Drinking is socially acceptable, and can be seen everywhere every single day of our lives in movies, TV, and magazines.

Got good news? A promotion at work? News of a pregnancy or an engagement? That calls for a drink, right? No big deal. When we go to parties, we see almost everyone with a drink in their hands, right? But at what point do we go from being the life of the party to the lush at the party?

At what point does having a drink or two at the end of a long workday qualify as a problem? A glass of red wine with dinner may be healthy, but if your glass of wine regularly becomes a few glasses or the whole bottle of wine than you have an alcohol abuse problem.

Adults tell teenagers that drinking isn’t a solution, and that they shouldn’t drink because of peer pressure. But, in reality, adults fall victim to the same circumstances. The point is regardless of age, anyone can go from being just a casual drinker to alcohol abuser with a problem.

According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Addiction, “up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people causes few if any problems.” But if you exceed that on a regular basis, and continually rely on an alcoholic fix, it’s time to get help now from a rehabilitation center.

Alcohol Abuse: Admitting There is a Problem

Is it your way to escape the pressures and expectations to be successful now that the responsibilities of being on your own or in college have set in? Do you feel more at ease in social situations when you have alcohol? Are you drinking too much and too often as a way to mask a traumatic event that you don’t want to think about or talk about?

You might think you’re hiding your drinking well or that you can hold your liquor, but others have probably seen the signs of it, such as the smell of alcohol on your breath, the lapses of memory, as well as changes in your behavior. Trying to conceal it does not make your problem go away, but rather it will actually make it worse over time because this denial will eventually lead to fatal errors in your judgment.

For example, if you get behind the wheel of a car when you’re not sober, you’re putting your life and the lives of others in jeopardy. An alcohol-induced car crash is no accident, because it could’ve been averted. If you regularly drive after you've been drinking you will have a serious accident at some point in the future, it is only a question of when.

Alcohol Abuse: How Alcohol Abuses the Body

Alcohol’s transformative effect on the mind is easy to see, but what you don’t see is how alcohol is internally destroying your body. Long-term, heavy drinking can lead to physical changes that may be irreversible such as brain damage and loss of liver function, not to mention the cardiovascular dangers that arise such as heart failure or stroke. Don’t risk poor health and premature death. Today’s troubles are treatable, and alcohol abuse isn’t an exception.

You can prevent a possible tragedy from happening, now or in your future, by contacting us here at Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches right now. With our help you will learn to live your life without alcohol and move from self-loathing (even if you aren't aware of it) to self-love and sobriety.

Through our Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches recovery process, you will begin to mend your broken relationships and in the process rediscover a life worth living filled with a brighter outlook for tomorrow.

Stop the alcohol abuse today and nourish your mind, body, and spirit once again with us at Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches. Call us anytime, day or night, 24/7 Toll-Free at (888) 432-2467 now for the help you need!