Alcohol is a widely available and socially acceptable substance that, when misused, can cause or exacerbate serious health and safety issues. Overuse and abuse of alcohol is found in drunk driving accidents and fatalities, domestic violence, child abuse, depression, suicides, job loss and financial troubles, homelessness, liver disease, heart disease, stroke, short-term memory loss, high blood pressure, and certain cancers, to name a few. 

Alcohol Use Disorder can be recognized with a handful of mild signs that grow in severity over time, if heavy drinking continues. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, symptoms include, but are not limited to: 

• Drinking more or longer than intended,
• Trouble refusing “just one more,”
• Needing more to drink to get the same effect,
• Having memory blackouts,
• Continuing to drink against doctor’s orders,
• Continuing to drink even when it makes you feel depressed, anxious, or sick,
• Continuing to drink even if it is causing relationship, job, or school problems,
• Taking risks, such as drinking while driving or using machinery, accepting a dangerous dare, or having unsafe sex,
• Being arrested more than once or having other legal problems due to drinking,
• Suffering withdrawal symptoms when alcohol effects wear off, such as shakiness, nausea, sweating, racing heart, or sensing things that aren’t there.

This list is not all-inclusive. Alcohol abuse can destroy lives, and unfortunately, it is often the user who is the last to realize they need help. And no one can make that call except you.

If you are ready to stop drinking, the Addiction Medicine team at Saratoga Community Health Center is ready to help. These medical, behavioral health, and social work professionals include Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselors (CASACs), people who are well-trained to provide evaluation, intervention, and counseling in both individual and group settings. 

The Addiction Medicine Program takes a comprehensive, non-judgmental approach to helping patients and families cope with alcohol, opioid, and benzodiazepine addiction. We know that addiction is a disease and that those entering and in recovery deserve patience and understanding—not criticism or judgment. If you relapse, we will work with you to get you back on track.

Patients must contact us directly to sign up. We must be confident that you are motivated to quit, so it is up to you—not a doctor or family member—to enroll in the program. Call us at 518-886-5600 to make an appointment. And call now, while you’re motivated. For more information, visit Saratoga Hospital Medical Group – Addiction Medicine.