Alcohol is a drug used by around 50 percent of Americans age 13 and over, reports "Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing." It depresses the central nervous system, inducing alterations in behavior and mood. Some individuals become addicted to alcohol and use it chronically, a condition known as alcoholism. The pattern typically begins with alcohol use to reduce stress. This leads to physical dependence, defensiveness and guilt. Eventually, health problems ensue and the individual feels helpless to stop using alcohol. While each experience is unique, there are several common signs of being an alcoholic.
Physical Withdrawal
An alcoholic experiences symptoms of physical withdrawal when the effect of alcohol wears off. She may have shakiness, headache, crankiness, vomiting and an inability to sleep. She may be sweaty and nervous. Her mood may seem depressed.
Tolerance
Over time, the alcoholic must drink more and more to achieve the same effect. If he used to feel drunk after four drinks, it may now take six drinks to achieve the same result. This is a cardinal sign of addiction to alcohol and any other mind-altering substances. Tolerance is responsible for many of the negative health effects of alcohol, as the liver and other organs are taxed by the additional volume.
Amnesia
Alcoholics often experience episodes of amnesia, forgetting what happens while they are intoxicated. She may forget things that happen before or after drinking as well. Some refer to this amnesia as "blacking out." It can lead to missed appointments, unmet responsibilities and lost items.
Compulsion to Drink
Having a strong compulsion to drink signals possible alcoholism, explain experts at the Mayo Clinic. When the individual is kept from alcohol, he may become irritable or belligerent. If he attempts to spend the day in a situation where he cannot drink, he may feel tense and uneasy.
Inability to Limit Volume
The alcoholic has an inability to limit her volume of alcohol when she begins drinking. She may tell herself or her spouse that she is only going to have one beer, but ends up drinking a six-pack. She may promise to stay at a bar for one hour and end up spending the entire evening drinking.
Must Drink to Feel Normal
Eventually, the alcoholic must drink in order to feel normal. Alcohol is no longer ingested just to get high, as it is in the beginning stages. In the advanced stage, alcohol may be necessary in order to function. The individual may appear to think more clearly or better perform tasks when he has had a drink of alcohol.
Life Revolves Around Alcohol
As Help Guide, a non-profit information resource, describes, the alcoholic may quit pursuing interests other than alcohol. She may stop attending church functions, no longer volunteer at her child's school or participate in her volleyball team. She may be absent from family gatherings so that she can spend more time drinking or recovering from being drunk. She may only spend time with her friends who drink, avoiding those who disapprove.
References
- “Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: Concepts of Care in Evidence-Based Practice”; Mary C. Townsend, M.N., A.P.R.N.; 2006
- Help Guide: Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse
- Mayo Clinic: Alcoholism
