Alcoholism is a life-destroying disease that has incalculable societal and personal costs. Perhaps one of the most insidious characteristics of alcoholism is how alcoholics and their families can be unaware of its existence. After all, it can be difficult to draw the line between what constitutes normal consumption of alcohol and what constitutes addiction.

Just about everyone who drinks has had “one too many” at some point in our lives or have said or done something ill-advised or foolish because we were inebirated, but not all of us are alcoholics. Alcoholism happens very gradually, as consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol changes the chemistry in the brain, steadily making the alcoholic more impulsive and more in need of alcohol to trigger the chemicals in the brain that cause happiness.

There’s a very specific set of symptoms that can point to alcoholism. Knowing how to spot them can help alcoholics and their families determine that there’s a problem, and allow them to seek help for it sooner rather than later.

Most alcoholics will deny that they cannot control their consumption of alcohol. If you suspect that you or someone you know may be an alcoholic, check for the following behaviors:

– Drinking alone or attempting to hide their amount of alcohol consumption. If you’re trying to hide the amount of alcohol you consume, chances are that you’re drinking too much. Keeping alcohol in hiding places in your car, at work or at home is also a sign of alcoholism.

– Memory lapses. Alcoholics often have trouble remembering conversations or promises made because of alcohol’s effect upon their memory.

– Feeling ill if you want alcohol and there is none available. This feeling is withdrawal and is a key indicator of addiction.

– If you make a ritual of having drinks at a certain time of day, and become irritated or annoyed when this ritual is questioned or upset, you may have a dependence on alcohol.

– Excess alcohol consumption clouds judgment and affects mood, so it’s very common for alcoholics to have legal, financial or relationship problems.

If any of these alcoholism symptoms apply to you or a loved one, you should ask yourself/them the following questions:

Do you feel like you need to drink as soon as you wake up?

Do you have feelings of guilt about your drinking?

Do you feel annoyed when people criticize your drinking habits or amount of alcohol consumption?

Do you think you need to cut back on your alcohol consumption?

If you answered yes to more than one of these questions, it’s likely that you have a drinking problem. Knowing and acknowledging that the problem exists is key to fixing it. Your next step should be to find a counselor or support group that can help you on your path to beating this addiction before it wrecks your life.

Tags: alcoholism physical symptoms, alcoholism signs symptoms, fetal alcohol syndrome symptoms