Sober Resources

The Ten Most Common Warning Signs of Alcoholism

There are ten signs of alcohol abuse and dependency that you can look for in your friend or loved one to check if the person is dealing with a drinking problem. Having a couple of drinks a day is not usually considered to be a problem for many people. However, when the drinking is out of control and the person is unable to stop consuming alcohol there is a problem that could include alcoholism and alcohol dependency.

The worst type of alcohol problem a person could have is dependency. There are a couple of warning signs that will indicate whether or not a person is dependent on alcohol. The tolerance level of an alcoholic will eventually rise as they continue to drink. It will take more and more alcohol to bring about intoxication. When the alcohol is reduced or taken away completely, the alcohol dependent person will experience withdrawal symptoms.

There are approximately fourteen million problem drinkers in the United States alone. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism states that men under the age of sixty five should consume no more than 4 servings of alcohol per day and no more than 14 servings of alcohol in a week. On the other hand, women under the age of sixty five should drink no more than 3 servings of alcohol a day and no more than 12 servings of alcohol in a week.

If you suspect that someone you know may be suffering from alcoholism, check for the ten most common warning signs. Your loved one may be an alcoholic if he:

1. Drinks alcohol by himself
2. Always seems to find reasons to drink
3. Is unable to stop or reduce the consumption of alcohol
4. Is uncaring about his appearance
5. Shows signs of bad nutrition or eating patterns
6. Shakes or trembles especially in the morning
7. Drinks alcohol in secret
8. Becomes violent when he drinks
9. Feels angry or reacts violently when asked about his drinking
10. Needs alcohol just to function

The person who is experiencing dependency on alcohol will also have difficulty remembering what happened the night before. They also feel stress and anxiety when they have to face an event without alcohol available.

Alcoholism also has health consequences. There can be damage to the heart, the brain, and the liver. It can also negatively impact a number of other organs in the body. To make it even worse, many of the problems brought about by alcoholism can be permanent.

If any of the above symptoms are something that you or a loved one is experiencing, the first step to take might be a trip to your doctor for some advice on where to seek help. There are also a number of trained professional counselors who can help with alcoholism and alcohol dependency. Apart from these, there are support groups available to help alcoholics deal with their dependency and the effects of life without alcohol. There is never a bad time to enter treatment programs for alcoholism. There is no such thing as too late.

Alcoholism and Mental Health

When it comes to psychological disorders and the predisposition to resort to excessive drinking, expert opinion is split as far as which came first is concerned. In some cases, it’s a chicken-and-egg scenario – that is, it can be difficult to tell if the alcoholism caused the mental disorder or it’s the individual’s mental health that drove him to resort to alcohol abuse.

Everyone is in agreement, however, that alcoholism and mental health are linked together. There are cases where in both conditions overlap. Alcoholism is a risk factor for mental illness in the same way that psychological disorders can increase a person’s risk of developing alcohol dependence. In this light, there are several different scenarios where a relation between the two can be established.

For instance, mental health problems can turn out to be the cause of excessive drinking. Alcohol can be a medium for escapism. The individual finds alcohol as a way to address his current issues. He resorts to drinking because he wants to escape his problems or perceives liquor as the treatment to his mental problem.

Because alcohol is considered a psychoactive substance, it can also affect a person’s mental health. Excessive alcohol intake may alter a person’s disposition and cause behavioral changes. It can cause the individual to develop hallucinations and even baseless suspicion against the people around him.

The overlap

According to various research, the prevalence of alcohol dependence is somewhat higher in people who are suffering from psychiatric problems. In a certain survey conducted in the US, for instance, it was found that less than 20% of the general population was suffering from mental illnesses when over thirty percent of alcoholics are also diagnosed with psychiatric disorders.

Alcohol as the coping mechanism

The most common scenario is a person using alcohol as a way to address his problems. As earlier mentioned, liquor becomes a coping mechanism to either mask out the prevalent issue or to resolve it temporarily. Some of the many conditions where alcohol can figure as a coping medium include depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, manic-depressive illness and schizophrenia.

Driven by a mental predisposition

In most surveys that study why people drink alcohol, the answers are always linked to an individual’s mentality. The most common replies had something to do with sociability, fitting in and relaxation. Many turn to alcohol as a way to relax and unwind as can be manifested by the huge number of professionals who are more apt to go for a drink with friends after office hours.

Alcohol has both positive and negative effects on one’s mental health. Logically, the negative repercussions come up when the substance is already abused. These effects are not always rooted on the composition of alcohol and its mechanism on the brain. Other factors will still need to be considered. For instance, the drinker’s pre-existing mood and what he expects to get from consuming alcohol should also be counted.

Much can be said, however, over the actual long term effects of alcohol on the individual’s cognition. Learning, memory processing and the ability to comprehend complex concepts tend to get impaired due to alcoholism. Psychomotor performance can also be affected.

And the list goes on. Truth be told, alcoholism and mental health is one subject that will take years to get ultimately explored.