Someone you love may be an alcoholic, and you don’t even know it. But knowing the symptoms of alcoholism, and the warnings signs people with alcoholism exhibit, will go a long way towards helping you get them the help they need.

Here are some of the most common signs of alcoholism:

Irresponsible behavior. An individual with a drinking problem will begin to behave in ways that are a danger to himself and others. Driving while under the influence of alcohol, physical and mental abuse of a spouse or significant other, getting into fights, putting one’s career in jeopardy by missing or coming in late to work are all examples of irresponsible behavior brought on by alcoholism.

Health problems. The excessive drinking of an alcoholic can lead to some very serious health problems. The alcoholic may experience fatigue, severe headaches, joint pain, anxiety, loss of weight and other potentially serious health issues. And obviously, the long term health consequences of alcohol abuse are well documented and include liver failure and premature death.

Drinking at all hours of the day. An alcoholic is NOT a social drinker, and as such may begin consuming alcohol first thing in the morning, and then continue on (often drinking alone) throughout the day. This symptom of alcoholism is likely to lead to several forms of self-destruction – most prominent among them, losing one’s job.

Increased tolerance to alcohol. The alcoholic will be able to drink a greater-than-normal amount of alcohol without feeling the effects. They will also have a hard time stopping their drinking “binge” once they have begun – a common signal that their tolerance for alcohol has increased.

Blackouts and memory loss. An alcoholic is likely to drink so much that they experience blackouts – periods where they cannot remember anything about their actions. Memory loss due to alcohol abuse is psychologically damaging and highly self-destructive in nature. Although he personally has no memory of it, the alcoholic may say or do things to friends and family, that leave emotional scars that take a great deal of time to heal.

Drinking as a response to stress. An alcoholic drinks when life’s problems cause him or her stress. If there’s a problem at work or at home, a person with a drinking problem will consume more alcohol (relative to how bad the problem is) in an effort to forget about the issue. Therefore, an alcoholic rarely works to solve problems – and instead drinks to escape them.

Breaking promises. The alcoholic commonly breaks promises he makes to family and friends. These broken promises take the form of missing a child’s baseball game or not paying back a loan to a friend. But the most common broken promise that comes from an alcoholic is one he makes to himself: that tomorrow he will stop drinking. That he can get his drinking problem under control without assistance.

Hallucinations. After excessive drinking, many alcoholics will see things that aren’t there. These types of hallucinations can cause psychological damage to the alcoholic and lead to bouts of irrational fear and paranoia. Hallucinations are also prevalent among alcoholics going through withdrawal symptoms as they wait for their next drink.

Continuing to drink after any of the problems above have occurred. The chief symptom of alcoholism is this dreaded behavior. When a person’s health is failing because of alcohol abuse, yet they continue to drink. When they have lost their job and their family because of alcohol, but still pick up that glass. This is the downward spiral of alcoholism that has claimed millions of lives around the world.

If you or someone you love is experiencing any of these symptoms, get them (or yourself) help! See a professional as soon as possible, before the alcoholic harms another person or does irreparable damage to himself.

Alcoholism signs and symptoms are clues that alcohol may be a problem. If left untreated, alcoholism signs and symptoms and alcoholism can affect the quality of life of the person as well as those around them. Alcoholism is a disease where alcohol consumption (beer, wine, or hard liquor) is at a level that interferes with the person’s physical and mental health, and negatively impacts family, social or work responsibilities.

Alcoholism symptoms can be recognized relatively early in the disease’s progression, but if not dealt with, alcoholism can be fatal. Here are alcoholism signs and symptoms that indicate alcohol may be a problem:

• Becoming Angry When Confronted About Drinking

• Daily or Frequent Alcohol Consumption Needed to Function

• Drinking Alone

• Finding Excuses to Drink

• Food Intake Neglect

• Hiding Alcohol Related Behavior

• Inability to Stop or Reduce Alcohol Consumption

• Memory Loss, Blackouts

• Morning Shakes

• Nausea, Vomiting

• Physical Appearance Neglect

• Violent Episodes Occur When Drinking

When considering alcoholism signs and symptoms, alcoholism can be broadly divided into two categories – alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. Alcohol abusers may drink heavily at various times, but they have not yet become alcohol dependent. Alcoholism signs and symptoms for alcohol abusers can be problems that happen while being intoxicated such as drinking and driving, violent episodes, or missing appointments, work or school.

Alcohol dependence can develop over the years and follows a generally predictable pattern. A tolerance of alcohol develops first, which means a person needs to consume greater quantities of alcohol before the same effects are noticed. Over time, the person may lose control over their drinking and may not be able to stop even if they want to. And if alcohol consumption is reduced or stopped, withdrawal symptoms can be experienced which can range from annoying to life-threatening.

If the alcoholic continues drinking, he or she may become obsessed with drinking to the exclusion of almost everything else. Many of the above alcoholism signs and symptoms may be noticed. The most severe kind of drinking is called ‘binge drinking’, periods of time with continuous heavy alcohol consumption.

If alcoholism continues to progress, the mental and physical health of the alcoholic can seriously deteriorate. Many of the body’s organs can become damaged which lowers resistance to disease and infections. Relationships at home or socially may become damaged, and there can be financial and legal problems due to the alcoholic’s inability to stop drinking.

If the alcoholic continues to drink, alcohol can ultimately cause their death one way or another. Accidents and related injuries, suicide, drownings and falling asleep in bed while smoking and intoxicated and burning to death are examples of the consequences of alcoholism. Health-wise, damage to the body’s organs and systems due to long-term excessive drinking means the person will likely suffer from a number of diseases and conditions such as heart disease, cirrhosis of the liver, malnutrition and cancer.

Are there different stages of alcoholism? Yes, most definitely. If the alcoholism signs and symptoms indicate that alcohol consumption is becoming or is already a problem, there are resources available to help with alcoholism and the serious consequences of this disease.

Copyright 2006 InfoSearch Publishing

Alcoholism symptoms are vital in detecting problems related to alcoholism at an earlier stage and can prove dangerous, if it is ignored. Ignorance of obvious symptoms of alcoholism can result in fatal consequences. Alcoholism is a progressive, degenerative medical condition that can affect the vital organs and result in fatalities. Alcoholism can affect the family, friends and career of the alcoholic, in an adverse manner. The Symptoms of alcoholism are both mental and physical.

Alcoholism symptoms can be psychological, social and even spiritual. The most obvious symptom is the persistent use of alcohol in spite of mental and physical difficulties. Many alcoholics are overwhelmed with the desire to quit drinking but revoke their decision, owing to alcohol dependency. The increased tolerance for alcohol is another, commonly seen symptom. The symptoms are not restricted to the physical level alone but they affect the mind, also.

Aggressive and violent behavior is one among common alcoholism symptoms. This affects the work place relationships, family bonding and friendships. The irritable and irrational behavior displayed, when an alcoholic has not consumed drinks results in spoiling the reputation, relationship at a personal as well as social level. Family and friends are depressed and worried about the state of affairs and the normal life is affected by alcoholism, in a person.

The physical and mental health of a person gets deteriorated, when he or she takes recourse to drinking. A few changes in the behavior of a person can be concluded as early signs of a ‘drinking’ problem, in the person. A set pattern in drinking, excessive everyday consumption of alcohol, frequent episodes of intoxication and loss of control are few early symptoms of alcoholism.

Alcohol dependence is a severe problem faced by multitudes of people all over the world. The symptoms of alcohol dependence are many. Alcoholics neglect the routine activities in their lives like social, occupational and recreational activities and excessively consume large quantity of alcohol. Control on one’s self is impaired by alcoholism and alcoholics use alcohol persistently. Withdrawal is a common symptom of alcoholism and withdrawal symptoms like shakiness, nausea, sweating and anxiety are common among alcoholics, when they do not use alcohol. Tolerance for alcohol ranks among major alcoholism symptoms.

Since alcoholism affects the mind of a person, many psychological symptoms of alcoholism exist. The psychological symptoms can be agonizing and debilitating like the other physical symptoms of alcoholism. Lacks of interest, Loss of control, obsession towards drinking, depression, sleep related disorders, anxiety, aggressive behavior and lack of concentration and focus are the most common psychological symptoms of ‘drinking’ related problems.

Alcoholism, when it reaches its final stage has serious social repercussions .The social symptoms of alcoholism are very apparent, even at an earlier stage and they worsen up as the effect of alcoholism increases, in a person. Withdrawal symptoms can be considered to be the most obvious social symptoms of alcoholism. Withdrawal from family, friends and social activities, legal problems, work-related issues, arguments and aggression within the family and friendships are alcoholism symptoms. There are many spiritual symptoms of alcoholism too. Self-centeredness, self-pity, restlessness, discontent, etc are common spiritual symptoms in an alcoholic.