Long-term alcohol use and abuse can result in significant physical and physical health difficulties. Unlike some other substance addictions, alcohol addiction develops over time. It typically requires many months or even years of frequent, regular drinking, often to excess, for physical and biological changes to occur in the body based on alcohol consumption. For long-term alcohol abuse, the physical symptoms of chronic alcohol abuse can be difficult to manage.
Once these changes have occurred and tolerance for the effects of alcohol has developed, it can be challenging and often dangerous for someone to give up alcohol without the support and guidance of a Southern California addiction treatment program.
How Does Alcohol Effect the Body?
It is common knowledge that prolonged substance use and abuse can significantly impact your body and influence several life-sustaining functions. What many people do not realize is that different substances affect your body in different ways. Additionally, they can have both physical and mental health impacts that last for varying durations of time, depending on the substance used.
Many people believe the short or long-term impacts of alcohol use and abuse won’t be an issue if they are just a casual drinker, but unfortunately, this is not the case. Many substances, including alcohol, can start to affect your health immediately, and the effects may continue long after “one-time” experimentation. One such substance is alcohol. Because alcohol is a legal “drug,” many do not realize the dangers of chronic alcohol abuse.
What are the Physical Symptoms of Chronic Alcohol Abuse?
Alcohol addiction will look different from person to person and based on how much or how often you drink. Other factors related to alcohol abuse that will affect your physical health include how long you have experienced symptoms of alcohol addiction. Although each drug can produce symptoms of addiction that are unique to that substance, several common indications of substance addiction occur in the majority of cases, regardless of the substance used. Common symptoms include appetite changes, dramatic weight changes, altered behaviors, lack of energy, new or worsening financial problems, problems at work or school, lack of personal hygiene, and new or worsening medical health problems.
Some of the more common signs of alcohol addiction include lack of control over how much one drinks, preferring to drink alone, continuing to drink despite adverse effects related to alcohol, mood swings, and other emotional disturbances. If left untreated, you will typically experience withdrawal symptoms if you attempt to reduce or stop drinking. Common examples include agitation, tremors, nausea, racing heart, and sweating.
Many people believe that drinking, especially if they only do so in moderation or on a casual basis, is not or will not evolve into a problematic relationship with alcohol. It is also a widespread misconception that if you do not “drink often enough,” you cannot develop an addiction to alcohol. Unfortunately, in many cases, the reverse is often true. Even if you only drink on occasion, doing so regularly over a long period can lead to increased alcohol tolerance. It can also increase the desire to achieve the feelings of calm and relaxation produced by alcohol intoxication. Once you become dependent on the effects of alcohol, it can be far more challenging to achieve lasting sobriety without addiction treatment.
How to Find a Comprehensive Alcohol Treatment Program in Laguna Beach, CA
Unlike many chronic illnesses, you can successfully defeat alcohol dependence by seeking addiction treatment and completing detox and rehab. At Laguna View Detox Center, we realize the decision to begin an alcohol addiction treatment program comes with difficulty. Despite the changes in the last decade to how society and treatment providers view addiction treatment, there are still many challenges and misconceptions surrounding chronic alcohol abuse and the desire to seek help to get sober.
At our Laguna Beach, CA, alcohol rehab, we will work closely with you to develop an individualized detox and treatment program based on your specific treatment needs and goals. Our Orange County inpatient rehab programs are designed to help ensure the best opportunity to attain and maintain sobriety.
Contact our admissions team at Laguna View Detox Center today if you are ready to start your journey to a life without substances.