blewatt
12-06-2009, 09:40 PM
1.) Increase in Tolerance I believe the first warning sign in developing a dependence on alcohol is that your tolerance to alcohol increases. You need to drink more to get the same effect you did before. This is pretty normal for many drinkers so nothing to be overly alarmed at yet.
2.) Finding More Reasons To Drink
This goes hand in hand with the first warning sign and both are easily inter-changeable with each other. Before it might have been that you had pretty set patterns you drank to, e.g. on weekends, at certain times (e.g. glass of wine for dinner) or for specific social engagements (parties, barbecues etc.)
Now you’re finding additional reasons to drink. Maybe to help with extra stress you’re experiencing, ‘help’ deal with a nagging spouse or difficult partner, work – it could literally be anything. And so without even realising, alcohol is starting to become a crutch for you. This is where alarm bells should be starting to go off.
3.) Start Experiencing Withdrawal Symptoms
Not only have your hangovers started getting worse, but suddenly you might find yourself getting the shakes after drinking, feel more anxious and start experiencing symptoms of anxiety, maybe even start to feel depressed.
Some people are lucky and despite drinking huge quantities never experience major withdrawal symptoms. But if you or someone you know is experiencing any of the withdrawal symptoms I mention above – a problem has definitely developed. Often in these cases you’ll have a drink or two (usually the morning after) to help you feel ‘normal’ again.
4.) Experiencing Regular Blackouts
It’s not unusual after a bender to experience a blackout where you don’t have any recollection of what happened or what you did while you were drunk. But once this starts occurring more regularly you are starting to get into dangerous territory and shows a sure sign of alcohol dependence.
5.) Feeling You Need To Cut Down or Control Your Drinking
You kind of sense or feel that things may be starting to get out of control and are starting to get alarmed about your drinking (usually privately without telling anyone) - so you tell yourself you need to cut down. You may even do this for a week or two – but before long you have another blowout because you just couldn’t help yourself and feel guilty as a result.
6.) You start avoiding family and friends
You start withdrawing and becoming more isolated, especially from those previously close to you. Loved ones’ may even have started commenting on your drinking, which often results in arguments.
Often the kind of people you now prefer to spend time with are drinking buddies or acquaintances who don’t comment on your habits and who you enjoy a very superficial relationship with that mostly revolves around alcohol.
7.) Lying About How Much You Drink
Of the ten warning signs of alcoholism, no 7 is lying about how much you drink, and when you start doing that it’s a pretty clear sign that your alcoholism is at a pretty developed stage.
8.) Begin Developing Problems With Usual Daily Activities
This is where you start struggling to cope with things on a day to day basis. Your work begins to suffer, relationships rapidly deteriorate, you may start getting into trouble financially – it basically feels like things are starting to fall apart. This is a pretty advanced stage of alcoholism.
9.) Failed Promises to Quit
Your alcoholism is now pretty much an ‘open secret’ amongst those you know – even if you still deny the extent of the problem. So you make promises to those who confront you about your drinking, or even to yourself, that you’ll quit. And maybe you even do for a week or two. But it never lasts and before long you’re drinking again with a vengeance.
10.) Your Life Falls Apart
By this stage your alcoholism is so advanced that your life falls apart. You lose your job, your spouse or partner leaves you, your health gets worse, you may even get in trouble with the law. At this stage, many lose everything. For some, their health gets so bad, their alcoholism ends up killing them.
2.) Finding More Reasons To Drink
This goes hand in hand with the first warning sign and both are easily inter-changeable with each other. Before it might have been that you had pretty set patterns you drank to, e.g. on weekends, at certain times (e.g. glass of wine for dinner) or for specific social engagements (parties, barbecues etc.)
Now you’re finding additional reasons to drink. Maybe to help with extra stress you’re experiencing, ‘help’ deal with a nagging spouse or difficult partner, work – it could literally be anything. And so without even realising, alcohol is starting to become a crutch for you. This is where alarm bells should be starting to go off.
3.) Start Experiencing Withdrawal Symptoms
Not only have your hangovers started getting worse, but suddenly you might find yourself getting the shakes after drinking, feel more anxious and start experiencing symptoms of anxiety, maybe even start to feel depressed.
Some people are lucky and despite drinking huge quantities never experience major withdrawal symptoms. But if you or someone you know is experiencing any of the withdrawal symptoms I mention above – a problem has definitely developed. Often in these cases you’ll have a drink or two (usually the morning after) to help you feel ‘normal’ again.
4.) Experiencing Regular Blackouts
It’s not unusual after a bender to experience a blackout where you don’t have any recollection of what happened or what you did while you were drunk. But once this starts occurring more regularly you are starting to get into dangerous territory and shows a sure sign of alcohol dependence.
5.) Feeling You Need To Cut Down or Control Your Drinking
You kind of sense or feel that things may be starting to get out of control and are starting to get alarmed about your drinking (usually privately without telling anyone) - so you tell yourself you need to cut down. You may even do this for a week or two – but before long you have another blowout because you just couldn’t help yourself and feel guilty as a result.
6.) You start avoiding family and friends
You start withdrawing and becoming more isolated, especially from those previously close to you. Loved ones’ may even have started commenting on your drinking, which often results in arguments.
Often the kind of people you now prefer to spend time with are drinking buddies or acquaintances who don’t comment on your habits and who you enjoy a very superficial relationship with that mostly revolves around alcohol.
7.) Lying About How Much You Drink
Of the ten warning signs of alcoholism, no 7 is lying about how much you drink, and when you start doing that it’s a pretty clear sign that your alcoholism is at a pretty developed stage.
8.) Begin Developing Problems With Usual Daily Activities
This is where you start struggling to cope with things on a day to day basis. Your work begins to suffer, relationships rapidly deteriorate, you may start getting into trouble financially – it basically feels like things are starting to fall apart. This is a pretty advanced stage of alcoholism.
9.) Failed Promises to Quit
Your alcoholism is now pretty much an ‘open secret’ amongst those you know – even if you still deny the extent of the problem. So you make promises to those who confront you about your drinking, or even to yourself, that you’ll quit. And maybe you even do for a week or two. But it never lasts and before long you’re drinking again with a vengeance.
10.) Your Life Falls Apart
By this stage your alcoholism is so advanced that your life falls apart. You lose your job, your spouse or partner leaves you, your health gets worse, you may even get in trouble with the law. At this stage, many lose everything. For some, their health gets so bad, their alcoholism ends up killing them.