Alcohol Rehab Center in Indiana

As previously mentioned, mental health and addiction treatment professionals turned to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders to help diagnose the presence and severity of alcoholism or an alcohol use disorder. The eleven criteria listed in the DSM list various physical and psychological symptoms of alcohol addiction. It is crucial to recognize the signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse to ensure you, or a loved one, receives early and comprehensive addiction treatment at an alcohol rehab in Indiana, like Evolve Indy. Because addiction (to any substance) is unique to the individual, the signs and symptoms of addiction may look different from person to person. However, there are a variety of common symptoms often seen in most cases. Those include:

• Continuing to drink regardless of known physical harm or challenges with family and personal relationships
• Changes in appearance or lack of concern about hygiene
• Increasing isolation and distancing from friends and family.
• Intense and overwhelming urges to drink or experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you reduce or stop drinking. 
• Choosing alcohol over essential responsibilities and obligations.
• Sudden changes in mood or frequent mood swings.
• Drinking alone or making excuses for drinking.
• Cognitive changes such as blackouts or difficulties with short-term memory.

It is also essential to understand how alcohol addiction develops. Alcohol addiction or alcoholism is the most severe state of alcohol abuse. Once someone has developed alcoholism (commonly referred to as an alcohol use disorder), they will find it impossible to manage their drinking or reduce the amount they drink without seeking help at an alcohol rehab in Indiana. Both terms, alcoholism and alcohol use disorder, are used interchangeably to describe excessive alcohol use that leads to psychological, behavioral, and physical harm to the user. The four stages of alcoholism were defined by E. Morton Jellinek, a researcher who was a significant contributor to today’s understanding that alcohol addiction is a disease, not a moral failing. 

As someone progresses through the stages of alcoholism, it will become more and more challenging to give up alcohol independently. Stage one or pre-alcoholic characterizes a stage where drinking is primarily social. For someone in stage one, there is often little evidence of problematic drinking. However, as this stage progresses, drinking is often used for other reasons, and with greater frequency. Near the end of stage one, a tolerance for the effects of alcohol begins to develop. Stage two, or early alcoholism, is characterized by the inability to resist drinking. While the individual may be uncomfortable with their dependency on alcohol, they are incapable of avoiding drinking. Additionally, someone who struggles with drinking may lie to their loved ones about how often they drink or why they drink during this stage.

Stage three, or middle alcoholic, is when the signs of alcoholism become apparent to friends and family. Typical behaviors associated with problematic drinking, such as skipping obligations to drink, or skipping out on work in favor of drinking, begin to occur. Additionally, behavioral changes such as mood swings, aggression, and physical changes linked to alcohol abuse become apparent. During stage three, it is not uncommon for someone to try to stop drinking without professional help, but inevitably relapse. The final stage is stage four, or late alcoholic. During this stage, the physical and psychological effects of chronic long-term alcohol abuse are clearly observable. Severe physical and mental health problems may develop, and family, personal, and social relationships begin to fail as drinking becomes a priority.