Alcohol Rehab at Profound Treatment in Los Angeles, California: Personalized Care for Lasting Sobriety

Many people associate substance abuse with illicit drug addiction, and more so now with prescription drug addiction as well. However, alcohol addiction is a common form of substance abuse that impacts countless lives. As the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) notes, 28.9 million (10.2%) people had alcohol use disorder (AUD). Thus, the prevalence of alcohol addiction speaks to the need to understand how alcohol addiction develops and impacts you. Further, at Profound Treatment, we recognize that alcohol addiction is more challenging to identify than other addictions.

Alcohol and alcohol abuse are interwoven in society, which can complicate how you think, feel, and behave around alcohol. However, understanding alcohol addiction can help you recognize the importance of treatment and recovery for your long-term health.

Understanding Alcohol Addiction

According to the NIAAA, alcohol use disorder is a problematic pattern of alcohol use that leads to significant impairment or distress. Essentially, when you consume alcohol, it becomes impossible to stop, even when it significantly impedes your health and the well-being of others. Your alcohol addiction can be diagnosed as mild, moderate, or severe based on your symptoms. Further, different patterns of alcohol consumption can highlight how alcohol use can move from reasonable consumption to substance abuse. The different patterns of alcohol consumption include:

• Drinking in moderation
  • Choosing not to drink
  • Two drinks or less in a day for males
  • One drink or less in a day for females
• Binge drinking
  • Males consume five or more drinks within two hours
  • Females consume four or more drinks within two hours
• High-intensity drinking
  • Ten or more drinks for males
  • Eight or more drinks for females
• Heavy drinking
  • Males consume five or more drinks on any day or fifteen or more per week
  • Females consume four or more drinks on any day or eight or more drinks per week
• Alcohol misuse
  • Consumption that harms you or others around you
  • Includes binge drinking and heavy drinking
• Alcohol use disorder
  • Your impaired ability to stop or control your alcohol use
  • Continued overconsumption despite adverse social, occupational, and health consequences

Yet, why does overconsumption of alcohol, like binge drinking, still happen despite evidence of physical, psychological, and social health risks?

The Science Behind Alcohol Misuse and Dependence

Despite a long history of use across centuries and multiple cultures, alcohol has addictive properties. Alcohol contains ethanol, which is a psychoactive and toxic substance that encourages dependence. Moreover, as a brain disorder, alcohol addiction leads to cravings, a loss of control, and a negative emotional state. Thus, your health is compromised by brain changes that come with substance abuse. The cycle of alcohol addiction and its impact on your health can be seen in three stages:

•  Binge/intoxication: incentive salience neurocircuits in the brain for reward and repetitive behavior
  • Euphoria, reduced anxiety
  • Pleasure and reward lead to drinking cues
  • Leads the brain to develop and strengthen habit-forming behaviors for compulsive consumption
• Negative affect/withdrawal: creates reward deficits and a surplus of stress
  • Withdrawal symptoms when consumption is stopped
    • Pain, anxiety, irritability, dysphoria
  • You move from drinking alcohol for pleasure to using it as a tool to escape withdrawal symptoms
• Preoccupation/anticipation: challenges with cravings, impulsivity, and executive function
  • After a period of sobriety, you become preoccupied with consuming alcohol again
  • The part of your brain that is responsible for executive function is compromised by alcohol
    • Organizing thoughts and activities
    • Prioritizing tasks
    • Managing your time
    • Making decisions

It can be understandably distressing to think of the impact of alcohol on your brain. However, long-term sobriety is possible with comprehensive treatment, which can include alcohol detoxification, therapy, peer support, and medication.