What are the symptoms of alcoholism

ALCOHOL

An alcoholic is a man or a woman who suffers from alcoholism - they have a distinct physical desire to consume alcohol beyond their capacity to control it, regardless of all rules of common sense.

Definition - an alcoholic is a person, while alcoholism is the illness. An alcoholic suffers from alcoholism. Alcoholism is a long-term (chronic) disease.

Alcoholics are obsessed with alcohol and cannot control how much they consume, even if it is causing serious problems at home, work, and financially.

Alcohol abuse generally refers to people who do not display the characteristics of alcoholism, but still have a problem with it - they are not as dependent on alcohol as an alcoholic is; they have not yet completely lost their control over its consumption.

Moderate alcohol consumption will not generally cause any psychological or physical harm. However, for some individuals, social drinking eventually leads to heavier and heavier alcohol consumption, which does cause serious health and psychological problems.

What are the symptoms of alcoholism?

The signs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse are very similar, and are often just a question of degree or intensity.

Typically, the last person to be aware that he/she has a serious drinking problem is the alcoholic himself/herself - they are in denial. Some signs and symptoms of alcoholism as well as alcohol abuse include:

• Drinking alone.

• Drinking in secret.

• Not being able to limit how much alcohol is consumed.

• Blacking out - not being able to remember chunks of time.

• Having rituals and being irritated/annoyed when these rituals are disturbed or commented on. This could be drinks before/during/after meals, or after work.

• Dropping hobbies and activities the person used to enjoy; losing interest in them.

• Feeling an urge to drink.

• Feeling irritable when drinking times approach. This feeling is more intense if the alcohol is not available, or there appears to be a chance it may not be available.

• Having stashes of alcohol in unlikely places.

• Gulping drinks down in order to get drunk and then feel good.

• Having relationship problems (triggered by drinking).

• Having problems with the law (caused by drinking).

• Having work problems (caused by drinking, or drinking as root cause).

• Having money problems (caused by drinking).

• Requiring a larger quantity of alcohol to feel its effect.

• Nausea, sweating, or even shaking when not drinking.

A person who abuses alcohol may have many of these signs and symptoms - but they do not have the withdrawal symptoms like an alcoholic does, nor the same degree of compulsion to drink.

The problems linked

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