No one becomes an alcoholic overnight. It may take years of progressively increasing alcohol consumption before they develop an addiction to this substance. When you sit down and ask is my loved one an alcoholic, you need to objectively examine their behavior to answer that question. It may be time to consult an alcohol detox center.
Defensive About Drinking Habits
What happens when you ask your loved one about how much they drink, or how often they do so? You may find that your loved one has to have a drink when they get home, or always have something on-hand when eating meals or snacking.
They may become defensive or confrontational when this usage is questioned. The discussion could turn into an argument or result in uncharacteristic responses, such as aggression. Your loved one may not realize that they have a drinking problem or they could feel guilty about it. In some cases, they may project their drinking problems onto others by claiming everyone does it or taking similar positions.
Your loved one may try to justify their drinking habits, pointing at stressors in their life. They may blame other parties for driving them to drink or otherwise enabling the behavior. If they suffer from a mental health disorder, they could claim that drinking is the only thing that’s helping them cope with those thoughts and feelings.
Frequent Trips to the Liquor Store
How often does your loved one need to go to the liquor store or another place to buy alcohol? They may be on a first-name basis at these businesses due to the frequency visits required to keep up with their drinking needs. They may stock up on liquor, so it’s readily available. If they’re unable to make these trips, they could get agitated, stressed, or upset.
Don’t wait to get help. Reach out to an alcohol addiction treatment center if alcohol becomes the center of their attention.
Progressively Stronger Alcohol Consumption
Another red flag that can indicate is my loved one an alcoholic is that their drink of choice gets progressively stronger. For example, someone may start out drinking beer. They go through more and more cans to try to get the same effect. Over time, they need to switch to a higher alcohol content drink to cut down on the volume.
However, their tolerance continues to go up and their body becomes more and more dependent on having alcohol in the system. It could get to the point where full bottles of hard spirits are quickly getting drained to support their habit.
Keep in mind that they may also fixate on a specific drink of choice. Sticking to their brand or type of alcohol is a sign of an alcohol use disorder.
Hiding Drinking Habits When You Ask: Is My Loved One an Alcoholic?
After you ask about their drinking habits, you may find that your loved one becomes more secretive about their behavior. They may put their liquor in the garage, basement, or another low traffic spot in the house. They could stay out longer after work or go to friends’ houses to continue drinking without any questioning.
You may find that they hide receipts, open up credit cards separate from shared accounts, and take other actions that make it difficult to discover the extent of their drinking.
Asking Summit Detox: Is My Loved One an Alcoholic?
Getting an answer to is my loved one an alcoholic can be difficult to process. Your relationship with that person may be strained by the time you realize that they’re abusing alcohol, and it could be difficult to get them to listen to your concerns.
Alcohol abuse treatment is a valuable resource for helping your loved one make it through this addiction before it causes significant damage to their liver, heart, and other organs.
Some ways that a rehab facility can help include:
- Medical detox programs
- Therapy sessions
- Inpatient detox
- Day treatment programs
If you’re asking yourself, is my loved one an alcoholic, contact Summit Detox at (888) 995-5265. We’ll help you discover available programs to guide your loved one to recovery.
