5 Signs You’re An Alcoholic
Before you can judge whether or not you are an alcoholic or someone who is suffering from alcoholism, it is first vitally essential that you understand what alcoholism is. Alcoholism is also known as alcohol addiction, compulsive drinking, and alcohol dependence syndrome. This is a type of disease that incorporates four basic elements.
Almost every person suffering from alcoholism is going to experience these four basic elements of the disease.
- A craving. This is a compulsion or a strong need to drink.
- A loss of control. This is the frequent inability for the person to stop drinking after they have begun drinking, frequently leading to binge drinking.
- A physical dependence. This is an occurrence of withdrawal symptoms whenever the person stops drinking after a heavy period of drinking. Some examples of withdrawal symptoms that you might experience include sweating, nausea, anxiety and shakiness. These withdrawal symptoms typically relieve themselves as soon as you begin drinking again, or when you take a sedative medication or drug.
- A tolerance. This is a need for the alcohol in increasing amounts in order to achieve the same high that you achieved before.
People who are alcoholics experience these four elements, which are pretty tell-tale signs that they are struggling with a drinking problem. There are other obvious signs that you are struggling with a drinking problem, however, and you should put some definite consideration into these.
Signs of Being an Alcoholic
There are a number of different types of warning signs and symptoms that can indicate to you that alcoholism is becoming a serious problem. It is not always going to be easy for you to admit that what you are going through is alcoholism. When you are actively living with an addiction, it can feel completely impossible to admit that this is what you are going through. If you go through these five obvious signs that you are an alcoholic and you realize that they describe your experience, then it may be true that alcoholism is the thing that ails you.
Luckily enough, once you do realize that you have a problem you can begin to get the help that you need. If you are struggling with problems relating to alcoholism, then please know that help is out there and it is only a phone call away. The right drug rehab program or alcoholism rehab program (800-303-2482) is going to go a very long way in helping you get support and care during this trying time.
First Sign You’re an Alcoholic
Are you lying about how much you are drinking, either to yourself or to the people around you? Lying is always an indicator that something is going very, very wrong. If you are trying to hide your drinking from other people, or if you are lying to yourself about how much you are drinking, then the odds are good that you have a drinking problem. In fact, if it has become natural for you to lie about how much you are drinking, then you are probably quite aware subconsciously that you have a drinking problem since your natural course of action is to hide it.
Nobody is going to judge you if you decide to have a glass of wine with your dinner, or if you decide to indulge a bit in a few drinks over the weekend or while you are out clubbing with your friends. If you are drinking so often and in such great quantities that you feel like it is safer to lie about how much you are drinking, even to loved ones, then something is obviously going wrong. Lying is often the first cue that you have a serious problem.
Second Sign You’re an Alcoholic
Are you hiding your drinking, hiding your alcohol or acting secretive about your drinking? If you are drinking in secret, drinking all alone at home or trying to hide the fact that you are drinking at all, then on some subconscious level you are probably completely aware of the fact that you have a problem. If you are sneaking off to drink, or hiding alcohol in your home where nobody is going to find it, then you are probably well aware of the fact that what you’re doing is not socially acceptable.
An alcoholic is going to hide bottles of booze in the car, in the office at work and throughout the home. Doing this makes it significantly easier to take a drink any time you want one, but needing to do that is a huge sign that something is wrong. If you need to stash bottles of alcohol in odd places and drink throughout the day just to get through the day, then yes, you have a problem.
Third Sign You’re an Alcoholic
This ought to be another no brainer. If you are getting in trouble around other people because of behavior or actions relating to drinking, then obviously your drinking is getting in the way of you being able to live your life. If you are behaving in a reckless manner, getting caught drinking on the job, getting fired from your job relatively quickly or going to get expelled from school then that’s another clue that you have a serious alcohol problem. Alcoholics often put their work and their education in jeopardy by acting without thinking.
Fourth Sign You’re an Alcoholic
If your drinking problem is so bad that it is tearing rifts into your relationships, then you definitely have a problem that needs fixing. Alcoholics frequently lose touch with the loved ones in their lives, and their relationships are torn into pieces because their drinking problem becomes a crutch and a harmful coping mechanism. If you have lost a family member, a friend or even a relationship because of your excessive or chronic drinking, then now is the time for you to address why that might be happening.
Fifth Sign You’re an Alcoholic
One of the surest signs that you could be an alcoholic is that you have tried to stop drinking only to realize that you are unable to do so. People that try on their own to overcome their drinking only to find that they are incapable of doing so on their own. At this point you either need to find professional treatment for your alcohol addiction (800-303-2482), or you are going to continue abusing alcohol until you are ready to reach out and get the help you need.
There is a lot of help out there for the people that are willing to look for it. If you are struggling with a drinking problem or with alcoholism, you simply need to admit that you have a problem and start looking for rehabilitation help in your local area. A little bit of professional addiction recovery help can really go a long way to help you achieve sobriety.