Why you should go to therapy as soon as possible if you suffer from alcoholism

The abuse of alcohol consumption is so normalized in Spain and in neighboring countries that alcoholism has become a true public health problem for our societies.

Currently alcoholism is one of the most common addictive disorders; It forms a pathology that is harmful both for the person who suffers from it and for their family and social environment. In addition to that, it is an addictive disorder that increasingly affects adolescents and young people.

Those who develop this disease experience a dynamic of self-deception that leads them to wonder if it really is "so bad" to depend on the frequent consumption of drinks alcoholics, and even people who come to the conclusion that they should go to therapy tend to constantly procrastinate the moment to go from wishes to deeds. To counteract this trend, here we will review the reasons why it is important to go to therapy if you suffer from alcoholism, and we will also summarize the warning signs that help detect this addiction.

• Related article: "Alcoholism: these are the effects of dependence on drink"

Reasons why you should go to therapy as soon as possible if you suffer from alcoholism

Alcoholism is a highly harmful addictive disorder that kills millions of people each year. That is why every case of incipient alcoholism should be treated by a qualified psychology and mental health professional.

It is a chemical addiction that mainly affects men and as time progresses of addictive consumption, the greater the effects that alcohol has on the person's body and mental health. The main effects of alcoholism on the human body are blackouts, digestive problems and gastrointestinal diseases, and damage to the executive functions of the brain.

As a person's alcoholism progresses and the length of time they are dependent on alcohol increases, the room for maneuver narrows. of the person to try to overcome her case, since the organism is increasingly dependent on alcohol, as we will see continuation.

Like all other addictions, people addicted to alcohol they end up developing a tolerance to that substance, which means that to obtain the same effects and sensations they need a greater amount of alcohol.

This makes it possible for the person to drink more and more and for his addiction to grow, something that can result in serious health problems for the person and even death. This is the main reason why, in the face of alcoholism, it is important to seek professional help as soon as possible, since the more the addiction is consolidated, the less freedom the person has to try to fight the dependency and to not destroy your most important personal relationships.

• You may be interested in: "The most important types of addictions"

Warning signs that help detect alcoholism

There are some signs or tips that we can take into account to detect a possible case of alcoholism both in ourselves and in other people.

In order to protect the health of people with this problem, it is important to identify alcoholism and bring the case to the attention of a mental health professional specialized in addictions as soon as before.

1. Look for reasons to consume alcohol

People with cases of alcoholism usually take advantage of any festive event, both with friends and with family members to drink large amounts of alcohol, even at times when it is unusual or normal do it.

Drink before hours or do it hours before the hours that the rest of the party attendees or the party do celebration in question, is another of the signs that we must take into account to identify a person with alcoholism.

2. fool yourself

There are many mechanisms that people with alcoholism put into practice to deceive both themselves and the people around them, something very common in any type of addiction, whether physical or behavioral.

Something common is the fact of "subtracting" ingested bottles or units of alcohol of all kinds so that the addiction that the person has seems like a minor problem and with the aim of alarming as few people as possible better.

• Related article: "Cognitive dissonance: the theory that explains self-deception"

3. Check drink reservations

Ensure that there are reserves of alcoholic beverages at home or at the house where one stays found is another of the characteristics that can be used as signals to detect a case of alcoholism.

This review is constant and is done to ensure that there are sufficient reserves to pass a certain festivity, celebration or meeting, which also includes obsessively checking the minibar when we are in a hotel.

4. Always be with a glass in hand

The constant need to drink at any time of the day, makes people with alcoholism always have a glass in hand, even at times when no one drinks.

The person with alcoholism takes advantage of any moment in the middle of a celebration to renew the contents of their glasses, always obsessively and compulsively.

5. Consider certain beverages non-alcoholic

As a mechanism of self-deception and relativization, alcoholics also end up considering as non-alcoholic certain lower alcohol content such as beer, cider or cocktails more soft.

This is still a way of diverting attention from the problem and fooling those around us into thinking that there is no such addiction.

6. drink fast

This is a very striking vision and it consists of people with addictions they have a tendency to drink much faster than the rest, the contents of their cups or glasses.

This is manifested many times in the obsessive behavior that these people present with the contents of their glasses and in the imperative need to drink constantly.

7. Lost of control

Loss of control over alcohol is a behavior that is related to the need to be drinking at all times. moment and it reaches the moment in which the person can end up having family or social conflicts with those who are close to them. around.

When the person reaches high levels of intoxication, all kinds of family and social conflicts related to violence or the use of other drugs can occur.

8. Tendency to always think about alcoholic beverages

The obsession with alcohol is a characteristic of alcoholism and in general of any addiction, since the person tries to drink alcohol at all times. For example, addicted people they usually face stressful situations imagining that they are savoring a glass of wine, beer, etc. In turn, these types of behavior patterns predispose the person to feel the need to consume as soon as possible.

This obsession reaches the level of talking about alcohol all day and doing everything possible to be able to consume alcohol at all hours. In addition to that, the obsession with alcohol seriously affects the mental health of the person.