Over 13 million people in the United States struggle with alcoholism or abuse alcohol. Many of these individuals struggle to cope with daily life, and their physical and mental health has been affected by alcoholism.

Living with alcoholism is one of the most challenging and emotionally draining experiences imaginable. It’s a journey filled with ups and downs, often leading to broken relationships, health issues, financial strain, and even death in extreme cases. But the good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way – anyone can achieve sobriety if they commit and put in the hard work it will take.

Alcohol abuse statistics

To understand the prevalence and severity of alcoholism in America, it’s beneficial to learn its top statistics. They can be a bit shocking.

The following data come from a study from the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics:

• Over 140,000 people die from the effects of alcohol each year.
• Almost 15 million people have Alcohol Use Disorder.
• Every day, almost 400 people die due to excessive alcohol use.
• At least 24.0% of people aged 18 years and older reported binge drinking in the last 30 days.
• Americans lose over 3.59 million years of potential life due to excessive drinking.

These facts show how detrimental alcohol abuse and alcoholism can be to our society.

Alcoholism Symptoms
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Am I an alcoholic?” then you more than likely have a drinking problem. Symptoms of alcohol abuse and alcoholism vary from person to person and highly depend on various factors. Length of use, severity, body chemistry, and genetics, among others, determine how someone will react to excessive alcohol use.

According to health experts at the Mayo Clinic, you might have a problem with alcohol if you are:

• Unable to limit the amount of alcohol you drink
• Wanting to cut down on how much you drink or making unsuccessful attempts to do so
• Spending a lot of time drinking, getting alcohol, or recovering from alcohol use
• Feeling an intense craving or urge to drink alcohol
• Failing to fulfill significant obligations at work, school, or home
• Continuing to drink alcohol even though you know it’s causing physical, social, work, or relationship problems
• Giving up or reducing social and work activities and hobbies to use alcohol
• Using alcohol in situations where it’s not safe
• Developing a tolerance to alcohol
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms

Long-term medical problems people may develop due to alcoholism are alcoholic hepatitis, alcoholic dementia, alcoholic fatty liver, cancer, digestive problems, cirrhosis, and heart disease.

Thankfully, alcohol rehab treatment centers across America specialize in helping alcoholics reach sobriety.

Alcoholic rehab
If you or someone you know are struggling with alcoholism, sobriety is right at your fingertips. Alcoholic rehab and detox clinics ensure their patients receive the best care while helping them safely get through the alcohol detoxification process. While this can be pretty uncomfortable, highly trained medical and therapeutic staff at rehab centers, inpatient or outpatient, guide their patients through withdrawal symptoms and provide the support they wouldn’t get anywhere else.

It just takes one call to consult with a caring and knowledgeable staff member and get your questions answered about alcoholic rehab.

Conclusion
No matter where you are in your battle against alcohol addiction – whether just starting or seeking new ways to cope with long-term sobriety – know that you don’t have to fight alone any longer. Recovery specialists at Innovative Health Systems can help you create your path to recovery, one step at a time.

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