When Do You Need Alcohol Rehab?

When do you need alcohol rehab? Here’s when it’s time to get help.

When Do You Need Alcohol Rehab? 11 Signs of Alcoholism

The National Institute on Drug Abuse stresses that good intentions and willpower are rarely enough to end an addiction for the long-term. Rehab is almost always needed, but when do you need alcohol rehab? The answer is, when you realize you have an addiction.

Addiction is diagnosed under the umbrella of “substance use disorder.” The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual outlines eleven criteria that indicate an alcohol use disorder. Meeting two or three criteria is considered a mild disorder. Four or five denotes a moderate disorder, and meeting six or more criteria indicates a severe alcohol use disorder. These are the official 11 signs of alcoholism that can help you know when to go to rehab:

1. Drinking more alcohol or for a longer period of time than you intended.
2. Wanting to cut down or quit drinking but finding that you can’t.
3. Spending a lot of time drinking and recovering from drinking.
4. Experiencing intense cravings for alcohol.
5. Continuing to drink even though it causes problems in your life, such as financial or legal troubles or problems at work or school.
6. Continuing to drink even though it’s causing problems in your relationships.
7. Losing interest in activities you used to enjoy in favor of drinking.
8. Repeatedly finding yourself in risky situations when you’re under the influence.
9. Continuing to drink even though it’s causing or worsening physical or mental health problems.
10. Building a tolerance to alcohol so that you need increasingly larger doses to get the desired effects–a sign that you’re developing a physical dependence on alcohol.
11. Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking, which is the primary indication that you’ve developed dependence on alcohol.

So, when do you need alcohol rehab? However many signs of alcoholism you have–whether your substance use disorder is mild or severe–treatment can help you end heavy alcohol abuse or an alcohol addiction for the long-term. If you’ve decided that now is when to go to rehab, Better Addiction Care can help you find a high quality, reputable treatment program near you–or, if you prefer, one that’s far from home.

How Treatment Works

Addiction almost always has underlying causes, such as chronic stress, a history of trauma, or mental illness. Treatment helps people get to the bottom of the reasons why they drink and heal from the ravages of the addiction. Through a variety of both traditional “talk” therapies and complementary treatment therapies, individuals in treatment:

• Address underlying issues.
• Identify and change self-destructive thought and behavior patterns.
• Develop essential coping skills for handling stress, cravings, high-risk situations, and other triggers.
• Restore function to the household through family therapy.
• Repair damaged relationships and develop new, healthy relationships.
• Find purpose and meaning in a life without alcohol.
• Learn how to have fun and relax without alcohol.
• Find the resources to address a wide range of personal needs, such as vocational or educational assistance.

A holistic treatment program that addresses physical, mental, and spiritual issues offers the best possible outcomes of treatment, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. A holistic program promotes whole-person healing and leads to a higher quality of life and greater sense of wellbeing for the long-haul.

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, get help right away. Make a phone call that will connect you to a professional drug treatment center. The call you make may save your life or the life of someone you love. Call us today at (800) 429-7690