10 Signs of Alcoholism

According to the National Institutes of Health, better than 68 percent of all adults queried admitted to overindulging in alcohol at least 1 to 10 times in their lives. This may seem like a comfortable number, but overindulgence can lead to dependence. Below are 10 signs that you might be fighting alcoholism.

Extreme Craving for Alcohol

Very few people can tell you that alcohol tasted great the first few times of trying the product. Liquor has an even harsher taste than beer and wine. You need to consider the possibility of an alcohol problem if there is a strong and consistent craving. If you find your mind drifting to thoughts of alleviating this craving more often than not, you may already have an addiction in play.

Drinking in Secret

Hiding your drinking habits, drinking alone and in unexpected places are other signs that you are beginning to lose control. You may be feeling a sense of shame about the importance placed on drinking in your life. What may have started as a social activity is now done at any opportunity. This is an important red flag.

Lying to Friends and Family About Drinking Habits

Friends and family might begin to question why there are so many empty alcohol containers in the trash can. They might wonder why your breath always smells of alcohol. Denial and outright lies begin to be a normal response. A sense of guilt, shame, and pride can make it difficult to speak the truth. There is only so long that the lies will work. Eventually, you risk alienating those that love you for being dishonest.

Feeling Compelled to Drink

Commercial advertising has done much to influence the view of people towards alcohol. All fun activities seem to be shown with the involvement of drinking an alcoholic beverage. They seem to imply that you cannot have fun without drinking as well. This helps fuel a compulsion to include alcohol at nearly every social function. Frequent overindulgence in alcohol can establish alcoholism.

Losing Control or Blacking Out When Drinking

When you are at a gathering that includes alcohol, you set a personal limit and always seem to lose control, there may be an alcohol problem. Having periods of time that you cannot remember is called a “blackout.” This is a dangerous situation that can turn deadly. It is a short distance from alcohol poisoning. This will make you lose consciousness, cause convulsions, coma, and death. You need to actively seek professional help if you have ever experienced this.

Becoming Irritated When Alcohol Is Not Available

When your body gets used to drinking at a particular time of the day or week it starts to become dependent on this depressant as a way to relax. When there is a sudden interruption and no alcohol is available, your mood can spiral down and out of control. You become irritable, angry and at times, irrational. This is a clue that alcohol has become a serious problem. 

Hiding Alcohol for Private Consumption

This problem is slightly different than simply drinking all by yourself. In this scenario, you actually hide alcohol in closets, drawers, lockers, kitchen shelves and your vehicle to drink on a whim in private. This is a sure sign that alcohol has taken hold of your life and you need to break free.

Losing Interest in Activities

Constant overindulgence in alcohol will begin to take a toll and slow down your life. If you find that your former interests no longer hold any luster, you feel constant fatigue and irritability or pay far less attention to personal hygiene, the time has come to seek treatment. Thoughts of helplessness and depression will begin to cloud your judgment. You can be at a higher risk for committing suicide.

Serious Legal Problems Tied to Alcohol Use

Alcoholism can eventually lead to getting in all sorts of legal problems. It can lead to divorce, home foreclosure, DUI, and verbal or physical altercations leading to arrest. It can take a lot of money and time to straighten these problems out. The key is taking note whether the main problems happen due to consuming too much alcohol.

Experience Withdrawal Symptoms

The withdrawal symptoms for alcoholism can be remarkably bad. They are often serious enough that is scares people off from trying to quit drinking. It can anything from mild shakes to convulsions and death. It is critical to get safe medically supervised treatment at qualified alcohol detox centers.

Contact an expert in alcohol detox in California like Restore Detox Centers to get an alcohol assessment right away!