Recognising Alcohol Addiciton
Recognising Alcohol Addiction.
Many people frequently enjoy drinking alcohol as a way of unwinding or as part of their socialising and this is fine and can actually be beneficial; to physical and mental health if it is not done to excess but others will develop an addiction and can easily find themselves being branded an ‘alcoholic’.These people may well be able to hide their addiction and in fact deny that any such addiction exists but for those around them there are some common signs that might be related to the dependence and can instigate suspicions.
The Common Physical Signs.
Alcohol dependence in its early stages may be difficult to distinguish from someone who has simply overindulged on the odd occasion, and offering support can be difficult if the addiction is not admitted to by the sufferer.A typical hangover may be experienced by many people once or twice but an alcoholic may have the same symptoms more often.People who have been classed as alcoholic for a long while may not display the signs of a hangover as the amount of alcohol that their body gets used to does not cause this effect as it gets continually topped up and the person will experience a physical reaction when their body becomes depleted of a usually level of alcohol which are different to those experienced with a ‘normal’ hangover.As alcohol dependence develops the person may be unable to stop themselves from having a fine tremor, may develop bad breath, will often stop caring for their hygiene and personal appearance and often omit a distinctive smell (sometimes likened to nail varnish remover).Someone who almost continually has a high level of alcohol in their system may also display slurred speech, an inability to focus properly and may be lethargic or overly expressive with their body language.
Social And Behavioural changes.
The biggest give away that someone has developed an dependence on alcohol is if they are continually finding excuses to leave the room. They often blame going to the toilet for this behaviour and in fact this is where many secret drinkers will hide their alcohol. Toilet cisterns are common hiding places and can easily hold a few bottles without anyone else knowing.Other behavioural changes may be displayed as an increase in paranoia and withdrawal from normal activities and social occasions.The person may also drink heavily during any social occasions that are frequented as other people may be drinking. The dependent person however may drink to extreme and get quite carried away.Other social indications include having less expendable cash, always Wanting to go out, taking several trips to the shops, always finding an excuse to have a drink such as work stress or emotional upset and being very obvious in being unable to go any time without alcohol.
Recognising alcohol addiction is fairly easy in those who have been steadily increasing their alcohol intake over a long period of time, especially if they are around non-drinkers or those who drink very little. Unfortunately by the time these characteristics and signs are displayed the addiction is often very serious and may take a lot of effort from the alcohol dependent person and help from those around them.
