Many times, determining whether someone is an actual alcoholic or not is really not all that important. If someone’s drinking and drugging has advanced to the point to where it has become a problem for them and those around them, then it is a problem, period. If the person has tried to quit — swore to themselves and others “never again!” — And simply cannot stop, then chances are they have become dependent or addicted.
Alcohol problems occur at different levels of severity, from mild and annoying to life-threatening. Although alcohol dependence (alcoholism) is the most severe problem, less severe drinking problems can also be dangerous. The term “alcoholism” refers to a disease known as alcohol dependence syndrome, the most severe stage of a range of drinking problems.
Alcoholism is called a progressive disease, meaning that over time the symptoms and effects of drinking alcohol become more intense and severe. The symptoms in the early stages differ from those during later stages as the disease progresses from binge drinking to alcohol abuse to alcohol
Alcoholism and addictions can develop so slowly and insidiously that you sometimes don’t notice the effects that it has on your life and others around you. These self-assessment quizzes are designed to help you determine just how much you may have been affected and whether or not you need to seek help.
Because alcoholics are likely to deny or minimize the amount of alcohol they consume, most alcohol screening tests ask questions about problems usually caused by excessive drinking, rather than ask about how much the person drinks. More and more short tests have been developed in recent years so they can be easily administered in busy healthcare settings.
Because one of the most common symptoms of alcoholism is denial, diagnosing alcoholism can be difficult — the diagnosis depends on the individual’s willingness to answer questions about their drinking honestly. Usually, the friends and family members closest to the drinker see the problem long before it is diagnosed in a medical setting.
Mental health professionals are increasingly considering alcoholism and addiction as diseases that flourish in and are enabled by family systems. Family members react to the alcoholic with particular behavioral patterns. They may enable the addiction to continue by shielding the addict from the negative consequences of his actions. Such behaviors are referred to as codependence. In this way, the alcoholic is said to suffer from the disease of addiction, whereas the family members suffer from the disease of codependence.
Alcoholism is one of the leading causes of a dysfunctional family. As of 2001, there were an estimated 26.8 million children of alcoholics (COAs) in the United States, with as many as 11 million of them under the age of 18. Children of addicts have an increased suicide rate and on average have total health care costs 32 percent greater than children of nonalcoholic families.
At Above It All Treatment Centers, we are here for you. We can diagnose and treat you for any type of alcohol ism or alcohol abuse. We will follow you through the diagnosis to the completion of your personally tailored program to allow you every chance at a successful recovery. Contact us today so we can show you the path to recovery