Over 16% of the Canadian population could be classified as heavy drinkers. That equates to more than six million people. Many of these individuals likely also qualify for an alcohol use disorder. Alcohol consumption is incredibly common across the world, making it challenging to recognize when someone has a problem. Understanding the typical behaviours of an alcoholic is a great place to start. In this guide, we will explain the most common characteristics and behaviours of someone who may be suffering from alcoholism. Read on to learn the signs of alcohol use disorder and how treatment can help.
Introduction
Alcohol addiction is a disease. It occurs when someone can no longer control their alcohol use. These individuals may experience negative consequences in their social or work lives or develop physical or mental health conditions due to their drinking. Yet, they will continue to use alcohol anyway.
Today, addiction is a diagnosable medical condition known as alcohol use disorder (AUD). While addiction used to view people with AUDs as unwilling to quit drinking, we now know otherwise.
AUDs change the structure and function of the brain. They rewire reward circuits, leading the person suffering to believe that they need alcohol to survive. Understanding this effect is crucial for removing the stigma around alcoholism and getting people the help they need.
Behaviours vs. Characteristics of an Alcoholic
Before we go on, we want to clarify the difference between characteristics and behaviours, as we will not use these terms interchangeably in this guide.
Some might say that the difference lies in the capacity for change. For example, some believe that characteristics are inherent to a person and not within their ability to change, while behaviours are more within one’s control.
These definitions may be useful in some fields. However, making the distinction based on the ability to change a behaviour but not a characteristic may do more harm than good when discussing addiction.
For example, drinking uncontrollably is a common behaviour shared among people who are addicted to alcohol. Addiction research shows that uncontrollable drinking is not always within the person’s control. They may feel compelled to drink and unable to stop due to structural changes in the brain.
There is a better way to differentiate between behaviours and characteristics. Namely, behaviours are observable by others. While characteristics may also show up externally, they are more easily recognized by the person experiencing them.
Common Characteristics of Alcoholism
Some of the most common characteristics of alcoholism include exhaustion, forgetfulness, lethargy, and loss of enjoyment. Feeling insecure, sensitive, or impatient are also characteristics of the experience of alcoholism.
If someone recognizes these traits within themself, it may be a sign to seek help from an alcohol addiction treatment centre.
Recognizing the Behaviours of an Alcoholic
Loved ones of people who drink too much may have an easier time distinguishing the external behaviours of people with AUDs.
Mood Swings and Panic Attacks
Alcohol impacts mood while someone is drinking and as they get over the effects of drinking. The reason why this happens is due to alcohol’s interaction with feel-good brain chemicals.
The primary mechanism of alcohol in the brain is to slow messages between brain cells. A healthy person might appear relaxed, calm, and happy after drinking. These feelings are due to alcohol’s depressant-like effects.
However, as someone continues to drink excessively, their tolerance increases (i.e., they need more and more alcohol to feel drunk). The brain then becomes less responsive to feel-good chemicals. Individuals may experience mental health symptoms as a result.
Withdrawals are similar. A hangover is like a mini-withdrawal period, where the brain has to recover from the flood of pleasurable brain chemicals. The person may feel depressed or anxious or even experience panic attacks during withdrawal.
At the same time, alcohol also impacts the part of the brain responsible for inhibiting impulsive and inappropriate behaviour. People who are typically mild-mannered may begin to behave differently. For example, someone may become uncharacteristically confrontational or angry after drinking.
Prioritizing Alcohol
One of the diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorders is the presence of cravings. Alcohol cravings are not food cravings, which most people can ignore. Alcohol cravings are uncontrollable urges to drink.
Cravings may lead people to prioritize alcohol over anything else in their lives. Someone struggling financially may choose to buy alcohol over food, water, and other necessities. Sadly, people with AUDs may also choose alcohol over mending relationships with loved ones.
There are many reasons why people with AUDs crave and, therefore, prioritize alcohol. One of them is that substances of abuse like alcohol are highly pleasurable and strongly activate the brain’s reward system.
The pleasure people experience from drinking reinforces this behaviour. Their brains become motivated to continue seeking out this pleasurable experience. Over time, the person begins to crave alcohol.
Additionally, some people drink alcohol to escape from unpleasant emotions or mental health symptoms. Alcohol can make people feel less stressed and numb emotional pain for a while. When withdrawals kick in, the person may prioritize drinking to avoid the uncomfortable symptoms that come with them.
Drinking Uncontrollably
Another diagnostic criterion for AUDs is frequently consuming more alcohol or drinking for longer than intended. For example, someone with an AUD may set a two-drink limit for the night. Even with the best of intentions, they may end up consuming more alcohol than they initially planned.
Drinking for longer than intended may be a way to avoid the symptoms of a hangover or withdrawal. Alcohol addiction creates a vicious cycle. The person binges on alcohol, stops drinking, and experiences withdrawals and cravings, which more alcohol can fix.
The impulsivity that plays a role in alcohol-related mood swings may also be to blame for uncontrollable drinking. Having an impulsive personality style is a risk factor for excessive alcohol use in the first place. One-time and chronic drinking can then make individuals even more impulsive.
Impulsivity can lead someone to act without thinking about the consequences. For example, someone with multiple impaired driving charges may get behind the wheel when drunk, failing to consider the potential legal ramifications.
Loved ones often ask people with AUDs to cut back on their drinking. The individual may agree when sober but become out of control after one or two drinks. It may feel like the person who has the addiction doesn’t love their family or friends enough to quit, but it’s the addiction that’s to blame, not the person.
Struggling Financially
Alcohol is expensive. In Canada, heavy drinking is defined as having four to five drinks in one sitting. People with alcohol addictions may consume this many drinks or more every single day.
Let’s say someone consumes five alcoholic beverages seven days per week, and each drink costs 5 CAD. In this case, the individual would spend 175 CAD per week, which equates to 758 CAD per month or more than 9,000 CAD annually.
Considering the high cost of alcohol addiction, it should be no wonder that people with AUDs often struggle financially. If they cannot fund the habit on their own, individuals may resort to stealing from loved ones or committing crimes to obtain alcohol.
In 2019, CBC reported on a liquor theft epidemic in Manitoba. Liquor thefts rose from 658 events in 2017 to more than 2,600 in 2018. Courts found that many of the culprits suffered from alcohol use disorders.
Even when people with AUDs do not resort to stealing, they may use money required for necessities or drain their savings to buy alcohol. Their financial struggles may impact their families negatively. Yet, people with AUDs will continue to spend money on alcohol until they get treatment.
Shifting Priorities
Some people are high-functioning alcoholics. They may not struggle with school, work, or home obligations, making it difficult for loved ones to recognize the problem. Individuals with high-functioning AUDs are often in denial about their drinking problem themselves.
Dysfunctional alcoholics are different. They may experience a persistent failure to fulfil obligations at work, school, or home due to their drinking. Despite negative consequences like losing their job or children, these individuals will continue to drink.
People with AUDs may stop participating in activities they used to enjoy so that they can drink alcohol. Or they may still take part in these activities while intoxicated or hungover.
Neglecting personal hygiene and ignoring declining physical or mental health symptoms are additional signs to watch for.
All of these behaviours are characteristic of AUDs. Priorities shift because the individual’s primary focus is on obtaining and drinking alcohol. They may neglect anything else that does not further these goals.
Behaving Recklessly
One of the most concerning criteria for an AUD diagnosis is continuously using alcohol in physically unsafe environments. An unsafe environment could be behind the wheel of a vehicle or in establishments or neighbourhoods where violence is common.
Other signs of reckless behaviour include using alcohol or being intoxicated at work or school. Someone with an AUD may be drunk while taking care of their children. Or the person may engage in risky sexual behaviour when intoxicated.
Alcohol-related disinhibition and impulsivity are involved in reckless behaviour common to people with addictions. Alcohol intoxication interacts with the part of the brain responsible for inhibiting impulsive behaviours.
Loved ones may notice increased reckless behaviour when the individual is experiencing strong emotions. Both positive and negative emotions are linked to increasing impulsive behaviour in people with AUDs.
Over time, someone with an AUD may start behaving recklessly even when they are not under the influence. The cycle of addiction is to blame. Repeated episodes of binge drinking followed by withdrawal and relapse change areas of the brain involved in impulsivity.
Alcoholism and the Treatment Options Available
Alcohol addiction treatment programs are available to help people stop drinking and get their lives back on track. Various programs are available depending on the severity of the AUD and peoples’ unique lifestyles.
Often, the first step of any treatment program is alcohol detox. Many treatment centres offer medically assisted detox, where a healthcare professional will be available every step of the way. Alcohol withdrawal medication may also be available to make the process more comfortable.
Individual, group, and family counselling is the next step of treatment. People with alcohol addictions will learn why they drink and find healthier coping mechanisms to use instead. They will receive support from peers who understand their struggles and loved ones who want to help.
Anti-craving medications like naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram are also available. These medications are approved to treat people with AUD. They have been shown to reduce drinking to prevent relapse after rehab.
How to Help a Loved One With Alcohol Use Disorder
Loved ones and individuals who recognize the behavioural signs of alcohol use disorder have options. Planning an intervention can help people with addictions understand the harm of their actions and get the help they need.
Once someone enters rehab, family therapy is an excellent option. Loved ones will learn about addiction and the stigmas around it. Family members can also identify the best ways to support their loved ones while prioritizing self-care.
Recovery and Next Steps
Aftercare programs are available to help people with AUDs transition back into the real world. These programs consist of individual and group meetings designed to keep people motivated to stay sober for life.
Life after alcohol addiction is a journey. It involves rebuilding damaged relationships and cultivating new ones. Individuals also learn to practise healthier lifestyle choices and find new passions to fulfil them.
Although the journey might take time, it can help someone overcome the behaviours discussed in this guide.
Alcohol Addiction Programs in Ontario
The behaviours of an alcoholic can be devastating to the person and their loved ones. However, it is important to understand that the individual’s addiction is to blame for these behaviours. Treatment can help return someone with an AUD to the loving, responsible person they were before.
Are you searching for alcohol addiction programs for you or a loved one? Simcoe Addiction and Mental Health specialises in alcohol use disorder treatment. Our dedicated team of addiction specialists offers the accredited, top-notch services you or your loved one deserve.
Contact Simcoe about our program options and finally get your life back on track.