When is a person considered an alcoholic?

Let's see what are the characteristics of alcoholism that allow us to detect this disorder.

Alcoholism is one of the main addictive disorders present in our country, and it is currently a real public health problem both for the affectation it has on the person who suffers from it and for his family and social environment.

This type of pathology is associated with a series of very characteristic symptoms and classic signs that can be used as guidelines to know if a person has alcoholism or not..

Although many of these symptoms are usually recognized superficially by any person, it is important to clarify that the diagnosis of alcohol use disorder can only be made by health professionals..

What is taken into account to know if a person has developed alcoholism?

Here you will find the signs and symptoms that psychology professionals establish as the main indicators of a case of alcoholism.

1. Dangerous use and consumption

The most visible characteristic of an addiction to alcohol is the excessive use of this substance in a prolonged way in the time and up to levels that can endanger your health both physically and mentally.

A sudden change in the way of consuming alcoholic beverages, as well as in the person's relationship with alcohol both inside and outside the home can be a very useful indicator to identify an alcohol addiction problem.

On the other hand, alcohol consumption does not have to lead the person to a state of clear drunkenness to be considered an addiction (for example, there are profiles of people who need to drink a little constantly: delta type alcoholics).

2. Affect on social relationships

Continued alcohol consumption affects all areas of a person's life, and especially the way he/she relates to others. the way in which he/she relates to his/her immediate environment, i.e. friends, family and loved ones..

This affectation usually translates into greater conflict with friends, with the person's partner or family, which usually ends with progressive social isolation and a loss of the relationship in the short or long term.

When you begin to notice specific effects on relationship skills or have interpersonal relationship problems that did not exist before, we may be talking about a case of alcoholism.

3. Withdrawal syndrome

Withdrawal syndrome is another of the essential characteristics that people with alcohol use disorder present and it is based on a series of very recognizable physical and psychological symptoms..

The main physical symptoms that occur in a person with withdrawal syndrome are: chills, excessive sweating, tremors, nausea, headache, tachycardia or dehydration.

On the other hand, the main psychological symptoms usually include anxiety, irritability, hallucinations, agitation or delirium tremens..

4. Tolerance

The phenomenon of tolerance occurs in addiction to any type of addictive toxic substances and occurs when the person needs to increase the levels of alcohol ingested to achieve the same intoxication effects in the organism, once the consumption is already continuous.

This is another of the unmistakable signs and warning signals that indicate a case of alcoholism and is highly dangerous because it it promotes an increasing consumption of alcohol in the affected person..

5. Alteration in habits

Continued alcohol consumption can also ostensibly alter the person's life habits, to the point of leaving aside the activities that one normally did to focus exclusively on drinking.

This usually translates into the person with alcohol addiction the practice of daily activities that used to satisfy him/her, or he/she stops doing them altogether.or they stop doing them altogether.

In the same way, it usually happens that a person with alcoholism begins to develop activities related only to alcohol consumption, such as always being at the bar or drinking alcohol in any place or situation in which he/she finds him/herself.

6. Non-compliance with obligations

This change of habits also translates into a complete disregard for any responsibility that the person in question may have had before developing an addiction to alcohol.

People who present a case of alcoholism usually neglect their work, family, personal or emotional obligations to their immediate environment, as alcohol becomes an integral part of their daily life.alcohol becomes the center of their new life.

7. Unsuccessful attempts to quit

Many people with alcohol addiction often go through several attempts to quit without positive results, which leads to a spiral of frustration and discomfort that usually results in an increased need to continue drinking. This causes them to enter a spiral of frustration and discomfort that usually leads to an increased need to continue drinking..

This usually happens when the person decides to quit on their own or tries to moderate their consumption, something impossible when they have an addiction of this type.

That is why it is so necessary to request the services of a specialist, since only a professional specialized in addictive behaviors will be able to help us to overcome this problem.

8. Health problems

Continued addiction to alcohol is related to a wide variety of physical and psychological problems that endanger the health status of the person on a daily basis.

Some of the main physical or psychological disorders associated with alcohol consumption and addiction are Heart disease, stroke, depression, digestive problems, cirrhosis and various types of cancer.

9. New social relationships in the addiction environment

As mentioned above, people with alcohol addiction often change old habits and activities that they used to carry out normally, and adopt new ways of relating to their environment.

As a result of repeated alcohol consumption, there are often changes in activities and also in the people with whom these activities are carried out, since it is usual that there is a change in friendships and people who may have the same problem begin to associate with others.

10. Exposure to dangerous situations

Finally, another characteristic that often indicates a case of alcoholism is habitual exposure to dangerous or criminal situations without the person being aware that he or she is putting his or her life and the lives of others at risk. without the person being aware that he or she is putting his or her life and the lives of others at risk..

Examples of this phenomenon include driving under the influence of alcohol, engaging in criminal activities or having unprotected sex with strangers.