3 Signs of Alcohol Addiction
Posted by Kurt Smith, MFT, AFC on Sat, Jan 29, 2011
What's alcohol addiction look like? Here's a glimpse into part of a counseling session I had this week with a couple struggling with alcohol addiction in their relationship.
"I think you're an alcoholic," Sue told Tom. He just stared at the wall as she talked. "I don't want to be married to an alcoholic or have my son raised by one."
After Tom's DUI arrest and night in jail last month he stopped drinking, for 4 days. Then after he and Sue came to Guy Stuff for alcohol treatment, with our help and support he stopped drinking for 3 weeks. But over the holidays, and getting around his family, he started drinking again. Tom told me he only had a couple of drinks each day at his parent's house, but Sue said the sizes of his drinks are like 3 drinks to a normal person.
We talked about alcohol addiction and why it's so hard for Tom to consider that he has one. He said that being an alcoholic to him means that he can't drink. "I just like to have a drink," he said.
Here are 3 signs of alcohol addiction:
- Rationalizing. Can you hear it in Tom's statements?
- Denial. Despite spending a night in jail, facing the loss of thousands of dollars in attorney fees and court fines, the potential loss of his license and risk to his job, increased car insurance premiums, the list goes on, Tom denies the reality of his life and simplifies his drinking down to, "I just like to have a drink."
- Dependence. Tom needs a drink. He doesn't have other ways that he manages his stress, uncomfortable feelings, or the thoughts that overwhelm him. So he disconnects from all of it with alcohol.
Alcohol addiction is a common problem among men. Drinking is often hard to see as a real problem until something happens like a DUI arrest. If you think you or someone you love may have an alcohol addiction, look into alcohol treatment like Tom and Sue did before you've got a problem you can't ignore any more.