Currently, millions of people need help for alcohol abuse or alcohol use disorder (AUD). Sadly, many of these people have not yet come to terms with the fact that they have a problem. Alcohol addiction can develop slowly, and when it does, many find it difficult to reach out for help due to fear, embarrassment, or other feelings. Are you unsure if you have a problem with alcohol abuse? In addition, do you need help deciding if treatment is necessary? One way to make your decision easier is to pinpoint what exactly qualifies as a drinking problem. At TruHealing Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland, we can help individuals stop drinking and heal through appropriate substance abuse treatment.

What Alcohol Abuse Looks Like

Alcohol abuse is much more common than people realize and may not look like what many may expect. For some people, it’s a result of extensive drinking that began as an occasional or recreational pass time. For others, however, alcohol addiction happens due to genetic predisposition, and for others yet, alcohol abuse occurs when drinking is used as a means of escaping reality or coping with past traumas. In all these instances, alcohol abuse can go unnoticed or be excused.

Alcohol impacts people in widely diverse ways, but there are certain indications that a problem has developed. For example, some of the most common signs of an alcohol abuse problem include:

• The inability to go an entire day without drinking
• Regularly drinking beyond one’s level of intoxication
• Feeling guilty, depressed, or ashamed as a result of one’s drinking
• Failing to meet one’s personal and professional obligations because they interfere with the opportunity to drink
• Drinking to the point of passing out or blacking out; memory loss that occurs after a period of drinking
• Drinking to cope with problems or deal with past traumas

Binge drinking is often overlooked, especially when it occurs during social events. But, engaging in regular binge drinking is a serious indication that alcohol treatment is necessary. By definition, binge drinking is drinking that raises one’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or higher. This translates to about five drinks within two hours for men and four drinks for women.

Treatment for Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol abuse or alcohol use disorder puts a person at a much higher risk of developing a dependency or addiction. It’s important to analyze your habits to determine if you are abusing alcohol. Do you regularly participate in binge drinking? Has your tolerance to alcohol gradually grown over time? Also, has drinking had an impact on your personal or professional life? It can be difficult to ask and answer these questions honestly, but doing so can be the first step in finding the support you need to heal.

No matter how much you drink or how your alcohol problem starts, professional treatment can help you get sober. You don’t have to live with this problem for the rest of your life. TruHealing Baltimore offers an array of therapeutic options to help individuals overcome their alcohol addiction. For example, we offer individual therapy employing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing. Clients can take advantage of group therapy and family therapy as they work through the issues that lead them to drink and abuse alcohol.

Reach Out to TruHealing Baltimore

Don’t sit by idly while your problem with alcohol worsens. Likewise, don’t put your family and friends through the stress of watching you suffer because of your addiction.

Let the professionals at TruHealing Baltimore help you achieve your long-term recovery goals. Contact us at 833.782.2241 to discover which of our programs is right for your unique needs. We offer a broad range of addiction treatment to meet the specific needs of clients, such as:

• Partial hospitalization program (PHP)
• Intensive outpatient program (IOP)
• Outpatient addiction treatment
• Sober living program
• Aftercare

We also provide case management services. So no matter what your needs are, we can help you stop drinking and recover from alcohol abuse.