As the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States, alcohol has ravaged the country with its harmful effects on the human body. One out of every twelve adults suffer from alcohol abuse, and the consequences of such an addiction are potentially life-threatening.
As a society, one of the best ways to make a difference in helping an alcoholic is to recognize essential characteristics or traits that correlate to alcoholism. Whether it be through noting common behaviors, contributing adverse reactions to past experiences, or doing individual psychological research on the matter, the ability to make a change is attainable to those who wish to do so. Listed below are five common traits of an alcoholic.
Common Alcoholic Traits
Low Self-esteem
The first tell-tale sign of alcohol abuse in a person is low self-esteem. When people feel degraded, or lesser than their peers, they turn to coping mechanisms. There is a multitude of substances that can fill the void as coping mechanisms, and alcohol is at the top of the list when it comes to materials that can provide a temporary distraction from reality. Low self-esteem can lead to a substantial enhancement of one’s inferiority complex or their insistence on being worth less than those around them; as well as contribute to other self-promoting thought processes that could be harmful to oneself. As a trait influenced by consumption, the potential for disaster is raised exponentially if left untreated.
Anxiety
Alongside low self-esteem, anxiety is a prominent trait related to those suffering from alcohol abuse. Anxiety forms from many origins, some of which are connected to fear: (fear of failure, fear of social situations, fear of emotion, etc.). Other roots stem from a constant worry that can’t be controlled by abusers. Prevention is critical, as alcohol can attach itself to abusers in such a drastic fashion that they can’t interact socially or emotionally without it. It’s for reasons such as the one previously stated that anxiety in abusers should be treated with extreme caution and care. Failure to do so could lead to a lack of social and emotional dependence that abusers need to climb out of a downward spiral.
Frustration
Shifting gears slightly, a common trait associated with alcohol abusers is being easily frustrated. Abusers tend to want stuff their way and get angered when they can’t have things immediately. Frustration corresponds to a feeling of unfairness, further contributing to nagging frustrations. It’s the abusers’ ‘Me against the world’ mentality that allows them to isolate themselves from available help around them. It’s this impulsive behavior that can derail a person’s career or family; subsequently adding to the possibility of prolonged alcoholism. The cloud in judgment can snowball into much more significant issues, and as a result, frustration is perhaps the most volatile trait of the bunch, depending on the severity of one’s own frustration/anger.
Feelings of Guilt
If frustration is the most volatile trait, then guilt is the most overbearing. Guilt can take over an abusers’ lifestyle. If it’s severe enough, guilt can control important life choices and hijack an abusers’ frame of mind. Loved ones should have a solid idea of whether or not a previous experience could potentially contribute to an alcoholics’ guilt. It’s essential that abusers seek help with guilt as it can lead to increased abuse of alcohol and have unintended consequences similar to what anxiety can produce.
Blaming
Another negative aspect related to alcoholics is their tendency to solicit blame to those around them. Somewhat associated with frustration, blaming is a trait that is recognizable when an abuser experiencing negativity transfers the cause from themselves to others involved with the situation. Blaming can lead to strained relationships between friends and family, increased internal frustration, and an overwhelming feeling of loneliness and contempt for those close to them. While challenging to treat, addressing the concept of blaming can vastly decrease other traits commonly found with alcoholics.
Next Steps
While time-consuming and stress-inducing, it’s essential that those who can help others affected by the heinous addiction that is alcoholism do so. In most cases, abusers who either don’t experience outside intervention or don’t look for help internally, find themselves trapped in an endless cycle of mediocrity, ultimately ending in a more intensified abuse of substances.
As a company, Landmark Recovery intends to assist alcoholics by having a detail-oriented process of rehabilitation. However, help cannot be given if problems aren’t diagnosed. So by learning about common traits associated with alcoholism, the public can be more engaged in providing guidance in appropriate manners to those who need it. Hopefully, Landmark recovery can be apart of that journey to liberation from substance abuse.
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