Going Overboard: When Are You Officially Considered an Alcoholic?

Alcohol can be considered one of the most complex drugs, yet it is one that is somewhat readily available. What makes it so complicated is that some people can drink on a regular basis and never develop an addiction to it, yet there are others who have one glass, and end up needing it all the time. But when are you actually considered an alcoholic? Is it when you need a drink to feel relaxed? Is it drinking five or more drinks before you can feel a buzz? What qualifies you as an alcoholic?

What Are The Criteria For Being An Alcoholic?

When conducting an alcoholic assessment, having an alcohol use disorder isn’t dependent on how much you drink. It’s the effect it has on you. You could have an alcohol use disorder if you experience a number of the following symptoms:

• Using alcohol as a way to deal with thoughts and feelings
• Feeling agitation and anxiety when you do not drink every day
• Experiencing cravings when you cannot drink
• Feeling the need to drink every day, even if you do not do so
• Needing to drink more than you used to
• Drinking at odd times of the day, such as first thing in the morning or at work
• Trying to refrain from drinking a significant amount of alcohol but failing to do so
• If you have tried to stop drinking and found that you couldn’t do so, then you’ve developed a dependence on alcohol.

What Is Considered Heavy Alcohol Use?

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines heavy alcohol consumption with several defining features, depending on the kind of drinking. Binge drinking, for example, is where a person drinks four or five or more drinks within a two-hour time span. Heavy alcohol use is drinking three or four or more drinks in one day. Either kind can lead to alcohol dependence.

How To Get Help For Alcohol Use Disorder

There are alcohol treatment programs in your area that can provide you with the help you’re looking for. You just need to reach out to them. However, the problem lies in recognizing that there’s a problem and wanting to change. Alcohol abuse, however, can affect other aspects of a person’s life, so when those start to suffer, it can leave a person feeling alone and that alcohol is the only thing that can help them. This further compounds the problem, as the addiction becomes worse over time. Getting an intervention sooner rather than later can help those areas of a person’s life from becoming affected, as well as preventing the long-term health effects of consuming alcohol in such high quantities.

Overcoming alcohol addiction can be a struggle, but you don’t have to do it alone. If you or a loved one you know is having a problem putting down the bottle, then it may be time to speak to a medical professional to see what kind of detox programs are available to make alcohol addiction a thing of the past in your life.