What Makes Someone an Alcoholic?

June 17, 2022 | Alcohol Addiction

What Makes Someone an Alcoholic

Alcoholism Explained

We have all heard the term alcoholic and while it is clear that it describes someone that is engaging in alcohol abuse, how does one know when someone’s alcohol consumption has progressed from social drinking to alcoholism. Alcoholism is defined as a person becoming alcohol dependent meaning that your body requires the effects of alcohol to be able to function throughout each day without experiencing negative consequences. Once you stop drinking, individuals will experience strong alcohol cravings and alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Often these withdrawal symptoms will produce extremely uncomfortable and, sometimes, life threatening withdrawal symptoms. 

When you or a loved one are living with an active alcohol addiction, it can be challenging to quit alcohol abuse on your own without the support of an addiction treatment program. It is recommended to overcome your alcohol addiction to seek alcohol addiction treatment within an alcohol rehab program. 

What Makes Someone An Alcoholic? 

Knowing how to distinguish between the difference of mild alcohol consumption to excessive drinking or heavy drinking behaviors that are associated with an alcohol use disorder will support you in knowing when it is time for you or a loved one to seek the help of an addiction treatment program. 

Common signs and symptoms of alcohol use disorders are:

  • Expressing a desire to quit drinking alcohol but experiencing failed attempts at doing so 
  • Having to drink larger quantities of alcohol to reach the same desired effect 
  • Your time is consumed by planning for the next time you can drink alcohol, drinking alcohol, and recovering from alcohol consumption. 
  • Experiencing difficulties maintaining work, school, or family commitments and responsibilities 
  • Continued alcohol consumption even after experiencing interpersonal and relationship problems 
  • Consuming alcohol in high-risk situations such as drinking and driving 
  • Drinking alcohol even after experiencing negative consequences physically and psychologically 
  • Developing an alcohol tolerance due to high alcohol consumption 
  • Experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms after stopping drinking 
  • After stopping drinking, experiencing significant or intense alcohol cravings 

Click here to reach out to Quantum Behavioral Health Services at (609) 993-0733 to learn about our addiction treatment programs.

How to Help Someone Who Is Addicted to Alcohol

When you are concerned about a loved one’s alcohol abuse and want to support them in overcoming their substance abuse, the best way to get them the help that they need is seeking an alcoholism treatment program. 

Having the support of an addiction treatment program provides individuals with the opportunity to explore what is at the root of your alcohol addiction. Substance abuse often derives deep rooted emotions and traumas from your past. Without having the proper coping skills or therapeutic support to process and heal from your history of your emotional turmoil and traumas. Through addiction treatment programs, patients are able to gain an understanding of how your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors have impacted your ability to cope with negative situations or emotional responses that will support your new way of life in sobriety. Through evidence-based therapy methods you will be able to participate in behavioral therapy, address your mental health through dual diagnosis treatment programs, and trauma therapy methods that will support you in reprocessing the traumatic memories to alleviate the negative connotations associated with the memories. Along with healing, patients are able to develop the life skills for living a healthy lifestyle in sobriety along with techniques for relapse prevention that will support you in obtaining long term sobriety. 

Treatment for Alcoholism at Quantum Recovery

At Quantum Recovery Center, we understand the individual nature of alcohol addiction which is why we provide our patients with individualized treatment programs that are centered around your specific goals for addiction recovery. Through the comprehensive treatment approaches offered within our treatment center, patients are able to address the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual impacts that alcohol addiction has created within their own life.  When you are ready to address your alcohol addiction within a safe, supportive environment that empowers patients to find their innate worth and promote personal growth and self-discovery in your new lifestyle of health and sobriety, contact Quantum Recovery at

Healing from meth addiction is best done with the ongoing support of expert addiction therapists who are able to use the latest in evidence-based therapy methods to empower you to find your new way of life in sobriety. Our team at Quantum treatment center are prepared to answer any questions you have about addiction treatment and begin developing your personalized drug addiction treatment program today. Call us today at (609) 993-0733 to hear more about the personalized addiction treatment programs that we can provide you to support a long-lasting change towards the life of sobriety you have been wanting.