Surely you know someone who has had or has a problem with alcohol. According to a 2015 national survey on drug use and health, 15.1 million adults in the United States suffer from Alcohol Use Disorder, which is diagnosed when a person’s drinking habits lead to “danger and distress.” This includes both terms: alcoholic beverage abuse and alcohol dependence.
But how do you determine that someone you love needs help? And what if that someone is you? The following scenarios will show you the most common symptoms that you have an alcohol dependence .
4 Signs of Alcohol Problems
1. Lying, hiding and covering up the drink
You find yourself too embarrassed to dump your empty wine bottles in the kitchen. Because what if your roommate or partner finds out how much you’ve really drunk? So you hide them in different places in your room – a bottle or two a night.
Perhaps, after a few months, one of your roommates notices a certain stench in the apartment and his nose guides him to your room. While you’re at work, your partner finds 13 dirty and empty bottles under your bed and 16 more in your closet – hidden in boots, pockets, behind clothing, and anywhere else they can be hidden.
2. Obsessive thinking about drinking alcohol
You can’t stop thinking about drinking . Even on your busiest days at work, you spend a lot of your time wondering which bar to go to after you get out of there. While at the gym, you find yourself wondering how much you would rather be home drinking a good glass of whiskey.
And it’s not unusual for you to skip workouts and go home to do exactly what you’ve been thinking about all along. Even during sex, your mind is busy scheming how you can sneak downstairs while your partner sleeps and have one last drink before bed.
3. Loss of temper or aggressive behavior
You come home early from work one day, livid and angry at your boss and your job. When your partner tries to calm down and listen to your story, he realizes that you are drunk. She doesn’t want you to wake up the sleeping baby in the next room, so she decides to go into her room to tend to him.
Your anger intensifies as you follow her and demand that she listen to you about how your boss has fired you, s reaching her arms back and pinning her against the wall while the baby moans.
4. Frequent loss of consciousness
You wake up (with increasing frequency, it seems) in a strange bed, in a house other than your own, with a hangover and a lot of unanswered questions. Did you have a date last night? What was your name? Where was the date? Where did you go next? Did you have sex? Did you use protection?
Conclution
Although alcohol consumption is generally accompanied by certain behaviors that may go unnoticed or typical, there are certain signs that may be indicating that you are experiencing a more serious problem related to dependence or abuse of these drinks.
If you see yourself reflected in some of the previous scenarios, or you know someone who meets some of these characteristics, consult with expert psychologists in the area so that they can access the rehabilitation process as soon as possible.
If you see yourself or someone you know reflected in any of them, consult a mental health professional to treat this condition in time and thus be able to recover from it in the best way.
Reference
- Irwin, N. 5 Signs That Show When Drinking Has Gotten Out of Control. For Livestrong [Revised August 2017]
