Signs of an Alcohol Problem
There are many signs exhibited by someone with an alcohol problem. Dr. Stanton Peele, an expert in the field of addiction, says: "Addiction---the thematic malady for our society---entails every type of psychological and society problem." If you think you or someone you love has a problem with alcohol, there is much help available. See the resources at the bottom of this article.
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Compulsion
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People with an alcohol problem exhibit a compulsion when it comes to drinking. They may swear alcohol off after a night of drinking, but the next evening they go back to the bar and drink again. The compulsion comes from mental and physical cravings.
Denial
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One of the earliest signs of an alcohol problem is that people deny having any problems their drinking. Many alcoholics know they have a problem before they ever admit it. They do not want to talk about it because they are afraid of rejection and their self-esteem is low.
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Drinking Alone
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People with alcohol problems often drink alone. They do it because they feel sad or angry. They also do it to get high before going to a family gathering, party or other social function.
Hiding Alcohol
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Hiding alcohol is a common event with people living with families or friends who complain about a person's drinking habits. People hide alcohol to make sure they always have a constant supply and to feel that they are in control of their drinking. "Nobody will tell me what or how much to drink," they may say to themselves.
Legal, Financial and Relationship Problems
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Alcoholics experience many legal, financial and relationship problems. Legal problems can occur from drunken driving or disorderly conduct violations. Financial problems often happen because people spend too much money on drinking and ignore their financial obligations. Alcoholism is a family disease and creates problems not just in the immediate family unit but also in other relationships because of the codependency of people involved with the alcoholic.
Lying
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Many people with alcohol problems lie about the amount of alcohol they consume. When questioned, they will say something like, "Well, I had only a few beers last night," when in fact they drank many beers. After a car crash, one afflicted may tell the police officer, "I drank only a couple of glasses of wine."
Physical Withdrawal Signs
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Mild to moderate physical withdrawal symptoms include profuse sweating, headaches, nausea, loss of appetite, clammy skin, hands shaking, insomnia and a rapid heart rate.
Severe physical withdrawal symptoms include delirium tremors, called the DTs, which can create visual hallucinations and put the person in a state of confusion. Other severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include convulsions, fever and blacking out.
Alcoholics in a blackout cannot remember where they were or whom they were with. They may do dangerous things like driving a car, going on spending sprees and even trying to commit suicide.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Kevin Connors, Morguefile.com
