The new year is underway, and many people have already forgotten what their new year’s resolutions were. In most cases, such resolutions are (basically) pipedreams that are simply out of reach. However, if you promised yourself that you will seek professional treatment to overcome alcohol addiction, Beethoven Recovery Centre’s alcohol therapy programme is your salvation.
Not only does this programme give you the necessary knowledge, tools, and motivation to kick such an addiction to the kerb, but it also teaches you to reintegrate into your social circles as a sober individual. Moreover, it teaches you how to maintain your sobriety and avoid any relapsing for the foreseeable future.
Today, we talk about the dangers of casual/social alcohol consumption, how it can develop into an addiction, and what you should be on the lookout for when it comes to early and definitive signs of alcohol addiction.
The Dangers of Casual/Social Alcohol Consumption
- Socially Driven Behavioural Patterns: People are creatures of habit. They fall into the trap of making themselves comfortable within a specific set of behavioural patterns. Such patterns are predictable and easy to identify. If you are in the habit of overconsuming alcoholic beverages within certain social circles, you are at risk of developing an addiction.
- Casual Alcohol Consumption Patterns: Dependent on your specific lifestyle, you might have a dedicated time of day for drinking a beer or a glass of wine at home. Although there is nothing wrong with such a behavioural pattern, it will eventually become mandatory for your mind and body to continue such behaviour. At this point, it has become an addiction, even if you only consume controlled amounts of alcohol.
Alternative Reasons for Alcohol Consumption
- Coping Mechanism: Life happens to all of us. As an adult, it can sometimes feel like you are drowning under pressure, stress, and anxiety. Most seek a stress reliever to allow them to forget about their problems. In South Africa, especially in Gauteng, that stress reliever comes in the form of alcohol consumption.
- Genetic Affiliation: Yes, your behavioural patterns are linked to your genetics. If one of your parents or grandparents had a problem with addiction, your risk of developing an addiction is increased. It is always a good idea to be mindful of your genetic inheritance regarding addiction and the consumption of addictive substances such as alcohol.
Early Signs of Addiction
- Negative Reactions: If you, or someone close to you, display any semblances of negative reactions when denied the opportunity to consume alcoholic beverages, this serves as an early sign of addiction. Anger, sadness, and lashing out are some of the basic reactions to expect in such a situation.
- Isolation: Although alcohol consumption usually occurs within social settings, addicts tend to consume alcoholic beverages within private settings as well. Isolation is a clear indication of an individual wanting to be left alone to do what they truly crave. This is a concise signal that such a person is developing an addiction.
Breaking the Habit
- Say No to Your Urges: If you have a raging urge to consume alcoholic beverages at any given opportunity, the path to sober living wellness starts with saying no to your urges. It is a difficult and arduous road to take. However, it all starts and ends with you and your personal convictions.
- Identify Elements That Are Negatively Influenced by Your Addiction: Addicts love to play off their addiction in a sense that they have convinced themselves that they can stop whenever they want to. This simply isn’t the case and becomes a sad excuse for them to carry on feeding their addiction. Meanwhile, their personal and professional relationships suffer under their addiction, and soon, they will find themselves at rock bottom.
- Choose to Overcome Your Addiction: If you truly want to overcome your alcohol addiction, our comprehensive alcohol therapy programme can assist you. We only accept voluntary admissions, which means that you must make a choice to actively combat and overcome your addiction beforehand.
Beethoven Recovery Centre is your first choice in an alcohol therapy programme near Gauteng. Feel free to browse our website for details on our facilities and contact us today if you have any questions on how we can help you find a way to sober living wellness in 2026.