What Is Alcohol Use Disorder? Your Guide To Alcohol Addiction In Fort Lauderdale
September 24, 2024
What Is Alcohol Use Disorder? Your Guide To Alcohol Addiction In Fort Lauderdale
Numerous people indulge in alcoholic beverages from time to time. But alcohol can be habit-forming. If you start consuming alcohol to deal with life or find you’re not able to limit your drinking, you might have an alcohol use disorder (AUD). This condition can rapidly take over your life and adversely affect all the things you enjoyed before.
But you shouldn’t lose hope. If you think you or someone you love have alcohol use disorder near Fort Lauderdale, support and long-term recovery are within reach. Read on to learn more about AUD and the steps to take if you need support right now.
What Is Alcohol Use Disorder?
Alcohol use disorder is a medical condition where you feel the need to drink alcohol in spite of the negative ramifications of overconsumption. Your brain calls for the mind-altering chemicals in alcohol and no longer operates adequately without them. AUD may be mild, moderate, or severe. At its most intense, you are in jeopardy of overdosing on alcohol with fatal ramifications.
When going through AUD, you could cultivate an alcohol addiction and have uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms if you attempt to stop partaking. Without specialized help, you cannot keep yourself from consuming alcohol to mitigate the unease your body experiences when you try to detox from alcohol. If you can stop “cold turkey,” you still have to fight the practice of consistent drinking. AUD must have skilled treatment to recover completely.
Why Do People Develop Alcohol Use Disorder?
Numerous people in Fort Lauderdale drink, but not everyone develops an alcohol use disorder. Several factors help determine your risk of developing AUD:
- Drinking early in life
- Underlying mental health disorders
- Past trauma
- Inadequate coping mechanisms
- Genetics
- Family history of alcohol use disorder
Many people begin binging on alcohol as a result of high levels of stress. With a lack of healthy coping skills, it’s simple to counteract the difficult feelings that stem from mental illness and trauma with the mind-altering effects of alcohol. If those feelings come back, you turn to alcohol to shut them down again. You feel better temporarily under the influence of alcohol.
Regrettably, alcohol is not an answer. When you use it regularly, you can become dependent on those chemicals to go about life. Without them, you feel worse than you did prior and are urged to drink more. In time, drinking consumes your life and negatively affects your wellness, relationships, finances, career and leisure pursuits. When you become trapped in this downward spiral, you can’t stop drinking without expert treatment.
What Are Some Alcohol Addiction Symptoms?
Continual drinking doesn’t automatically indicate a disorder. Alcohol use progresses into a disorder when it begins interfering with your life. Various behaviors linked to drinking can signal an alcohol use disorder.
You might have AUD if you:
- Regularly drink in excess of or longer than you planned
- Are not able to quit drinking even when you want to
- Spend a lot of time seeking and drinking alcohol, despite the fact it makes you feel bad or interferes with other activities
- You’re compelled to drink so much you are unable to direct attention on other things
- Have participated in unsafe behaviors while drinking alcohol
- Have to drink more than you did previously in order to achieve the desired feeling
- Have abandoned enjoyable activities to make more time for drinking
- Continual drinking despite its influence on loved ones
- Have withdrawal symptoms when you cease drinking alcohol
The severity of your AUD generally corresponds to the number of symptoms you endure. But any person who’s displaying signals of alcohol addiction symptoms near Fort Lauderdale is entitled to specialized therapy and support. You shouldn’t have to take on alcohol use disorder alone.
What You Should Know About Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
If you are addicted to alcohol, your system requires it to operate. If you stop drinking, you get sick. This is called withdrawal.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms are different from person to person and reflect your level of alcohol usage. If you begin to withdrawal, you might experience any combination of these symptoms:
- Insomnia
- Shaky hands
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sweating
- Anxiety
- Hallucinations
- Seizures
- Delirium tremens
- Delusions
- Confusion
- Racing heart
- Fever
- High blood pressure
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms are a sure-fire indicator that you or a loved one has AUD and needs help. Withdrawal is often distressing and, in rare cases, even fatal if not controlled by medical specialists. If a person close to you| desires to stop using alcohol but faces withdrawal whenever they attempt to, reach out to a Fort Lauderdale substance use treatment center for support.
Can You “Cure” Alcohol Addiction?
Alcohol use disorder and addiction are considered chronic diseases. Technically, there is no cure. Even so, a long-term recovery is possible. With the right combination of medical and mental health care, you can find how to navigate the compulsion to drink and achieve a sober lifestyle. It’s a difficult undertaking, but countless people eventually overcome alcohol use disorder in Fort Lauderdale and regain control of their lives.
Finding Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment In Fort Lauderdale
Nobody can accomplish sobriety on their own–and you don’t have to! Finding alcohol use disorder treatment near Fort Lauderdale may be unnerving, but you have a right to expert care to help get yourself on a sober path.
Alcohol use recovery can feel more doable when you look at it as several steps. There is no single road to a sober life. Countless people relapse and undertake some of these steps more than once. But you should know, you can get help from family members and accredited professionals throughout your journey.
Alcohol detox: The first step is to detox from alcohol. When your system removes those chemicals, you require medical guidance to maintain your safety and comfort. Whenever you’re ready to end your alcohol dependence, enter a residential detox center near Fort Lauderdale. You’ll benefit from round-the-clock guidance for 7 days or more as you go through withdrawal.
Alcohol rehab: Following detox, your mind and body will still want alcohol. You will need to proceed to residential rehab care where medical staff can aid you in navigating post-acute withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol rehab emphasizes repairing your brain from the impact of alcohol addiction. You’ll participate in several hours of therapy every day to address the mental side of AUD. You’ll stay in rehab as long as you need.
Outpatient addiction support: Rehab will get you stable enough to return home, but you will still want continued support to stay sober. Don’t leave rehab without starting an outpatient addiction program that offers therapy and medication-assisted treatment. You are able to reside at home or in a sober living accommodation, but you still must engage counselors and a doctor over the course of the week.
Sober living: Over time, your need for treatment will subside. However, recovery is a long-term undertaking. Rely on the network of addiction professionals, family members, and new friends you have developed to keep up your healthy way of life. Avoid situations that push you to consume alcohol. Find assistance if you ever need it. Long-term recovery can be achieved!
Get The Help You Need Today For Alcohol Use Disorder Near Fort Lauderdale
You don’t need to grapple with alcohol addiction alone. Talk to Sunrise Detox Fort Lauderdale to learn more about understanding, expert alcohol use disorder treatment near Fort Lauderdale. You can contact us at (954) 869-9759 or by filling out the following form. One of our team members will answer you immediately, no matter the hour or day. All calls are free and private. We’ll get you the treatment you need today.