Alcoholism is a chronic disease whereby the body becomes dependent on the consumption of the alcoholic beverages. An individual may become obsessed with the drink and not be able to control the quantities drunk. Although drinking can be causing serious problems at work, to the health and the family of the individual, he or she may still not be able to control it. At the same time, it can be possible for one to have problems with alcohol, but still not display any negative effects.
However there are signs that should raise red flags about one being afflicted with the problem of alcoholism. Below are some red alerts on alcoholism that should not be ignored:
- You cannot control the amount of alcohol you drink
- You are drinking alone or in secret
- You do not remember conversations or commitments made while drunk
- When your ritual of having a drink is broken and it upsets you
- Being irritable when drink time approaches and you do not have access to alcohol
- You keep alcohol in unlikely places at home or in the car
- You drink double shots or drink to feel ‘normal’
- Experiencing physical withdrawal symptoms if you do not drink
- Building a tolerance level to alcohol so that you need to drink more to get the same effect
- Finding excuses to drink
There is a difference between those who abuse alcohol and those who are affected with alcoholism. Alcohol abusers won’t have the physical withdrawal symptoms nor would they get upset if their alcohol routine is upset. However, those who abuse the drink can gradually progress and become victims of alcoholism. Therefore, it is important to be aware when this transition is taking place.
While there is not cut and short way to determine which of the ten points generally comes first, one can classify stages of alcoholism.
In the initial stage, a person begins to depend on alcohol consumption to help change their mood. A person may drink to find relief from problems which gradually leads them toward thinking more and more about alcohol. As alcohol tolerance increases, a person will require more and more of the drink to reach the desired level of mood. It can get to a point where a person can consume large amounts of alcohol without seeming impaired.
In the second stage, the need and desire to drink more alcohol becomes intensifies.
Drinking larger amounts and increasing the frequency of drinks takes place. While the alcoholic is losing their control over how much to drink, at the same time, the body is losing its ability to process the alcohol intakes. While the person can be in a position to realize he or she has become an alcoholic, and others around the person are also aware of this, it is now difficult to assess how much alcohol the body can handle. Hangovers and blackouts now occur on a regular basis.
The final and most critical stage is reached when the person cannot do without the drink and is obsessed with it to the exclusion of nearly everything or everyone else. At this late stage, the physical and mental health has seriously deteriorated. Many of the body’s organs become damaged and this in turn lowers the body’s ability to resist diseases. External indicators such as severe damage to social relationships as well as legal or financial troubles become apparent.
When a person reaches this stage, an alcoholic becomes affected with severe malnutrition. Damaged cells are not getting nutrients due to damaged organs and become further damaged. Without seeking serious medical help, the condition could result in a fatality.
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