Signs of Alcoholism

By Jennifer Bailey

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One of the hardest things to do is to recognize that you have a drinking problem, which may be a result of denial, pride, or even the fact that your dependence may have already clouded your judgment.

image: young woman alcoholic in need of alcoholism treatment Unfortunately, not being able to recognize that you have a problem can have very negative effects, which includes losing your life as some of the physical effects of alcoholism have proven to be fatal.

However, answering the question on whether you have a drinking problem can be made simple as long as you are able to recognize if you exhibit some of the warning signs characterize alcoholism.

Signs of being an alcoholic

Studies have shown that there are some warning signs that you should look out for if you think that you may have a drinking problem.

Some of these include finding yourself drinking alone most of the time and when you find yourself always making or finding excuses to drink.

Other warning signs include feeling the need to drink to be functional and an inability to stop or reduce your alcohol intake.

Violent episodes related to drinking and being angry when you are confronted about your drinking are also warning signs of alcoholism.

image: female ad for alcohol and drug rehab

According to a 2003 edition of Pediatrics, children who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more likely to report academic problems, substance use, and delinquent behavior in both middle school and high school.  By young adulthood, early alcohol use was associated with employment problems, other substance abuse, and criminal and other violent behavior.

image: young man looking upset from abusive drinkingOther signs also include finding yourself drinking secretly, having poor eating habits, failing to care for your physical appearance and frequent trembling in the morning.

However, if you consider yourself a “problem drinker, ” which means that you only drink to cope with your problems, you should be careful when the situation is reversed.

This reversal means that it would be drinking that causes the problems at your work, and your relationships suffer the more you become addicted.

According to demographic statistics, people with drinking problems or who are alcohol dependent at any point in their lives experience income reductions ranging from 1.5% to 18.7% depending on gender and age compared with people with no such diagnosis.  Apparently, such facts and logical analysis does not make much of an impact on the drinking patterns of many problem drinkers.

Accepting that you have a drinking problem can be very challenging because being an alcoholic does not make you the best judge to determine whether you have a problem.

image: female teen dejected from alcoholic behaviorThis is because alcohol dependence can cloud your judgment. However, having knowledge of the warning signs of alcoholism can help you detect if you indeed have a drinking problem.

Once you have recognized that you exhibit most of these warning signs, it would then be a good idea to ask for professional help that can help you overcome the disease before the disease becomes more chronic.

Fortunately, help is readily available, as there is large number rehabilitation centers, and support groups such as AA that you can access to help you overcome your alcoholism.

Alcoholism provides detailed information on Alcoholism, Alcoholism Treatments, Signs Of Alcoholism, Effects Of Alcoholism and more. Alcoholism is affiliated with Drug and Alcohol Abuse.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Bailey 

In the U.S., the rate of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes is 61%, more than three times as high at night. For all accidents, alcohol factors in 16% of nighttime accidents, vs. 3% for days.

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According to the alcohol abuse research literature, absenteeism among problem drinkers or alcohol dependent individuals is 3.8 to 8.3 times greater than absenteeism among those who are not problem drinkers or who are non-alcoholics.  It's statistics like these that lead to more sophisticated and more frequent forms of alcohol testing and screening in the U.S. workplace.

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