The 10 warning signs of alcoholism

A summary of the warning signs that help to detect cases of alcoholism.

Alcohol addiction is a real public health problem in many countries, costing the lives of millions of people worldwide and also linked to several phenomena that constitute a social problem, such as traffic accidents or domestic violence.

This addiction is appearing in younger and younger people in Spain, which represents an even greater threat to the health of citizens.

However, the normalization of alcohol consumption means that in many cases there are problems in identifying the beginnings of addiction to this substance. Therefore, in this article we will see what are the main warning signs of alcoholism.

What are the main warning signs in people with alcoholism?

Alcohol abuse is one of the most common addictive behaviors worldwide, as it is based on the consumption of a drug that is easy to obtain. based on the consumption of a drug that is easy to obtain in almost all countries and whose in almost all countries, and whose consumption is legal and very normalized in most cultures.

Like most addictions, it is a very harmful disorder for the person who suffers from it, which progressively increases its destructive effects on the affected person and can become lethal if not treated in time with the support of health professionals.

In this sense, let's see a list of the most common warning signs that can help to detect the development of alcohol addiction in oneself, in friends or family members. However, they do not all have to occur at the same time and, in some cases, the existence of only one of them does not imply that there is an addition; a definitive diagnosis can only be made by professionals.

1. Mood swings

Frequent mood changes in the affected person, especially irritability, moodiness and mood swings, are often a useful sign for detecting pathologies such as addiction, as they is linked to "mono" after several hours of non-consumption..

In case this situation is prolonged in time, the person with alcoholism also tends to develop an aggressive behavior towards the people around him, mainly in those moments when he does not have access to alcohol.

2. Change of habits related to drinking

Another warning sign of alcohol addiction is a change in habits and habits about the times when alcohol is consumed. a change in habits and customs regarding the times at which alcohol is consumed, for example, drinking at times when it was not drunk before, either very early in the morning or very late in the morning.This can be, for example, drinking at times when you did not drink before, either very early in the morning or very late in the morning.

Likewise, changing the schedules of each day to have time to drink, drinking alone or getting together with certain friends just to drink can also be clear signs that we are facing a case of alcoholism.

3. Control available alcohol

People with alcoholism often have an obsessive control over the stock of alcohol in their own home.. Similarly, when preparing for a trip, they also tend to check in advance whether alcohol will be available at their destination.

Obsession with the availability or unavailability of alcohol at any given moment, as well as symptoms of annoyance or anger when it is not available are also quite clear signs of a possible case of alcoholism.

4. Hiding alcohol at home

In the same respect of the obsession about available alcohol, people with alcoholism also tend to hide alcohol at home, people with alcoholism also tend to hide alcohol reserves in various parts of their home(s) to consume it later. to consume it later.

This habit has a double function; on the one hand, to assure in the future the alcohol reserves in the own house, and on the other hand to hide to other members of the family the problem of addiction that they suffer.

5. Self-deception

There are many ways in which people with alcoholism self-deceive themselves, and all of them are a good indicator that there is a real problem of indiscriminate alcohol consumption.

The permanent self-justifications about one's own excesses, considering that if one is not too drunkThe permanent self-justifications about one's own excesses, considering that if one is not very drunk "it does not count as having consumed alcohol" or denying that one has a problem by pointing out that other people have a more consolidated addiction, are some of the most classic examples.

6. Alteration in relationships

Alcoholism brings with it a global deterioration in the life of the person who suffers from it, and this deterioration occurs both at a personal level and at a psychological level. This deterioration occurs at a personal and physiological level as well as at the level of interpersonal relationships..

Both friendship relationships of the person suffering from alcoholism and their family and couple relationships are often affected in many ways, either by the person's mood swings or by situations of violence and aggressiveness, or even by the incompatibility of lifestyles.

7. Agitated state with no clear external triggers

One of the essential characteristics of addiction to alcohol is withdrawal syndromecharacterized by a series of internal and external physical symptoms present in the person in the event of not having access to an alcoholic beverage for a certain period of time that goes beyond the time that usually elapses between consumption and consumption.

Some of these physical reactions characteristic of withdrawal syndrome are excessive sweating, nausea, tremors, or chills.

8. Problems at work

In addition to affecting the personal sphere of the affected person, alcoholism also tends to have a direct effect on his or her professional or work environment.

Lack of performance or productivity, loss of concentration and relationships with co-workers are some of the signs of an addiction problem. are some of the signs of an addiction problem.

9. Increased tolerance

Addiction to alcohol also leads to an increase in tolerance to the substance; this means that the affected person needs a dose each time he/she is addicted. the affected person needs an increasing dose to obtain the same intoxicating effect to obtain the same intoxicating effect.

Progressively needing to drink more and more is another good way to detect whether or not a person has a drinking problem.

10. School failure (in the case of the youngest)

In the case of alcoholism in adolescents or minors, a very common indicator that alcoholism may be present is a significant drop in academic performance.

It is important to note that school or academic failure can be both a precipitating factor to alcohol consumption at a young age and also a warning sign that should be taken into account on its own.

Looking for therapeutic support for addictions?

If you want to start a therapy process to overcome alcohol addiction or any other pathology related to drug addictions, please contact us.

In Llaurant la Llum we specialize in the intervention in addictive disorders, both in outpatient support and through admissions in our fully equipped residential module. You will find us in Picassent, Valencia.