Drinking is part of the fabric of many societies, sharing a bottle of wine at dinner, going out for drinks with friends to celebrate special occasions with champagne. But because alcohol is so common and popular element in many activities can be difficult to see when your drinking has crossed the line of moderate use or social problems with drinking.
If you drink alcohol, just to feel good or to avoid feeling bad, consumption of alcohol can be problematic. Alcoholism and alcohol abuse can sneak up on you, so it’s important to be aware of warning signs and take steps to reduce, if you recognize them. Understanding the problem is the first step to overcoming it.
Symptoms of alcoholism include:
1. Being unable to limit the amount of alcohol you drink
2. Feeling a need or compulsion to drink
3.
The development of tolerance to alcohol so you need a more and more to feel its effects
4. Having legal problems or problems with relationships, employment or financial problems due to drinking
5. Drinking alone or in secret
6. Experiencing physical withdrawal symptoms – such as nausea, sweating and trembling – when you do not drink
7. Not remembering conversations or commitments, sometimes referred to as “passing out”
8. Making a ritual of having drinks at certain times and becoming annoyed when this ritual is disturbed or questioned the
9. Losing interest in activities and hobbies that bring you pleasure before
10. Irritability when your time comes to habitual drinking, especially if alcohol is not available
11. Keeping alcohol in unlikely places at home, at work or in your car
12. Gulping drinks, ordering doubles, drunkenness intentionally to feel good or drinking to feel “normal”
Problem (harmful) drinking
This is where you continue to drink heavily even though they have caused injury or are causing damage or problems that you, your family or society. For example, you can:
Have cirrhosis or other alcohol-related illness.
Binge drink and get drunk frequently. This can cause loss of time away from work, or behave in an antisocial manner when he drinks. But note: not everybody with problem drinking binges or gets drunk. Many people with alcohol-related disease, including cirrhosis drink small amounts frequently, but not get drunk.
Spending more money on alcohol than you can afford.
They have problems with relationships or work because he had been drinking.
Many problem drinkers are not alcohol dependent. They could stop drinking without withdrawal symptoms if they wanted. But for one reason or another, continue to drink excessively.
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