Everyone who has been arrested for a DUI has asked himself at least once, “do I have a drinking problem?” Certainly, drinking and driving is an isolated incident for some people, but for others, it’s not, and a DUI conviction serves as a wakeup call.
How do you know when drinking has become a problem? Look for the following signs:
Neglect of other Activities – Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of alcohol use.
Excessive Use – Alcohol is consumed in larger amounts over a longer period than intended. The user may or may not realize that they are impaired.
Impaired control – Ongoing, unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control alcohol consumption.
Persistence of Use. Alcohol consumption is continued, despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely caused or exacerbated by alcohol.
Large Amounts of Time Spent in Alcohol-Related Activities – A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain, use, or recover from the effects of alcohol.
Withdrawal – The user exhibits withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking.
Tolerance – The user requires more and more alcohol in order to feel its effects.
Once the extent of your problems with substance abuse or addiction can no longer be ignored, and once faced with legal repercussions of your use, you need to determine where you would best receive care for your problem. Depending on the level of abuse or dependency, intense participation in support group meetings, such as AA, or therapy sessions may be enough structured support for you to better your problem. For more severe addiction issues, intensive treatment in a residential facility may offer a better chance to sobriety.
Tags: alcoholism
