Symptoms of Alcoholism

Alcoholism
A disorder characterized by the excessive consumption of and dependence on alcoholic beverages, leading to physical and psychological harm and impaired social and vocational functioning. Also called alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence.

Symptoms
Spotting a symptom of alcoholism is not always easy, and people often make the mistake of using alcohol related arrests or job loss to be a tale tell symptom.  And while these are symptoms, they often happened later in the disease.

Alcohol produces both physical and psychological addiction. It is a central nervous system depressant that reduces anxiety, inhibition, and feelings of guilt. It lowers alertness and impairs perception, judgment, and motor coordination. In high doses, it can cause loss of consciousness and even death. Chronic alcoholism damages the brain, liver, heart, and other organs.
Many symptoms of alcoholism occur earlier, and include:

• Greater tolerance to alcohol, and the ability to consume more drinks with less effect.  At first glance, it appears the person does not have a problem with alcohol, but it can be an early symptom of alcoholism

• A growing preoccupation with or interest in drinking, drinking alone or drinking before an activity where there will be drinking. It may seem as though one simply enjoys drinking. We now know that these signs are the first symptoms of alcoholism.

• A person denies having a problem, despite chronic abuse.

If abuse continues, difficulties on the job, relationships, or legal problems often ensue. Later, difficulties in relationships, on the job, or with the law often occur.

Other signs and symptoms alcoholism are:

• losing control of drinking, leading to attempts to control it
• drinking alone or hiding alcohol
• gulping instead of sipping
• wanting to drink more than friends at social settings

It is very important to seek help early in the disease. As the disease progresses, severe health problems can occur in almost every body system.

If you want to learn more about the signs of alcoholism, consult our team for free by fill out the form on this page.

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