Alcoholism is a curable disease. Just like other diseases, alcohol addiction has symptoms and signs. It’s important that these warning signs of alcohol addiction are recognized early and treatment availed. Unfortunately, many people don’t recognize the warning signs of alcohol addiction until it is too late.

Alcohol consumption is an old lifestyle habit in many cultures. Most people drink alcohol for social and ceremonial reasons. However, when drinking gets too far or personal, it becomes a serious problem. Drinking every day is a typical warning sign of alcohol addiction. An alcohol addict can start drinking very early and continue throughout the day.

When listening to the stories that recovering addicts share during online NA meetings, drinking alone and throughout the day are typical signs of alcoholism. These meetings are held online to help individuals get support while maintaining social distancing. During these meetings, individuals talk about their journeys with alcohol.

When such people are confronted by their loved ones, they lose their temper and become angry. This is a way to dispel possible attempts to prevent them from drinking. Research has shown that some individuals even drink secretly when they don’t want their habit to be recognized by friends and family. This is also another sign of alcoholism.

10 Warning signs of alcoholism

A drinking problem can break a family and shatter a person. Here are some warning signs of alcoholism to watch out for.

1. Avoiding Responsibilities

Some people consider a little alcohol a form of medicine. However, drinking regularly and avoiding responsibilities is a problem. The person can often avoid work or show up late. This hinders their productivity and can lead to loss of employment. Many people attending 24 hour NA chat room online sessions attribute this to hangovers.  If you notice this warning sign, seek assistance.

2. Physical Alcoholism Signs

The whole body is affected by alcohol consumption. Signs include trembling hands and bloodshot eyes. Although a person can hide some symptoms of alcohol addiction, physical signs will ultimately reveal the disorder.

3. Stress Buster

Another sign of alcoholism is making alcohol a stress buster. This means turning to alcohol to deal with any stressful situation. Unfortunately, this can lead to addiction instead of relieving stress.

4. Drinking at an Inappropriate Time

If a family member or friend drinks at odd times, this should be cause for concern.

5. Tolerance

Many people are attending NA support groups online because they started as social drinkers before they developed tolerance to alcohol. In some cases, a person starts as a social drinker and continues to increase their alcohol intake until they develop an addiction.

6. Failing Relationships

A person can start drinking alcohol for various reasons. In addition to avoiding responsibilities, a person can also become irritable. Alcohol addiction makes a person hide things, become aloof, and engage in bad behaviors. And, such this can’t make a relationship healthy.

7. Dishonesty

Research indicates that denial is a result of cognitive failure occasioned by cerebral dysfunction rather than rejecting the truth emotionally. If a person keeps lying or avoiding their alcohol consumption topic or keeps denying that they need help, they have probably become alcoholics.

8. Abandoning Hobbies

This is particularly the case if a person would rather go drinking than engage in recreational activities.

9. Financial Problems

Many alcoholics have revealed that they had constant arguments with their spouses due to financial issues. That’s because they could even steal money to fund their addictive behaviors.

The desire to drink alcohol makes a person borrow or steal money without caring about how this will affect their loved ones or their relationships. Unfortunately, things get worse when a person gets deep in debt.

10. Unwarranted Mood Swings

If a normal person becomes irritated at everything, and they can’t explain their reaction, it can mean they have been consuming alcohol excessively. Once a person becomes habituated to alcoholism, they and those around them realize that drinking is not fascinating. That’s because a little decrease in the consumed amount or even delay can make a person cranky.

Final Thoughts

Anybody that has exhibited any of these warning signs of alcohol addiction should seek assistance. Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic may hinder some individuals from seeking help with alcoholism. Unfortunately, this is the time when some people are drinking more alcohol. However, recovering addicts and those seeking help and support to stay sober can get it from 24 hour NA chat rooms online. Thus, they can get the peer support they need to overcome life challenges without leaving their homes or turning to alcohol.

References

Rinn, W., Desai, N., Rosenblatt, H., & Gastfriend, D. R. (2002). Addiction denial and cognitive dysfunction: a preliminary investigation. The Journal of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 14(1), 52–57. https://doi.org/10.1176/jnp.14.1.52