Alcohol dependence or alcoholism is a condition that can have very far-reaching negative consequences on multiple areas of a person’s life – a person’s physical health, interpersonal relationships, social standing and professional life may all be impacted indicating an urgent need for help.
Warning signs and symptoms that alcoholic help for a given person is indeed required
Certain drinking related behavior that may indicate a need for alcoholic help:
If a person appears to be developing a tolerance for alcohol; needing progressively more drink to ‘get high’, then this is an indication of a problem. If one is unable to stick to just one drink, or regularly finds themselves drinking more than they intended or ‘black out’ during a binge not being able to recall what one did when drunk, there is a problem.
If one finds they are feeling guilty or ashamed of their drinking habits, of that they have to drink to feel better or to relax, if they are frequently drinking alone and hiding the fact and lying to family and friends who in turn are worried about the drinking, then this is a problem that needs alcoholic help.
Behaviors that may indicate that alcoholic help is required:
Being hung over so often that one is performing poorly at work or academics, and neglecting responsibilities at home and work is certainly a problem. Risky or self destructive behavior such as repeatedly drinking and driving, mixing alcohol with prescription medication may all be warning signs.
In addition, if a person actually gets into legal problems because of the drinking and still keeps in spite of the problems it may well be causing in a relationship, then this is certainly a case for getting alcoholic help.
Withdrawal Signs that indicate help is required:
When the body becomes habituated to alcohol it develops a tolerance for it as well as a dependence upon it, without which it is unable to function normally. So if one feels the need to have a drink in the morning just the control the shakes, then urgently consider getting alcoholic help. Jumpiness or anxiety, physical trembling or shakiness, sweating and nausea, may all be signs of alcohol dependence.
In addition a person may feel insomnia, fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, and irritability when one is ‘sober’ which clearly indicates dependency requiring help. Some severe withdrawal signs that indicate help being required may be having hallucinations or seizures, experiencing fevers, confusion, or agitation.
Social consequences that indicate help is required:
Drinking can incite a person to commit criminal acts related to violence and abuse, assault, burglary and even rape. Alcohol dependence can cost a person their job and lead to financial problems related not only to loss of income but to alcohol related expenditure. One may neglect family and friends, becoming increasingly isolated causing lasting damage to children in the family, which is definitive proof of a person needing alcoholic help.
