Did you know that alcohol abuse and alcoholism are two completely different things? If not, continue reading. In this article, we’ll explain what exactly is the definition of alcohol abuse is and what can be done for those who drink excessively. Unlike alcoholism, alcohol abuse doesn’t include having overpowering cravings for the substance, being unable to control your drinking habits and becoming entirely dependent to the drug. Alcohol abuse is also different to addiction as it excludes becoming tolerant to the addictive substance, meaning there won’t be a need for increased amounts of alcohol to feel a high, which was once achieved through smaller quantities. Summing it all up, alcohol abuse can be defined as excessive drinking habits that cause any of the scenarios below during a period of 1 year:
- Being unable to complete expected daily responsibilities at work or at home
- Drinking while doing activities that need constant attention such as driving or using dangerous machinery at work.
- Landing on the wrong side of the law, for example being arrested for drunk driving or for violence and abuse.
- Continuing to excessively drink despite it damaging the relationships you have with loved ones.However, while alcohol abuse may be different from addiction, some of the effects of it may be felt by alcoholics.
There are no known causes of alcohol abuse and continuing to drink excessively may cause an addiction in the long run.
Treatment of Alcohol Abuse
Abstinence is the ideal situation for alcohol abusers looking to stop using alcohol completely and this can be achieved with good support structures at home and with your loved ones Some people won’t just be able to just quit alcohol but are able to slowly reduce the amount they drink. One of the traits of any alcohol problems is that the abuser wont realise that they have a problem and will deny that they have one should they be confronted about it. A good way to approach a loved one is by doing an alcohol abuse intervention, where the loved ones of the individual will attempt to make them realise that they have a problem and how it’s affecting the people around them. For more information regarding this, please check our interventions section of our website. There are lots of alcohol abuse treatment programs that can help people stop drinking completely. These programs offer various types of counselling and therapy which help teach individuals about their problem and how they can avoid using alcohol in the future, as well as medical care for physical complications caused by excessive drinking.
If you or a loved one is struggling with a drinking problem, we offer access into the best private alcohol abuse treatment centres in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Thailand. Call us now and let our internationally accredited addiction counsellors find the best treatment for you.