Why Alcohol Is The Hardest Drug to Quit

 

With alcohol so freely available in nearly every town in America, it’s easy to forget how harmful and addictive this drug is. The fact is that alcohol kills 2.6 million people around the world each year, vastly more deaths than those caused by illegal drugs. A person who desperately wants to quit drinking has a difficult task ahead; that’s because of alcohol’s intense addictiveness, the challenge of finding an effective recovery program, and the necessity of creating a new, sober lifestyle.

For someone starting on this journey or for the family supporting them, it’s extremely helpful to get an understanding of what is required to break from this addiction. Learn about the physical, mental, and social changes that occur after long-term and heavy drinking. Then, find out about the changes that must occur for a person to stop drinking and build a new sober life for themselves.

Understanding Alcohol Addiction

You might not think of an alcoholic beverage as a drug, but it actually is. The active ingredient in alcoholic beverages is a drug called ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol. A person addicted to alcohol is just as addicted as someone who uses drugs like heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, or other substances. Alcohol is a substance that makes changes in a person’s body, mind, spirit, and behavior. These changes trap them in their substance use.

What makes alcohol different from substances like heroin or cocaine is primarily this: it is not an illegal substance. In America alone, there are more than 600,000 bars, restaurants, and nightclubs where you can get a drink. If you want to take your alcohol home with you, more than 46,000 liquor stores are willing to supply you.

What is Alcohol Addiction?

Alcohol addiction exists when a person can’t control their alcohol intake, even though their drinking harms their health, relationships, work, education, or community. They may not drink every day, but when they do drink, they are likely to drink until they are heavily impaired.

A person facing challenges with alcohol may find it difficult to keep up with work, school, or family commitments. Their ability to perform at work or school might be affected, and they may struggle to maintain healthy relationships with loved ones. In some cases, the strain on family dynamics can become more pronounced. Often, they may try to explain the difficulties they’re experiencing as a result of their alcohol use, even if they don’t fully understand the impact it’s having on their lives.

 

One of the most notable aspects of addiction to alcohol is that the person often begins to plan their activities around their ability to obtain alcohol and drink it. In many cases, they might deflect any questions or comments about whether or not they are drinking too much.

When someone is dealing with an alcohol addiction, trying to talk about it can be difficult. Any attempt to convince them that they have a problem and need to quit drinking could potentially end up in an argument. Often, this reaction comes from a place of fear, shame, or feeling misunderstood. They might not be ready to open up about their struggles, and keeping certain things private can feel like a way to protect themselves. It's important to approach these conversations with patience and understanding while offering them support during a difficult time.

Is Alcohol Addiction the Same as Addiction to Other Drugs?

In some ways, addiction to alcohol is the same as addiction to heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, or other drugs, and in some ways, it is different.

How are they similar?

• It is possible to fatally overdose on alcohol. This is called alcohol poisoning.

• A person who stops drinking will experience withdrawal sickness, just like people addicted to other drugs do.

• The cravings for alcohol drive a person to drink again and again, even if they know it is harming them and those they love.

• A person’s health and lifestyle will often deteriorate.

• They may lose their jobs, businesses and families or ruin their educations.

How are they different?

• Alcohol can be obtained legally in hundreds of thousands of locations in the U.S. This is not true of illegal drugs.

• Alcohol addiction or alcoholism may be much harder to spot because drinking is so broadly acceptable in our society.

The Physical Effects of Alcohol

When a person drinks enough to get addicted, the physical impact of that addiction is profound. Despite its social acceptability, alcohol is a very toxic substance. It is particularly damaging to the heart, brain, liver and pancreas. Heavy and lengthy drinking can cause:

• Cardiomyopathy a stretching of the heart muscle that makes it less efficient in pumping blood
• Arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeat
• High blood pressure
• Fatty liver
• Alcoholic hepatitis
• Cirrhosis
• Pancreatitis

Alcohol causes several types of cancer, including head, neck, esophagus, liver, breast (in women), and colorectal cancers. Drinking is also associated with a weakened immune system, making it more likely that a drinker will contract diseases like pneumonia. According to the World Health Organization, alcohol consumption is involved in causing more than 200 diseases, injuries, and other health conditions.

Measuring Alcohol Dependence

Certain milestones indicate that a person has passed from simply drinking heavily or frequently into alcohol dependence. If a doctor or counselor is assessing alcohol dependence, they will look for these signs:

1. The person repeatedly passes limits they or another person set for the amount they will drink.
2. They cannot cut down their consumption or stop, despite repeated attempts to do so.
3. They keep drinking despite the physical, social, emotional, or mental problems caused by drinking.
4. They spend more time anticipating, planning, or recovering from drinking than they spend on other activities they previously found pleasurable.
5. They have abandoned goals or pleasurable activities in favor of opportunities to drink.
6. If they stop drinking, they experience symptoms of withdrawal such as tremors, nausea, insomnia, sweating, or even much more serious symptoms such as high fever and seizures.

A person who answers “Yes” to three or more of these points can be considered dependent on alcohol. In most cases, they are likely to need support to overcome their addiction to alcohol.

It is not at all unusual for a person who is dependent on alcohol to need close medical supervision and support as they go through withdrawal. Unsupported alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous or even deadly. Certain medications are needed to prevent harm from high fevers or seizures. This type of care during withdrawal is referred to as medical detox.

It is vital to speak with a medical doctor before an individual stops drinking so the severity of their addiction can be assessed. If a medical detox is needed, once it is complete, an individual can safely enter a drug rehab program to complete their recovery.

The Social Reasons Alcohol Is One of the Hardest Drugs to Quit

 

Alcohol has always been an integral part of American life. Therefore, it is present in an overwhelming number of settings. If a person is trying to resist the temptation to drink, the continuous presence of alcohol at home, on campus, after work or in social settings makes this one of the hardest drugs to quit. After all, drugs like cocaine and heroin are generally used either in secret or in very limited settings.

People who are quitting drinking face these challenging social factors:

• Alcohol is available almost everywhere and is considered virtually a necessary addition to events like New Year’s Eve celebrations, backyard barbecues, fraternity parties, Spring Break trips, tailgating parties, weddings, anniversaries, and more. An individual in recovery who wishes to socialize will be faced with many other people who are drinking.

• Alcohol is both easily accessible and legal. It’s not only available in bars and liquor stores. It’s also available at the grocery store, drugstore, gas station, or convenience store. In thirty states, laws even permit drive-through liquor stores.

• There is little to no stigma attached to getting tipsy or even drunk, especially in social circles where this is the norm.

Even if an individual can avoid being in the same room as people who drink, there are alcohol advertisements on billboards, televisions, radio, in magazines, and online. Alcohol companies spend a lot of money on advertisements trying to make drinking look glamorous and fun. While this does wonders for their profits, it wreaks havoc on the people who are trying to quit drinking.

The majority of Americans drink. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism:

• 80% of American males ages 12 and older have drunk alcohol at some point in their lifetime.

• 78% of females ages 12 and older have also drunk alcohol.

• Nearly 22% of American youth between the ages of 12 and 17 have drunk alcohol.

• Among adults ages 18 and older, 67% have drunk alcohol in the past year.

In some social circles, you can get questioned on why you aren’t drinking. Quitting drinking is a personal choice that you shouldn’t have to justify. Still, many people will question someone who says they don’t drink. No one asks a person why they stopped using heroin or why they don’t smoke crack cocaine, but many people will question you if you say you don’t drink alcohol. This is not-so-subtle peer pressure at work.

The Psychological Impacts of Alcohol Addiction

When a person first starts to drink, there are specific effects they are looking for. These effects seemed like benefits at the time. In those early days, drinkers may have felt that alcohol aided them in the following ways:

• Coping with problems or stress
• Escaping unpleasant or negative emotions
• Fitting in with others
• Improving the ability to socialize comfortably
• Having a good time
• Enhancing a social occasion
• Cheering themselves up when they feel safe

While alcohol might offer a brief sense of relief and relaxation, these feelings are short-lived, and alcohol can quickly start to have the opposite effect. Over time, alcohol can often increase the feelings of anxiety or sadness that the person drinking was trying to escape from, leading the individual into an even deeper struggle than before.

The Mental Decline Associated with Alcoholism

Despite being a substance that so many people seem to enjoy, alcohol is very toxic. The social acceptance of this drug seems to gloss over this fact.

Intoxication disables people on many levels. As a person becomes intoxicated, they often become unable to do simple tasks, some of which are critical for staying alive. Some of these impairments show up immediately, but others only show up after years or decades of addiction. The list of harm to mental and functional abilities is very long.

A single night of drinking can rob a person of their abilities in all these ways:

• Inability to maintain balance
• Poor memory
• Slurred speech
• Impaired judgment and decision-making
• Blackouts
• Poor impulse control
• Impaired sleep
• Shaking hands
• Slower thinking and speaking
• Artificially lowered inhibition
• Poor perception of pain
• Tendency to become violent

These short-term effects tend to disappear as the alcohol has worked its way out of the system. Over time, however, the effects can become much more severe and permanent. A definite mental decline is observed in many people who experience alcoholism over many years. Problems like these may show up:

• Brain shrinkage
• Inability to remember anything new
• Low self esteem
• Mood disorders
• Suicidality
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Dementia
• Loss of executive functions (problem-solving, planning, verbal reasoning, etc.)
• Psychosis

These frightening symptoms should be enough to motivate a person to quit drinking. But it’s not that easy for most people.

Challenges in Quitting Drinking

Almost anyone can stop drinking for a day or two, but to stay sober, a person will need to create an entirely new, sober life for themselves. A major difficulty in long-term sobriety is learning how to live life without the use of alcohol. Many people find it necessary to modify their social circles so that they are surrounded by other people who are in recovery or who do not drink.

A person in recovery cannot expect to stay sober if they keep visiting bars or going to parties where people are drinking. This is one reason why most people in recovery from addiction to alcohol require supportive groups. Families, close friends, religious congregations, sober clubs, events, and support meetings can provide this much-needed guidance and encouragement.

Like any of the illegal drugs, alcohol produces intense cravings when a person tries to stop. This is another one of the major barriers people face when they are first trying to stay sober. The beginning stages of sobriety are often the most difficult to get through because of the strong cravings that occur.

Many people who are breaking away from their addictions need the full-time support of a residential rehab program. In residential rehab, there is no chance to be tempted by parties, nightclubs, alcohol ads, or drinking buddies. There is 24-hour supervision. The full focus of a person’s time there is on developing the skills to maintain sobriety after going home.

Helping a Loved One Quit Drinking Through Treatment

 

If someone you love and care about is struggling to quit drinking despite all the damage being created, you can help most by finding an effective rehabilitation program. Look for a residential program with a proven track record of success. Ask the staff about the number of people who complete the program and stay sober after going home. Familiarize yourself with the program and see if it makes sense to you as a program that would help someone develop sober living skills.

When you find a suitable program, you may need the support of other family members to convince your loved one to enter rehab. Get the most supportive family members to come together to help your loved one understand that the best path forward is accepting the offer for rehab. Work out the finances for the treatment center and decide who will care for the person’s children, pets, vehicle, or home. Pack them a bag and assist them in any way you can.

Then, at a time when your loved one is most likely to be sober, communicate with kindness and care that it is time for them to go to rehab. As challenging as it might be, do not accept excuses or reasons why it can’t happen. Remind yourself that your loved one’s life could literally depend on their starting alcohol rehab at that very moment. Get them into a car that very hour and on their way to rehab.

Don’t Wait to Take Action

With everything you have learned about alcohol addiction, you can now see that a person who can’t control their drinking is in a dangerous situation. Because of the possibility of alcohol poisoning, violence, traffic accidents, and other mishaps, their next bout of drinking could be devastating.

Expect some resistance when you approach your loved one about quitting alcohol and getting help. They might insist they can handle it on their own or deny that it’s really a problem. It’s important to understand that someone struggling with addiction may not be able to see things clearly, so the most loving and supporting thing you can do is offer them a path to recovery through a compassionate and effective rehabilitation program.

About the Narconon Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Program

Since 1966, the Narconon program has helped tens of thousands of individuals recover from addiction to alcohol, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and other drugs. Families who are fed up with the “revolving door” of drug addiction treatment programs, where an individual goes from one program to another with no lasting results, find their solution at Narconon.

The Narconon Program Steps

Nearly sixty years of experience has resulted in a precise series of steps that helps a person break free from cravings and learn to make alcohol-free and drug-free decisions. One of those steps helps repair the body from the damage done by alcohol. A very specific regimen of vitamins and minerals is combined with exercise and a low-heat sauna to rid the body of accumulated drug residues. A brighter outlook on life prepares the individual for the steps to follow.

Their next step consists of completing a number of special techniques to help a person let go of the past and learn to live in the present. Finally, life skills training protects a person from negative influences or challenging situations so they can build a new, drug-free life that lasts.

How Is Narconon Different?

Many alcohol rehabs employ medication as part of their treatment. There is no medication or substitute drugs used as part of the Narconon program. Neither is this a Twelve Step program. Here, no one will be told that they “will always be an addict” or that addiction is a chronic disease they will suffer from forever. The focus of a Narconon program is and always has been restoring the ability of a person to make positive, sober choices. Narconon has proven with its track record of success that someone can be free of drugs for good.

When someone you care about needs help with alcohol addiction, call Narconon immediately.

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