More Than A Drinking Problem: Signs of Alcoholism
People drink for many reasons. When the problems come pouring in, many people find themselves pouring more and more alcohol out into their glass. Or when something so joyful happens, gratitude manifests itself through lots of cases of beer bottles. Some people drink to celebrate something merry while others drink to mourn something dreadful. Indeed, different reasons serve as motivations for popping the cork off the bottle. So, when it comes down to it, when is it regular drinking and when is it signs of alcoholism?
Alcoholism is a condition in which a person’s functioning ability is impaired because of alcohol. When the ability to conduct a normal daily life is almost nonexistent, then there is a problem. Alcoholism is the most serious type of alcohol problem characterized by at least three of seven symptoms over a period of one year. But before manifesting those symptoms, alcoholism displays signs that indicate that a person’s drinking is getting out of hand. These are:
Frequent intoxication ~ You always find a reason to drink. And you think that reason is more than reasonable.
Established pattern of heavy drinking ~ When you set a date with others, they always expect that they’d drive you home because you would be too wasted to do it yourself.
Drinking in dangerous situations ~ The riskier it is, the more fun it would seem. This would include drinking when driving, drinking while at work, or mixing alcohol with prescription drugs.
Black-out drinking ~ You drink to the point that you can’t even remember what you drank or did the night before. Memory blanks won’t be uncommon.
Drastic change in demeanor while drinking ~ People around you may feel that you practically have a multiple personality disorder when you’re drunk. And your alter egos are rude, insensitive and definitely not nice.
After those early signs of alcoholism, seven symptoms may manifest to show that indeed, you have a drinking problem (or more):
Neglect of Other Activities: You missed your daughter’s graduation, business dinner meeting or ball game with friends because you were drinking or drunk or hungover.
Excessive Use: You planned on having only one glass but went home with a pitcher-full of daiquiri pounding inside your head.
Persistence of Use: You just can’t stop it. Though you know you will have another bad day tomorrow because you’re drinking tonight, you still lift the glass.
Large Amount of Time Spent in Alcohol Related Activities: You always find yourself either in a bar, drinking a beer, or in a bed, curing a hangover.
Withdrawal: When you tried to stay away from alcohol, you get nausea, shakiness, sweating and anxiety.
Tolerance: You realize you need more bottles in order to get a buzz.
Fulfilling three of the aforementioned signs is a big cause for alarm. Alcoholism is a disease known to break up homes and relationships. It poses health hazards that are never easy to handle. It can lead to depression. And it won’t make life any better.
Regular drinking and alcoholism are often interchanged with each other, wrongly. And though alcoholism is far more serious than ordinary occasional night-outs, people should remember that alcohol is an addictive substance. If you don’t watch what you drink (along with how much and how often), what you consider normal may just escalate into something which used to be on the opposite end of the pole.
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