Co-occurring Alcoholism Treatment, Signs and Symptoms, AWS, Causes

We Level Up FL is a primary mental health center offering secondary co-occurring treatments. We treat the entirety of behavioral health disorders including their secondary corresponding illnesses to improve long-term recovery outcomes.


Depending on the extent of secondary behavioral disorders such as chemical dependence, we can first help assess your condition and thereafter guide you to suitable treatment options. We Level Up FL does not offer PHP, IOP, or outpatient level of care at this time.

Inpatient medical detox and residential primary addiction treatment may be available at our affiliated facility at Level Up Treatment Center West Palm Beach. For some primary behavioral health treatment clients, medical detox may be required first.  If you have a co-occurring severe substance abuse diagnosis, please contact us prior to beginning inpatient mental health therapy. Treatment services may vary. Please call us to learn which treatment options are most suited for your individual needs.

Primary Mental Health & Co-occuring Alcoholism Disorder

Excessive drinking and alcoholism is a common secondary co-occuring disorder for many mental health disorders. Alcohol is commonly used to dull the senses so to reduce the emotional pain felt due to severe mental health illnesses like trauma, depression, anxiety, and many others.

Alcoholism is clinically referred to as alcohol use disorder (AUD). It is a common, chronic, and progressive medical condition that involves the compulsive consumption of alcohol. Not everyone who drinks is an alcoholic. However, anyone whose life is negatively affected by alcohol on a consistent basis is considered to have an alcohol use disorder. Examples of this include failing to fulfill work, family, or social obligations as a result of recurrent drinking. Moreover, regular or frequent drinking means drinking alcohol most days and weeks. If you are concerned that you or someone you love has a problem with alcohol there are alcohol treatment options available.

Alcohol is commonly consumed as a drink in various forms. Examples are beer, wine, and hard liquor. Alcoholism is organized into three categories: mild, moderate, and severe. You could also be becoming dependent on alcohol. So, if you find it very difficult to enjoy yourself or relax without having a drink, you could have become psychologically dependent on it.

Co-occurring Alcoholism Symptoms

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention [1], excessive alcohol use is the fourth leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

Alcoholism Signs and Symptoms May Include:

Worrying about where your next drink is coming from and planning social, family and work events around alcohol.

Spending a lot of time drinking, getting alcohol or recovering from alcohol use.

Feeling a strong craving or urge to drink alcohol and finding it hard to stop once you start.

Wanting to cut down on how much you drink or making unsuccessful attempts to do so.

Using alcohol in situations where it’s not safe, such as when driving.

Waking up and drinking, or feeling the need to have a drink in the morning.

Suffering from withdrawal symptoms, such as sweating, shaking and nausea, which stop once you drink alcohol.

Acute alcohol intoxication is a condition associated with drinking too much alcohol in a short period of time. It's also called alcohol poisoning. In short, alcohol intoxication is serious. It affects your body temperature, breathing, heart rate, and gag reflex.
Alcoholism Treatment dual diagnosis center
Alcoholism Treatment Co-occurring Dual Diagnosis Recovery Center

Physical symptoms of alcohol withdrawal:

  • Hand tremors (‘the shakes’)
  • Sweating
  • Nausea
  • Visual hallucinations (seeing things that are not actually real)
  • Seizures (fits) in the most serious cases

AWS or Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS) is a set of symptoms that can occur following a reduction in alcohol use after a period of excessive use. Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal occur primarily in the central nervous system. This adjustment period causes the painful side effects of alcohol withdrawal.

Psychological symptoms of alcohol withdrawal:

Causes of Co-Occuring Alcoholism Disorder

The most common causes of alcoholism are:

  • Drinking at an early age. New findings showed that early drinking was associated with developing alcoholism. This is according to National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [2].
  • Psychiatric disorders like depression, anxiety, mood and personality disorder, or other mental health issues can increase the risk of alcoholism. Further, it’s easy to turn to alcohol when a person is feeling anxious or depressed.  The effects of alcohol may seem to temporarily ease those feelings. Because of this, it can resort to drinking more, leading to alcohol addiction.
  • Stressful Environments. According to the US National Library of Medicine National [3], environmental stress is the most potent. Some people turn to alcohol to relieve stress.
  • Family history. Risk of alcoholism increase if you have a parent or other relative who is alcoholic. Children who have one parent who struggles with alcohol use disorder have 3-4 times increased risk of becoming an alcoholic themselves. This is according to Source – We Level Up Addiction Rehabilitation Center [4]
  • Taking alcohol with medicine. Some medicines can increase the toxic effects of alcohol on the body. When a person continually takes alcohol with their medications, they may become addicted to the effects that follow – some of which have the capability to be very dangerous and even life-threatening.

Co-Occuring Alcoholism Treatment Options

Alcoholism Treatment Medical Program

Medical Treatment is the process by which an addicted person clears their body from alcohol and or drugs due to substance use disorder, and begins recovery from their addiction.  Drug treatment and rehabilitation centers help alcoholics ease and reduce withdrawal symptoms and their corresponding dangerous side effects.  

Withdrawing from alcohol on your own can be life-threatening and incredibly dangerous due to severe symptoms like heart palpitations and seizures. That’s why medical treatment is needed as a safe and effective way to withdraw from substance abuse with a lower risk of complications. Medical treatments are designed for your particular chemical dependency to come off drug and alcohol abuse.

Did you know that our alcoholism treatment can help prevent and treat delirium tremens? Also, an extremely severe form of alcohol withdrawal can cause body tremors, hallucinations, and seizures.

Other benefits of an alcoholism medical treatment include:

  • Receive 24/7 medical care and support.
  • Recovery away from access to drugs and alcohol.
  • Receive medications that eliminate or reduce withdrawal symptoms.
  • Reduced risk for relapse, overdose, and death.
  • Recovery without having to juggle responsibilities related to work, school, and family.
  • Improve your physical and mental health.

Primary Mental Health Co-occuring Treatment Plans

Our in-house medical team will design your co-occuring alcoholism treatment program to support long-term recovery, using cutting-edge methods in a serene residential setting. Above all, you’ll find a calming setting that offers advanced programs to address your personal needs.

Levels of Care:

  • Medial Treatment
  • Inpatient Rehabilitation
  • Alumni post inpatient treatment Outpatient/PHP Rehabilitation planning
  • Free Aftercare for Alumni
  • Free Family Support for all clients

We Level Up FL mental health center offers a primary behavioral recovery program along with co-occurring secondary alcoholism treatment. All too often mental health disorders display co-occurring alcohol addiction used to mask the emotional toll of trauma, depression, anxiety, ADD, ADHD, Trauma, PTSD, Bipolar, Personality disorders, and many other mental health illnesses.

If you or your loved one is suffering from a primary mental health disorder along with co-occurring alcoholism, help is just a phone call away. Professional co-occurring alcoholism treatment may be needed in treating the entirety of mental health disorders. To learn more, contact us today at We Level Up FL Treatment Facility, we provide utmost care with doctors and medical staff available 24/7 for life-changing and lasting recovery. We provide an enhanced opportunity to return to a fulfilling and productive life.

Inpatient medical detox and residential primary addiction treatment may be available at our affiliated facility at Level Up Rehab Center West Palm Beach. For some primary behavioral health treatment clients, medical detox and or addiction rehab may be required first.  If you have a co-occurring severe substance abuse diagnosis, please contact us prior to beginning inpatient mental health therapy.

We Level Up FL is a primary mental health center offering secondary co-occurring treatments. We treat the entirety of behavioral health disorders including their secondary corresponding illnesses to improve long-term recovery outcomes. Depending on the extent of secondary behavioral disorders such as chemical dependence, we can first help assess your condition and thereafter guide you to suitable treatment options. We do not offer PHP, IOP, or outpatient level of care at this time. Programs, services, and treatments vary. Call to learn more.

Sources:

[1] Disease Control and Prevention – https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/13_0293.htm

[2] National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism – https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/early-drinking-linked-higher-lifetime-alcoholism-risk

[3] US National Library of Medicine National -https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3860387/