Some Of The Signs And Symptoms Of Alcoholism

Alcohol, and those who are addicted to it, have been around for 1000 years. Many years ago it was difficult to be an alcoholic because people didn't have enough money to purchase the alcohol. Nowadays wages have increased to the point where the average person can drink himself to death on minimum wage, or even less. Now that the  limiting factor is no longer money other things need to come into play, whether it be the fortitude to never start drinking, or the knowledge that you need help in  quitting. Let's take a look at some of the symptoms of being an alcoholic.


To begin with, the drinker will only drink to excess occasionally, however after a few years of drinking regularly, an alcoholic will find themselves drinking to excess every single time.  The same thing goes for missing time at work, at first an occasional day,  here and there, is bound to happen, however when it becomes a weekly occurrence, that's a sign that you may have a problem with alcohol.

Another not so obvious sign, is when a person begins lying about how much they drink. As a person begins drinking regularly their tolerance begins to build a they are able to drink quite a bit more than a regular person before getting drunk. Part of the same symptom is hiding the amount of alcohol that you consume from those around you.  When you go to the fridge to get another beer, then chug one beer in 30 seconds and hide the bottle, then open another beer and casually walked back to the party, that could be an indication that you're an alcoholic.

Another common problem with those who drink is when they go shopping while drinking, then end up way overspending and out of money. Many times they will buy multiples  of  products that they have absolutely no use for at all.  If this sounds familiar you probably need to seek some help.

If some of these symptoms apply to you and your drinking, it might be a good idea to seek  help. If you intend to cut down on your drinking, and are unable to for various reasons, then help is available at  local drug and alcohol treatment centers nationwide.

What is Alcohol Abuse?

 

Alcohol abuse can often go undetected for a great period of time, often because people vary on the signs of what is alcohol abuse. Denial of alcohol abuse can be very deep as the user justifies their usage and plays it off as simply celebrating or using to to cope with rough times.

Many alcoholics are quite clever in their ways of covering up the signs of alcohol abuse and secretly supplying their habit. But often, the only ones they are fooling are themselves and usually, even they don't truly believe themselves. Deep down they know they have a problem. 

This is why the first step of alcohol abuse treatment is for the alcoholic to admit there is a problem. This is why an abuse treatment center can be such a vital part of recovery. There is strength in numbers and people in different stages of recovery can provide valuable help and support.

They also help the alcoholic see that they are not alone. Very severe alcoholics benefit from inpatient treatment because detoxing from alcohol can be dangerous. When a body has become so acclimated to alcohol for many years, stopping cold turkey can cause seizures, DT, hallucinations and illness. 

An inpatient treatment center can offer a supervised detox with doctors on hand to help ease the symptoms of withdrawal and lessen the danger of seizures. Family members of an alcoholic should consider using the resources of Al-anon or other support systems for the families of alcoholics. 

They can provide valuable support and coping strategies as the family works to rebuild all that has been lost to alcohol. No one should have to endure alcoholism or recovery on their own. There is ample support out there for everyone. Studies show that these programs can greatly increase the success rate and continued sobriety for many years to come.

Signs Of Alcoholism

 

You don't have to be an alcoholic to be an alcohol abuser. Those who drink heavily are not necessarily addicted to alcohol. They may only drink once a week, but when they do, they may put themselves in dangerous situations, continue drinking regardless of the effects, and may end up with health issues as a result.

Alcohol abusers are advised to see a specialist in order to be diagnosed, and alcohol abuse treatment centers are designed to support and help alcoholics to get through a detoxification process. All alcoholics need to detox completely from alcohol in order to succeed in healing themselves. Detoxification removes all traces of alcohol from the body, and is the beginning of removing the physical dependency on it.

Signs of alcoholism include being unable to function effectively without an alcoholic drink. This often shows up as a desire to drink alcohol at times of the day, venues and occasions others wouldn't think of drinking. An example of this would be feeling desperate for a drink at 11am at a school play, or at a 9am business meeting. This is a very clear sign of an alcohol addiction. If there are any signs of needing a drink in order to cope, or feel better, it’s best to seek professional help.

Alcoholics will often not want to change, at least at first, and this can make it very difficult for loved ones to help them. It often takes an intervention to initiate the desire to change the situation. If you, or a loved one is showing signs of alcoholism, it’s best to seek professional advice from a doctor who will be able to give you the alcohol facts, and to help you discover if it is alcohol abuse, or an addiction to alcohol. They will also help you find the right treatment.

Alcohol Abuse Statistics: A Wake-Up Call To Those Who Suspect They Have a Problem

 

Some say you can lie with statistics; others that statistics can't lie. But when it comes to alcohol abuse, the statistics are hard to argue with. They reflect the number of people who have sought treatment for alcoholism, the divorce rate in alcoholic families, and, sadly, the fatalities attributed to drunk driving.

But you do not have to be a statistic. Alcoholism is an addiction, a disease; and the only shame in it is failing get proper treatment for that disease. Sure, there is no cure for alcoholism. If you are an alcoholic, you know you will remain such to your dying day. But your goal is to be able to claim the status of "recovering alcoholic," that is an alcoholic who does not consume alcohol in any of its many forms and thus is not a danger to society or family.

The statistics themselves regarding alcoholism are sobering. Consider the following:
 

• Alcohol abuse is the third preventable cause of death in the United States, accounting for approximately 85,000 deaths a year.

• In 2012, there were approximately 1,825 unintentional injuries among college ages 18-24 that were alcohol related. This includes automobile accidents.

• Of students ages 18-24, some 97,000 have been victims of alcohol related sexual assaults or date rapes.

• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) affects between two and seven babies born per thousand in the U.S.

These are sobering statistics and there are so many more reflecting alcoholism’s threat to family life, health and safety. These are very strong arguments in favor of honest scrutiny if you have even the slightest suspicion that alcohol abuse is a problem with you.

Remember, the only shame is in ignoring the facts before you and continuing to endanger the lives of others, both those you love and those you don’t even know. So, join the millions who have faced these facts with courage and admitted to being alcoholics, ideally before they were forced to face such due to a disastrous catastrophe of their making.