According to surveys, most reported cases of addiction have to do with alcohol. Whether this is a coincidence, or ready availability, or just preference of users, alcohol addiction seems to be the most prevalent form of addiction today. However, this could be due to a number of other factors.
We have prepared this short guide on alcohol addiction in order to educate readers on the signs of addiction and effects of withdrawal, better enabling them to help with alcohol addiction, whether it’s their own or someone else’s.
Alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction
Although there is a fine line between the two, the differences can make a pretty big impact on how you choose to deal with it. Alcohol abuse simply refers to excessive drinking, whether its frequency or amount. Alcohol addiction, on the other hand, is a physical or psychological dependency, where one needs alcohol in order to function on a daily basis.
Another sign of addiction is withdrawal symptoms, which we will also discuss in a moment.
Alcohol addiction
There is no list of symptoms that would help one diagnose alcohol addiction. What makes the matter more complicated is that people are able to live completely normal lives, even with their addiction. Such people are called functioning alcoholics and you would be surprised as to how many people live their lives in such a manner. Some physical manifestations include redness in the face and blood vessels being visible against the skin.
However, there are some signs which you can spot and deduce whether or not there might be a problem. Worrying about your next drink is the most common sign. This manifests in the form of always planning an outing where there is alcohol, or constantly buying and stocking up. Another is where you find it difficult to simply get through the day without having a drink or two every hour or so.
Another sign is that you build up a tolerance and feel the need to drink more on each occasion and will feel irritable if you don’t have a drink. That irritability can also translate to insomnia and other behavioral changes that you would not expect otherwise. Such signs point to alcohol dependency and should be a red flag if you observe any of them in yourself or someone you are close to.
Withdrawal
If you have an alcohol addiction, and you haven’t had a drink in a few days, you will start to experience several withdrawal symptoms. These only happen if you are physically addicted to alcohol, which is why the body starts to react in such a way when it doesn’t get any alcohol. Mild symptoms include shaking sweating or feeling faint.
However, in more severe cases of addiction, the withdrawal symptoms can be truly crippling or even life-threatening. It’s important that any alcohol detox for severe cases is carried out under professional supervision so as to avoid any further medical complications, which may even be lethal.
We hope the above has educated you further on this serious ailment that plagues so many. If you, or someone you know, is suffering from alcohol dependency or addiction, then consider contacting a professional to get the right kind of help.
Share
AFP
