After completing a program at a treatment center, recovering alcoholics move into the maintenance stage, which generally lasts from six months to several years or longer. At this point, the individual is enjoying the benefits of quitting alcohol while focusing on sustaining the achievements made in the action stage. For many alcoholics, the first step of this stage involves going through a detoxification, or alcohol detox, process.
We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Although different stages of alcoholism can affect people in very different ways, certain alcoholic personality traits are present among problematic drinkers. This includes a constant focus on alcohol, blaming others, frequent excuses, uncontrolled drinking, financial struggles, shifting priorities, and recklessness.
As this happens, another part of their life declines and gradually their life becomes dictated by “firehouse management” demi lavato age – every course of action becomes based on the most pressing problem. This is an inevitably downward spiral, though some alcoholics manage to maintain it for a very long time. Sadly, well intentioned folks try to protect the alcoholic from him/herself (enabling) or try to predict what they will do next (no crystal ball available). Some are meant to make you think and some are meant to be taken very literally. Alcoholics Anonymous refers to, “the insanity of our disease.” This is a very literal statement.
How Can I Encourage an Alcoholic Partner To Get Help?
You may get to the point where you feel compelled to help your person get well. However, family members and friends often have deep emotional ties that prevent them from having the objective viewpoint necessary for treatment. If you’ve been covering up for your loved one and not talking about their addiction openly for a long time, it may seem daunting to reach out for help. However, it’s important to make sure you’re getting the support you need as well. Lean on the people around you, and, if you need to, reach out to a mental health professional to speak about your stress and what you’re going through.
Understanding the Insanity of Alcoholism: How the Alcoholic Thinks
Northbound Treatment is a rehabilitation center where we provide alcohol addiction treatment for individuals from all walks of life. We’re dedicated to offering our clients and their loved ones with the information they need to start the journey to recovery. Here, we’ll cover the most common alcoholic personality traits people exhibit when they have a serious problem and the changes that may occur as alcoholism progresses. If you or someone you care about is experiencing alcohol dependence or addiction, Futures Recovery Healthcare is here to help. We are specialized in medical care for adults with alcohol use disorder, addiction, and co-occurring mental health disorders. Seeking professional help is often an essential step in dealing with the effects of alcoholism on your life.
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The focus then becomes what you did (moved them) rather than what they did (drinking so much that they passed out outside). But the reality is that not even the person dependent on alcohol can control their drinking, try as they may. When someone with alcohol dependency promises they will never drink again but a short time later are back to drinking as much as always, it is easy to take the broken promises and lies personally. It is important to state that individuals react differently to alcohol. There are people who become “happy drunks.” They are people whose aggression is not released when they are drinking, even if they may become more outgoing. Recovery from AUD is marked by stages of abstinence, withdrawal, repair, and growth.
- The personality changes you experience while under the influence of alcohol aren’t necessarily the “real” you.
- Early treatment and intervention can help people with alcohol use disorder.
- What works for one person may not work for another, so it’s important to explore your options and find a treatment plan that fits your individual needs.
- An inpatient or outpatient treatment strategy may be used in a medically assisted detoxification program.
- With every meeting I attended and with each page of literature I read, I slowly got a little healthier.
- Individuals may waffle back and forth between wanting and not wanting to change.
Contemplation can be an uncomfortable process, and feelings of guilt, shame, hopelessness and desperation are common as people reach this crossroads in their addiction journey. By the time people reach the contemplation stage, they’ve begun to recognize they have a drinking problem and may want to get help, but they’re often on the fence about it. For example, they may say they are drinking a lot because they are stressed because of work. Or they could claim that it’s common to drink to relax and say that it’s no big deal. It’s understandable to have conflicting feelings when leaving a relationship with an alcoholic. It’s possible to love someone but also recognize that the relationship is no longer healthy or safe.