How to Tell if a Person Is an Alcoholic

Video Transcript

"Hello I am Dr. Bernardo Savariego, I'm a medical doctor specializing in addiction psychiatry in Miami, Florida. Let's talk about how tell when a person is an alcoholic. One of the first signs that you notice is that a person starts drinking alone a lot. The second thing is that they tolerate alcohol more they use to before. I mean they develop a tolerance for the alcohol so it takes more for them to get drunk or intoxicated. Also they start getting annoyed if you question them about their drinking, and they start to drinking earlier and earlier in the day. Now clinically we are taught to use the a little word to remind us how to question the patient which is cage, C-A-G-E. C stands for cut. You ask the patient have you recently tried to cut down on your drinking? A is for annoyed. Do you become annoyed when people ask about your drinking? G is for guilty. Do you feel guilty about your drinking after you drink? And E is for eye opener. Is do you drink early in the morning because of the morning shakes or to settle your nerves? According to the National Institute of Alcohol and Drug Abuse the normal amount of drinking would be for men two drinks per day, and for women one drink per day."