Could you be on the Brink of a Serious Addiction Problem?
Are you wondering if you should enlist the services of one of our California detox centers? Curiosity regarding the subject is a great first step. But are there other warning signs that will let you know if your drinking has gone too far? How do you know when it’s time to seek a professional California detox? Here are 12 warning signs and red flags to keep in mind.
1. You’re Starting To Hide Your Drinking.
This is usually one of the first steps down the wrong road. If you’re actively hiding your drinking from your friends, family, or spouse, then it’s likely because you feel like you’re doing something wrong. There’s nothing wrong with having healthy drinking habits and there’s no need to cover them up. Hiding your drinking habits is often the beginning of a dangerous pattern and way of thinking. It’s a good time to consider staying at one of our California detox centers.
2. Other People Keep Suggesting It.
Nobody likes hearing their friends tell them that they need to go to rehab or that they need a professional detox. Unfortunately, sometimes those people are telling the truth. If you’ve started hearing this suggestion on a regular basis, then there may actually be some reasoning behind it. That doesn’t mean you have to swallow your pride and tell the person they are right. Simply visit the detox center of your own accord and handle your business.
3. Blackouts Have Become Commonplace.
Most people have had one or two wild nights where they’ve drank to a point that fogged up their memory. It’s not the end of the world if a blackout happens once in your life. However, if it’s happened multiple times in the last year, then it’s a strong warning sign of a problem. That warning should be considered even bigger if the blackouts are occurring close together. Two blackouts in the same month or week is a serious problem. A healthy drinking habit would not result in multiple blackouts under any circumstances.
4. You Need Twice As Much As You Did Last Month.
The body handles alcohol, narcotics, and most other drugs in a similar fashion. As an addiction is formed, your tolerance increases. Six months ago you only needed two shots to get a buzz. After four shots you were ready to go to sleep. Now you can take four shots without feeling anything. That’s a red flag that you’re developing a problem. When you have too much of something the body will naturally build a tolerance against it. Drinking twice as much alcohol means that the negative effects on the body are twice as harmful.
5. Important Events Don’t Seem That Important Anymore.
Was there a time when going to the movies with friends sounded like a great idea? But now you would much rather stay home and drink or maybe go to the bar. That’s a warning sign that you’re developing a problem and should consider visiting one of our California detox centers. As an addiction to alcohol forms, those other important events will become slightly less important than drinking. It could be going to the movies with friends, watching your kids’ sporting events, or going on date night with the spouse.
6. Drinking Has Resulted In Harming Yourself Or Other People.
Bodily injury is one of the most significant warning signs that you need a professional California detox. This may include:
– Falling over while drunk.
– Getting into a physical fight with someone.
– Doing something you normally wouldn’t which results in injury.
On the more serious end, it could involve a vehicular accident where you were drinking behind the wheel. In either scenario, once drinking results in hurting yourself or other people, it’s time to take a step back and consider detox.
7. Responsibilities Lose Their Importance.
This is similar to avoiding important events so that you can stay home and drink, but it’s slightly more serious. There comes a point when those with a drinking problem begin to neglect their responsibilities in life. This might involve their personal hygiene, their duties around the home, and even their job. They may stop showing up for work or they could still be intoxicated when they do show up. This is a warning sign that drinking has developed into a seriously harmful habit and that detoxification is necessary.
8. You Use Alcohol To Self Medicate.
This refers to drinking alcohol to help deal with feelings of anger or depression. It may seem like a simple and affordable alternative to healthcare, but it’s not healthy at all. In the long run, it will make most mental conditions significantly worse. It also leads to developing a pattern of drinking. You feel bad, you drink, you feel better, and thus your body associates drinking with feeling good. You can eventually reach a point where the only time you feel good is when you are drinking. If drugs or alcohol are necessary to make you feel good during the day, then it’s time to consider a detox.
9. Suffering Legal Consequences.
This is very similar to suffering bodily injury. Legal consequences may come from public intoxication or from some crime that was committed while being under the influence. Some people tend to get into fights and get arrested when drinking. Others have outbursts of strange behavior that they wouldn’t normally exhibit. It can result in performing risky activities that result in legal consequences. As with bodily injury, once drinking has reached a point where it’s negatively impacting your life in such a way, it’s time consider a professional California detox.
10. You’ve Lost Important Personal Relationships.
Once alcoholism reaches a serious point, it can begin to destroy relationships. If someone in your family won’t speak to you because of your drinking, then perhaps you should visit a detox center and then reach out to that person afterward. Drinking can ruin familial relationships as well as friendships and entire marriages. Ideally, you want to seek detox before it reaches that point, but if it already has, that doesn’t mean it’s too late to turn back.
11. You Suffer Withdrawal Symptoms Daily.
Suffering from a withdrawal is always a clear sign of a developing addiction. Alcohol withdrawals can begin as quickly as five hours after your last drink. Those withdrawals can continue for weeks afterward. If you are suffering from withdrawals shortly after you stop drinking, then consider it a warning sign of an addiction. Do your body a favor and take advantage of a detox. Alcohol withdrawal is a very serious condition and alcohol detox should be monitored by a medical professional.
12. You’ve Admitted You Have A Problem.
This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s something a lot of people with an alcohol addiction struggle with. They’ve reached a point where they can admit they have a serious problem, but they just don’t take the steps to fix it. Don’t be one of those people. If you can admit that there is a problem, then the next step is to contact an addiction counselor now to start detoxing from alcohol as quickly and safely as possible.
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