| Someone you love may be an alcoholic, and you don't | | | | psychologically damaging and highly self-destructive in |
| even know it. But knowing the symptoms of | | | | nature. Although he personally has no memory of it, |
| alcoholism, and the warnings signs people with | | | | the alcoholic may say or do things to friends and |
| alcoholism exhibit, will go a long way towards helping | | | | family, that leave emotional scars that take a great |
| you get them the help they need. | | | | deal of time to heal. |
| Here are some of the most common signs of | | | | Drinking as a response to stress. An alcoholic drinks |
| alcoholism: | | | | when life's problems cause him or her stress. If there's |
| Irresponsible behavior. An individual with a drinking | | | | a problem at work or at home, a person with a |
| problem will begin to behave in ways that are a | | | | drinking problem will consume more alcohol (relative to |
| danger to himself and others. Driving while under the | | | | how bad the problem is) in an effort to forget about |
| influence of alcohol, physical and mental abuse of a | | | | the issue. Therefore, an alcoholic rarely works to solve |
| spouse or significant other, getting into fights, putting | | | | problems - and instead drinks to escape them. |
| one's career in jeopardy by missing or coming in late to | | | | Breaking promises. The alcoholic commonly breaks |
| work are all examples of irresponsible behavior | | | | promises he makes to family and friends. These |
| brought on by alcoholism. | | | | broken promises take the form of missing a child's |
| Health problems. The excessive drinking of an alcoholic | | | | baseball game or not paying back a loan to a friend. |
| can lead to some very serious health problems. The | | | | But the most common broken promise that comes |
| alcoholic may experience fatigue, severe headaches, | | | | from an alcoholic is one he makes to himself: that |
| joint pain, anxiety, loss of weight and other potentially | | | | tomorrow he will stop drinking. That he can get his |
| serious health issues. And obviously, the long term | | | | drinking problem under control without assistance. |
| health consequences of alcohol abuse are well | | | | Hallucinations. After excessive drinking, many alcoholics |
| documented and include liver failure and premature | | | | will see things that aren't there. These types of |
| death. | | | | hallucinations can cause psychological damage to the |
| Drinking at all hours of the day. An alcoholic is NOT a | | | | alcoholic and lead to bouts of irrational fear and |
| social drinker, and as such may begin consuming | | | | paranoia. Hallucinations are also prevalent among |
| alcohol first thing in the morning, and then continue on | | | | alcoholics going through withdrawal symptoms as they |
| (often drinking alone) throughout the day. This | | | | wait for their next drink. |
| symptom of alcoholism is likely to lead to several | | | | Continuing to drink after any of the problems above |
| forms of self-destruction - most prominent among | | | | have occurred. The chief symptom of alcoholism is this |
| them, losing one's job. | | | | dreaded behavior. When a person's health is failing |
| Increased tolerance to alcohol. The alcoholic will be | | | | because of alcohol abuse, yet they continue to drink. |
| able to drink a greater-than-normal amount of alcohol | | | | When they have lost their job and their family because |
| without feeling the effects. They will also have a hard | | | | of alcohol, but still pick up that glass. This is the |
| time stopping their drinking "binge" once they have | | | | downward spiral of alcoholism that has claimed millions |
| begun - a common signal that their tolerance for | | | | of lives around the world. |
| alcohol has increased. | | | | If you or someone you love is experiencing any of |
| Blackouts and memory loss. An alcoholic is likely to | | | | these symptoms, get them (or yourself) help! See a |
| drink so much that they experience blackouts - periods | | | | professional as soon as possible, before the alcoholic |
| where they cannot remember anything about their | | | | harms another person or does irreparable damage to |
| actions. Memory loss due to alcohol abuse is | | | | himself. |