It is very important to recognize the signs of alcoholism so that it can be identified at an early stage and proper help can be sought.
While drinking is a common and socially acceptable activity, overconsumption can result in severe health, social, and psychological problems.
If you or a loved one is struggling with the question “Am I an alcoholic?” We created this informative guide with four common signs of alcoholism to help you answer it:
1. An Increased Tolerance
Developing tolerance towards alcohol is one of the first few indicators that you may be an alcoholic. This means that a person needs to consume larger amounts of alcohol in order to achieve similar effects that used to make them feel tipsy before.
In these cases, the body gets used to having alcohol around all the time and requires more drinks to reach the same level or state of intoxication as before. If you need to consume more and more just to feel drunk like usual, you may be suffering from alcohol dependency.
2. Suffering from Withdrawal Symptoms
When alcoholics stop drinking or reduce their consumption suddenly, they will experience withdrawal symptoms. These range from mild anxiety to tremors to heavy sweating to vomiting, as well as the inability to sleep.
These symptoms typically start within hours after having the last drink and may persist for days and sometimes weeks, depending on the severity level reached by the individual involved; thus showing how much their body has become reliant upon alcohol intake over time. This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to answer the question “Am I an alcoholic?”
3. Loss of Control
Not being able to control your drinking habit despite knowing its negative effects on your health, relationships, job, and other areas of your life is another strong sign of alcoholism. Attempts made by these individuals usually fail, leading them back to where they started or even worse off compared to their previous state. Once you reach this state, the fact that you are highly dependent on alcohol becomes blatantly obvious.
4. Neglecting Personal and Professional Responsibilities
Alcoholics often forget about duties related to their job, school, and family among others, This is due to prioritizing drinking over everything else in life which eventually leads to poor performance at workplaces, absence from classes, failure to complete assignments, and so on.
Relationships also tend to fall apart when people start complaining about or confronting their loved one’s drinking habits. Financial problems usually begin to surface as well as a result of frequent and expensive alcohol purchases. All of these issues serve as major red flags indicating alcoholism.
Facing the Answer to the Question “Am I an Alcoholic?”
Knowing these signs marks the beginning of overcoming alcoholism. If any of these symptoms are displayed by either you or someone close to you, it is important to consult a medical professional who will diagnose and recommend possible treatment options that can be followed up on by addiction specialists. There exist many different ways through which therapy could help one recover from alcoholism; all you have to do is take the first step of admitting that you have a problem.
