Symptoms of Alcoholism

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There are many signs that show someone has a problem with alcoholism. If someone is considered a progressive alcoholic this means that their addiction is and will continue to worsen over time.

If you have someone that you love dealing with any of the following signs they need help.

1) A pattern of drinking, which puts them in dangerous situations.

2) Drinking to the point of passing out or sickness.

3) A change in behavior while drinking or after drinking.

4) Missing work because of drunkenness.

5) Leaving work early to go drink with their buddies.

6) Neglecting their responsibilities at home or in other places.

7) Neglecting family members and being irritable with them.

8) Living for the next drink.

9) Signs of depression and moodiness when they have not had a drink in a while.

10) The need for more and more alcohol to reach the same stage of numbness or high.

An alcoholic will rarely acknowledge that they have a problem, never mind that they need help. There are a few things that you can do to try to help:

1) Stage an intervention with friends and family.

2) Remind the alcoholic of the consequences of alcohol.

3) Be available for them if they need help, but do not support their drinking.

4) Join a group that offers support to family members of alcoholics. They will be able to encourage you and give direction.

Until the alcoholic comes to the place where they see a problem and seek help there will be very little that you can do.

 

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Situations That Can Cause Alcohol Abuse Problems

Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are one of those substances that many people have a difficult time with. The media will often portray a substance abuse problem as if it came out of nowhere and it becomes full blown in no time. However, there are various ways that an alcohol problem can develop. Here is a look at some of the ways that alcohol abuse problems develop over time.

Sudden Changes. Many people will develop an alcohol or substance abuse problem in response to a stressful situation. These people were likely to drink small amounts of alcohol throughout the day but when the stressful situation or sudden change occurred they turned to alcohol to sooth the problem.

Tolerance. Many times substance abuse problems develop because the addict developed a tolerance to the substance of choice. They may have started out drinking only one or two beers but because nothing was affecting them they turned to drinking more and more until it became a problem. These types of situations usually creep up on the person and an alcohol problem seems to come out of nowhere.

Drinking Daily. There have been many studies and situations that shows those that drink daily or binge drink could develop an alcohol problem over time. This is because the body becomes so accustomed to the alcohol that when the person decides to stop it can cause problems. While the person does not realize that they are developing a problem, it quickly spirals out of control and they develop a substance abuse problem.

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Effects Of Alcoholism On The Body

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Mild to moderate alcohol consumption may have little, if any, effect on the body. If a person does drink to the point that he begins to feel a “buzz” or feel “a little tipsy,” the decision is often made to stop drinking at that point in order to avoid any problems that may occur with over-consumption of alcohol.

However, some people, for different reasons, continue to drink to the point of intoxication. For some, the aftereffects (the hangover or vomiting that occurs from too much alcohol) are enough to make them decide to never get to that point again, or at least not do it very often. Others, however, continue to increase their alcohol intake, and thus become addicted, a condition sometimes referred to as alcoholism.

True alcoholism (as opposed to binge drinking or occasional drunkenness) will eventually cause long-term effects on the body. These can include such things as illnesses caused by nutritional deficiencies, and brain and organ damage.

Nutritional deficiencies occur because of alcohol’s dual effect on a person. For one thing, the person is so preoccupied with wondering where his next drink will come from and with procuring that next drink, that he gives little, if any, thought to eating. In essence, drinking is more important than food consumption.

Further, alcohol can contain anywhere from 25 to as much as 65 calories, or more, depending on the type of beverage. These, however, are considered “empty” calories. The person does not feel hunger, because his stomach is full of alcohol, but he has taken in no nutrients.

Alcoholism causes organ damage, especially to the liver. The liver is responsible for filtering out the harmful effects of alcohol. As it has to handle larger and larger volumes of alcohol, its filtering effects become diminished. Eventually, the liver actually begins to harden, a condition known as cirrhosis, which eventually leads to liver failure.

Alcoholism also affects the brain. Each time alcohol is consumed, brain cells are killed, and they do not regenerate. Further, excessive consumption can lead to episodes of memory loss, sometimes referred to as “blackouts”.

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