How Long Does it Take to Get Addicted to Alcohol

Alcohol is woven into our culture in so many ways. We drink beer at baseball games, champagne at weddings, and sip wine at lunch with friends. While an occasional alcoholic beverage is unlikely to cause any harm, frequent or heavy drinking can lead to alcohol dependence. For readers who wonder, “How long does it take to get addicted to alcohol?” this blog will provide the answer.

What is Alcohol Use Disorder?

Alcoholism is a relapsing disease of the brain. Alcohol use disorder is the clinical term for alcoholism and covers a wide range of disordered drinking behaviors. The severity of alcohol use disorder covers a spectrum that includes mild, moderate or severe.

Some examples of alcohol use disorder might include:

• Binge drinking
• Drinking every day and exceeding the safe alcohol intake level. Some people use a BAC calculator to estimate blood alcohol concentration, but it’s important to remember these tools only provide rough estimates and can’t predict individual tolerance or risk of dependence.
• Drinking to the point of passing out or having memory blackouts on a regular basis
• Using alcohol to self-medicate a mental health disorder
• Physical dependence on alcohol, where you feel sick if you abstain from alcohol
• Psychological addiction, where you drink compulsively despite the negative consequences caused by the drinking

Alcoholism damages a person’s physical health, mental health, career, finances, and relationships. The only way to overcome alcohol addiction is to abstain from alcohol entirely and embrace a sober lifestyle. Recovery involves detox and withdrawal, rehabilitation, and aftercare support.

How Long Does it Take to Become Addicted to Alcohol?

If you are asking, “How long does it take to get addicted to alcohol,” you will find that the answer is not cut and dry. There are various factors that cause each person to respond differently to the presence of alcohol in their system. The most common factors in the time it takes to become addicted to alcohol are consumption and frequency.

Alcohol abuse can lead to dependence in as short as a few months. Dependence is the point at which your brain comes to expect the presence of alcohol – it relies on alcohol. One telltale sign of dependence is when you experience withdrawal symptoms when you are not drinking. That is the body rebelling in response to the absence of alcohol. At this point, you need to drink just so you won’t feel sick.

Another sign of dependence is increased tolerance, which occurs as the system becomes less sensitive to the effects of the substance. As tolerance increases, it causes the person to chase the desired effects by consuming higher quantities of alcohol. As consumption increases, the risk for dependence or addiction increases.

However, it is important to point out that each individual case is different. Someone may have a higher tolerance for alcohol, resulting in a longer timeline to reach dependence or addiction.

What Causes Someone to Get Addicted to Alcohol?

There is a reason why alcoholism is referred to as a chronic brain disorder. Here are the mechanisms that lead to alcoholism:

• Alcohol alters the brains neurotransmitters, which are the chemicals that transmit signals in the brain.
• Alcohol increases GABA production, which results in a feeling of relaxation and calm.
• Alcohol suppresses glutamate, which reduces feelings of excitability
• Alcohol stimulates dopamine production, which causes feelings of pleasure and fuels cravings.

While there are still many aspects of alcoholism that remain unknown, there are factors that are found to increase risk. These include:

• Genetics. Those with a family history of alcoholism may have genetic markers that put them at a higher risk of developing alcohol use disorder.
• Mental health. Individuals with a mental health disorder, such as anxiety or depression, may turn to alcohol to numb the symptoms. When this becomes habitual it can result in co-occurring alcohol use disorder.
• Environmental. People who grow up with alcoholic parents or live in an environment exposed to alcohol abuse are at higher risk.

What are the Signs of Alcohol Abuse or Addiction?

To diagnose alcohol use disorder, a doctor refers to a set of criteria provided by the DSM-5. The following symptoms and behaviors are typical of problem drinking:

Attempts to quit or cut back on alcohol use fail
Increased tolerance for alcohol, leading to higher consumption
Neglect obligations at home or at work
Obsess about drinking and plan the day around drinking
Decline in work performance; frequent absences from work
Telling lies about how much you drink
Hiding alcohol to access around the house, in the car, or at work
Drinking first thing in the morning
Showing physical signs of alcoholism
Getting into an auto accident or a DUI arrest
Relationship or marital problems
Continue to drink even regardless of adverse consequences
Attempt to quit drinking but cannot.
Withdrawal symptoms when alcohol wears off

Based on the number of these symptoms, the alcohol use disorder is staged as mild, moderate, or severe.

How Do You Overcome Alcohol Addiction?

Asking, “How long does it take to get addicted to alcohol?” is later followed by “How long does it take to break free from alcohol?” The answer to the second question rests on how committed the person is to sobriety. The only way to break free from alcoholism is to get sober and stay sober.

To accomplish this feat you will need some help. The first step is to make a decision to change your life and commit to living a sober lifestyle. The next steps are:

Alcohol detox. A medical detox under a team of detox experts guides you safely through the alcohol withdrawal phase of recovery.

Rehabilitation. An outpatient or residential rehab program helps you transform your behaviors and thought patterns so you can break the addiction cycle.

Aftercare. Joining peers in recovery at local meetings (A.A. or SMART Recovery are but two options) helps you to sustain sobriety.

Once addicted to alcohol, you will face two options: to succumb to the disease or to embrace sobriety. If you have decided to embrace sobriety, please reach out for support today – a whole wonderful life lies ahead.

The Treatment Specialist Provides Guidance for Alcoholism Treatment

The Treatment Specialist is an online resource for informative articles on mental health conditions and treatment options for adults, teens, and families. If you are concerned about a loved one’s drinking and wonder how long does it take to get addicted to alcohol, we can help. Call The Treatment Specialist today at Get Help Now.