depression go hand in hand in many different ways. Alcohol Addiction causes depression - but depression also causes alcohol addiction.
Depression is caused by a lack of dopamine reception in the brain - the "feel good" chemical in your brains. This could be a natural process - due to exposure to stressful events, or your personality.
Alcohol boosts the dopamine production your brain and makes you feel better for a short period of time. However, the depression will often be worsened as the alcohol wears off- and your brain cuts down on the production of "feel good" chemicals.
As your depression becomes worse, so does the alcohol consumption in many cases as a way to escape the feelings of sadness. Alcohol Addiction and depression feed off each other - this is why it is important you must know that alcohol is not a coping mechanism.
Alcohol addiction is often considered one of the most noted causes of divorces and domestic altercations. Of married couples who get into physical altercations, some 60-70 percent abuse alcohol.
Alcohol Addiction can also lead to a financial rut for families. As there are responsibilities neglected - it could lead to a loss of job, or payments missed due to the abuse of alcohol.
The symptoms and most common warning signs for alcohol addiction are:
- Regular blackouts
- Unable to say no to alcohol
- Being dishonest about how much you drink
- Always tired
- Constantly looking unwell
- Always appear drunk
- Feeling hungover despite not drinking
- Becoming distant from friends and family
If you experience any of these symptoms then you may have a drinking problem and should look into alcohol addiction treatment, if you don't have the funds available for private treatment you still have options with the likes of the NHS and Alcoholics Anonymous offering support for addicts.
