subject: Will You Recognize The Signs Of Alcoholism? [print this page] Most people who become alcoholics never realize that they are even at risk for the disease. They simply do not picture themselves that way - with a problem that they cannot control. Often, the signs of alcoholism or even potential alcoholism are right in front of them, but they miss those signals. Will you recognize the signs of alcoholism in your own life?
The first sign, of course, is denial. This usually happens when someone else points out that you may have a problem with alcohol. You may simply deny it, or you may deny that you are an alcoholic and then follow up with statements such as 'I only drink socially,' or 'I only have two drinks each day.' First, you need to understand that you could be an alcoholic even if you've never been intoxicated.
This brings us to another sign that you may be an alcoholic. Instead of just wanting a drink - because you like the taste of the drink - you actually have an overwhelming physical need for the drink. Again, this doesn't mean that you will have enough alcohol to become intoxicated - at this point. But at some point, needing that one drink each day will turn into needing two drinks per day, and so on. Anytime that you feel that you 'need' a drink what you really need is to walk away from alcohol.
These are the two most common things that alcoholics miss when it comes to the signs that alcoholism exists - denial of a problem, followed by the belief that because they do not get drunk there isn't a problem - regardless of the fact that they have actually developed a physical need for a certain number of drinks, usually at a certain time each day or night.
Other than these signs, there are the more commonly known signs of alcoholism. This includes drinking alone, drinking in secret, not having control of the amount you drink once you start drinking, memory loss, and irritation when you don't have your customary drink, hiding alcohol, and of course, feeling the effects of withdrawal when alcohol isn't available, such as sweating, nausea, and shaking.
Alcoholism is a serious illness, and it has serious consequences to your health, your relationships, your job, and your life as a whole. Fortunately, today we are more aware of what alcoholism is, and how to treat it. If you think that you may have a problem with alcohol, and you don't feel that you can control the problem on your own, you should seek advice from your doctor, and consider joining a program to help you gain the control that you need.
