According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 50 percent of the adult population drinks alcohol regularly. Alcohol is offered at many social occasions and is seen by some as a rite of passage. With alcohol being such an integral part of many people's lives it can often be difficult to determine whether you or a loved one has crossed the line between casual drinker and alcoholic.
Tolerance
Help Guide's website states that tolerance is a major warning sign that a person has a drinking problem. If it takes twice the amount of alcohol for the person as those around him to get the same effect, he may be building up a tolerance. It will continue to take more alcohol each time to give him the same effect. As the drinker's tolerance grows, the level of alcohol will increase to get the same buzz and damage to the body's internal organs will also increase.
Withdrawal
When going without alcohol causes shakes, anxiety, sweating or nausea it means that the body has become so used to having the alcohol in its system that it begins to shut down without it. Withdrawal from alcohol usually requires medical assistance. In some cases withdrawal symptoms are severe enough to cause hallucinations, seizures and, in rare cases, death.
Hiding Alcohol
According to the Mayo Clinic, stashing alcohol in places where people are not likely to look for it can be a major red flag for alcoholism. If a person is keeping alcohol in her dresser, car, bathroom or other unlikely place, it means that on some level she understands that she is drinking too much but it may be impossible for her to stop on her own. It might be helpful to get her to talk with a counselor.
Lack of Interest
Bypassing spending time with family and friends in lieu of drinking is a classic sign of alcoholism. The alcohol has now taken a central role in the alcoholic's life to the point where he has lost interest in all things not directly centered on drinking. He may attempt to create rituals around alcohol, such as cocktails before dinner, and will become annoyed when these rituals are delayed or denied.
Blackouts
A blackout happens when a person drinks in excess to the point where, though she is conscious and performing functions somewhat appropriately, she has no memory of it the following day. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) states that alcohol impairs the brain's ability to imprint long-term memories and the more alcohol taken, the longer the memory lapse.
