A little booze makes a merry heart, true that. Another school of thoughts claim alcohol is good for the heart; the jury is still out on that. Truth is, we all use alcohol, albeit in different forms. So when do we cross the abuse line? So many people do not know they have an alcoholism problem or even live in denial. A user might not necessarily have his or her lives falling apart and yet be addicted. Here are some signs of alcohol addiction:
Alcohol ‘fixes’ everything: Do you drink heavily when you are disappointed, under pressure or have had a quarrel with someone? Alcohol is the first thing anyone who has an alcohol addiction problem turns to whenever there is a little “upset” in life, alcohol seems to fix all worries and problems, he or she tends to believe that things would be better after just a drink.
Tolerance: Can you handle more alcohol now than when you first started to drink? Do you often want to continue drinking after your friends say they’ve had enough? Do you sometimes stay drunk for several days at a time? When your tolerance level of alcohol has soared and you can take much more than you would take to get the same “stimulating” feelings, then you are already getting addicted.
Alcohol induced Amnesia: Have you ever been unable to remember part of the previous evening even though you didn’t pass out? Have you been having more memory “blackouts” recently?
Worrying relatives: Has a family member or close friend express concern or complained about your drinking? Do you try to avoid family or close friends while you are drinking?
Needing to drink to feel normal: People with alcoholism usually feel as if they must drink just to cope with their everyday lives. Are you more in a hurry to get your first drink of the day than you used to be? Do you sometimes feel uncomfortable if alcohol is not available? Do you ever feel depressed or anxious before, during or after periods of heavy drinking?
Guilt: Do you sometimes feel a little guilty about your drinking or when you’re sober, do you sometimes regret things you did or said while drinking? Do you have a ready-made excuse for while you must drink? Do you usually have a reason for the occasions when you drink heavily? People with alcoholism often blame their drinking on other people or on outside events.
Losing your will: Have you sometimes failed to keep promises you made to yourself about controlling or cutting down on your drinking? Have you tried switching brands or drinks, or following different plans to control your drinking? Do you sometimes have the “wobbles” in the morning and find that it helps to have a “little” drink, tranquilizer or medication of some kind?
Bad eating habits and health issues: Has your physician ever advised you to cut down on your drinking? Do you eat very little or irregularly during the periods when you are drinking?
Other tell-tale signs include
Dropping hobbies and activities that one used to enjoy, losing interest in them over alcohol. Having more drinks when others won’t know about it even if you normally drink with them.
Having legal problems, more financial problems, work or school problems that were triggered by alcohol
Having stashes of alcohol in unlikely places
Having nausea, sweating, or even shaking when not drinking
All these signs are indicators of alcohol dependence.
Have you crossed the line?
Image source: belfasttelegraph.co.uk