Alcohol Addiction

Let's face it, 2020 has not been our year. Between the coronavirus, ongoing wildfires, and the deaths of George Floyd and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, it feels like we're living in a poorly-scripted movie. Most of us have reached our wit's end looking for ways to cope with the fallout from these events, but this year has been far worse for some than others. If you struggle with mental health or substance abuse problems, the added stress and uncertainty can take a greater toll and make it even harder to get through the day. Not all hope is lost, however. The silver lining among all of this may be increased access to mental health care. With concerns rising over the impact of social isolation, heightened anxiety, and increased drug or alcohol use during the pandemic, mental health has become a priority and efforts have been made to make treatment more widely available. Most providers now offer both on-site care and telehealth services, increasing treatment options, and accessibility for those with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders.

Addiction doesn’t always involve substance abuse. Sometimes, people become addicted to self-defeating and risky behaviors, like gambling, shopping, or over-eating. This type of addiction is called “process addiction.” These behaviors are often developed during early childhood as a way of coping with trauma, fear, or a negative belief structure. When dealing with a process addiction, one needs to develop the awareness to be able to examine your behaviors and facilitate change. Practicing mindfulness can help us develop a focused self-awareness that can benefit not just our recovery, but many aspects of our lives

When it comes to addiction recovery, the number of diverse options available can be overwhelming. It can be difficult to know what your needs are, especially if you're seeking help for the first time or have recently relapsed and are unsure about what comes next. As you explore your options, you might come across partial hospitalization programs, or PHPs, and wonder who should be in this level of care. Keep reading to learn more about PHP and whether it can help you reach your recovery goals.

Alcohol is a popular addition to weddings, birthday parties, dinner celebrations, and other social events. Your journey in recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD) does not need to circumvent these major events, as long as you are aware of the risks and prepared to face triggers.

Imagine you are at a New Year’s Eve party. Your friend finishes off an entire bottle of champagne, stays up all night dancing, and still feels great the next morning. You have a few glasses of wine and wake up exhausted with a pounding headache. Why does this happen? It’s a well-known fact that different types of alcohol can have a variety of effects on us, based on our age, sex, race, size, the amount consumed and many factors. The body also metabolizes alcohol differently than food and other drinks - and the rate at which your own body metabolizes it can have a major impact on how we feel soon after drinking and the next morning as well.

Recovery is considered a lifelong process for a reason – because we’re constantly learning new things and discovering how to work through our trials and tribulations. Recovery is about learning what leads us to better living and what puts us back in harm’s way. The beginning of our recovery journey can be especially difficult because of the heightened risk of relapsing. When a person relapses, they revert back to old addictive behavior patterns, even if temporarily. Relapse is one of the most feared aspects of recovery, simply because it’s often viewed as a sign of failure. But relapse is a normal part of the recovery process and should not be considered a failure - it is simply an opportunity to learn more about ourselves and what we need for complete healing.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a 12-Step program that has helped and continues to help millions of people around the world battling drug and/or alcohol addiction. When AA was first cultivated, it was predominantly made up of people who were above the age of 30. Over time, however, the crowd got younger. Within the last decade, Alcoholics Anonymous has seen members as young as 11 years old. Because of the growing community of young people in AA, groups and committees have been organized as a way of catering to these age groups, promoting a stronger fellowship and age-appropriate activities.

Before coming into AA many of us had burned our relationships with family, friends, and loved ones. By working on ourselves, whether it be through 12-step programs like AA and NA, or simply by taking therapeutic direction, we can begin to rebuild these relationships. We are all social beings and, therefore, crave connection with others, despite how much easier isolation can feel. Only with honest self-reflection can we begin to make restitution to those we have hurt.

Most people would confirm that blackouts can be somewhat funny and somewhat terrifying at the same time. While the brain is experiencing a sort of mechanical failure, many people still laugh at the idea of piecing together events of the previous night after becoming intoxicated.   Drinking too much and too fast can cause blackouts. These experiences are incredibly common, especially in America, where drinking to excess is of the norm. If blackouts are occurring frequently in a person’s life, this could be a sign that they’re battling with alcoholism. Unfortunately, people are often unaware of this fact, due to how normalized drinking is in US culture. The reality is that when it comes to drinking, the more intoxicated a person gets, the more difficulties they’ll have remembering the events of the night prior.   The morning after a binge or a blackout is often filled with anxiety and regret. In addition to not being able to remember what exactly happened the night before, a person may also struggle with impaired vision, impaired judgment, difficulty standing, walking and more. For those who understand the severe impact of alcoholism, recovery is about understanding not only the harmful effects these behaviors can have on our body and our loved ones but also how they can negatively impact the brain’s processing.

Watching a loved one battle with addiction is painful, and often baffling. Seeing someone continue to drink and/or use in the face of losing everything worth living for creates confusion and frustration, especially among those who have never experienced addiction personally. If you are struggling with the fear of losing someone you love to addiction, you’re not alone. While the addict may think they are only hurting themselves, the reality is that their addiction impacts everyone who cares about them.  Pain from seeing you’re loved one in active addiction may lead you to wonder if you could have stopped it somehow, or if you can fix it now. Maybe you don’t understand how it could have gotten to this point, and you’re wondering if it will ever get better. Feelings like these are normal. Therapy coupled with support from others who have gone through similar experiences often provides the insight necessary to navigate these emotions healthily. Seeking out your support system and educating yourself on the disease of addiction is the best way to understand and help your addicted loved one.

Each year, hundreds of veterans experience PTSD. Alongside the many symptoms that accompany PTSD, such as nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, panic attacks and more, those who have served in the military tend to experience a tremendous amount of stress upon their return from war. Substance use disorders (SUDs) are extremely prevalent among our military veterans, and unfortunately, many don’t receive the social, financial and mental health support that they deserve.

We’ve known for many years now that alcohol can affect men and women differently. While both are just as likely to become addicted, the reality is that women often require less alcohol to become intoxicated than their counterparts. Typically, this is due to differing alcohol absorption and metabolization rates in men and women. However, many people often wonder how different types of alcohol affect their system, regardless of gender. Obtaining a clear understanding of types of alcohol and their effects may better prepare you to protect yourself from dependency and the dangers of addiction.