The Warning Signs of a Drinking Problem: Symptoms of Alcoholism
It’s not always easy to tell when a person’s alcohol use has crossed the line from social drinking to problem drinking. When you’re at a work happy hour, graduation party, or birthday celebration, it can be difficult to see the warning signs of a drinking problem in you or someone you know, since drinking is often so accepted. Because of this, people showing alcohol abuse and alcoholism may not realize their situation until it’s too late.
We understand that it can be difficult to recognize if you or someone you care about is struggling with addiction, due to fear, acceptance, and denial. Since 2016, Master Center addiction counselors, psychiatrists, therapists, and providers have helped identify and treat alcoholism in thousands of patients, and their expertise can help you spot the warning signs of alcoholism before it’s too late.
If you or someone you love is worried about drinking habits, these physical and behavioral signs are a great place to start to get the help needed to recover. By being informed, you can help yourself or a loved one to confront issues with alcohol addiction before symptoms worsen.
What is Considered “Alcoholism?”
First, alcoholism, clinically referred to as Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), is more than just binge drinking or “having a good time;” it’s a chronic, uncontrollable disease that impacts millions of people in the U.S. When a person is an alcoholic, they have a physical and emotional dependence to alcohol, valuing it above daily functions, responsibilities, relationships, and overall health.
A person may progress from casual drinking to alcoholism without realizing it, and it’s important to note that it’s not the same as alcohol abuse. Before exploring the warning signs of alcoholism, it’s important to know that it’s a chronic brain disease that goes beyond heavy drinking. Keep this in mind when assessing your or someone’s drinking behaviors.
Identifying the Warning Signs of a Drinking Problem
With alcohol dependence, behaviors and symptoms can vary between individuals, so it’s important to be honest with yourself about drinking patterns and behaviors. With that, some of the most common warning signs of a drinking problem include:
- Increased tolerance to alcohol: This means increasingly needing more alcohol to get drunk, seemingly without a limit.
- Frequent legal problems caused by drinking: These include DUIs, public intoxication, or drunk and disorderly charges.
- Drinking in dangerous/inappropriate situations: This includes drinking at work, while driving, operating machinery, while responsible for children, or in other inappropriate situations.
- Experiencing physical withdrawal when not drinking: Experiencing symptoms of alcohol withdrawal is one of the most telling warning signs of a drinking problem, as it means your body has become physically dependent on the substance to function.
- Prioritizing alcohol over everything else: This means putting alcohol before finances, health, school, work, family, and other responsibilities.
- Continuous drinking despite harmful consequences: This means drinking even when problems arise in relationships, legal troubles, and financial disruptions.
There is no exact formula for determining whether or not an individual’s drinking equates to alcoholism. Everyone is different, and some will display many symptoms, while others will only experience a few more severe consequences. Keep this in mind as you approach alcoholism in you or a loved one.
Behavioral Signs of Alcoholism
Going deeper into the symptoms of alcoholism, there are behavioral signs that may also point towards a drinking problem. These are a few behaviors or patterns that are worth looking into:
- Constantly making excuses to drink (i.e., de-stressing, relaxing, or for no reason).
- Becoming easily upset by criticisms of their drinking behaviors, such as getting defensive or argumentative when approached by someone.
- Drinking secretly or alone, and “hiding” their alcohol consumption.
- Showing extreme mood swings, such as becoming more irritated or depressed.
- Increased memory loss and impaired judgement/decision-making from severe drinking episodes.
- Becoming increasingly isolated from their family, friends, loved ones, responsibilities, and/or hobbies.
Because alcoholism is a brain disease, oftentimes people don’t even realize they’re showing these symptoms until it’s either pointed out or the disease progresses. Be sure to note these behavioral changes early.
The Physical Signs of Alcoholism & Withdrawal Symptoms
As mentioned, experiencing withdrawal is a major sign of alcoholism, and, if left untreated, it can lead to life-threatening symptoms. Identifying these physical signs and withdrawal symptoms is an extremely essential point to be aware of as you assess your or someone else’s alcohol consumption:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Insomnia and sleep disruptions
- Hallucinations
- Racing heartbeat and cardiac arrest
- Anxiety symptoms like sweating and shaky hands
- Tremors and seizures
- Coma or death (in more severe cases)
Additionally, aside from withdrawal, some other general physical signs to be aware of include:
- Broken capillaries on the face and nose
- The smell of alcohol on the breath, even hours after heavy drinking
- Yellow skin and eyes caused by liver damage
- Weight loss caused by prioritizing drinking over eating
- Dry skin due to dehydration, resulting in a more aged appearance and wrinkles
- Brittle hair and nails from alcohol’s dehydrating effects
- Poor hygiene
Identifying the physical signs of alcoholism is just as important as the behavioral signs. Additionally, it’s crucial to identify withdrawal symptoms as soon as possible and get professional help before they worsen.
How to Tell if You Have Alcoholism: 6 Questions to Ask
If you suspect you or a loved one has an alcohol addiction, there are some questions we recommend asking to assess your drinking habits:
- Do you find yourself needing more and more alcohol to get the desired effect?
- Are you able to stop drinking on your own, or do you need something to stop you (i.e., passing out, blacking out, getting knocked out, or being arrested)?
- Do you experience anxiety or flu-like symptoms when not drinking?
- Are you drinking in places you shouldn’t be, like at your child’s sporting event, during your lunch break, or before driving somewhere?
- Are you making excuses or lying about your drinking with other people?
- Do you find yourself neglecting your appearance, relationships, responsibilities, or hobbies in exchange for drinking?
Depending on your answers to these, it may be necessary to seek a consultation from a medical provider or hold an intervention for a loved one. In any case, getting a professional evaluation is a crucial next step in getting the right help for alcoholism.
Getting Help for Alcoholism
We understand that determining if you or someone you know has a drinking problem or not can be a hard conversation to have. But knowing these warning signs of a drinking problem and reflecting on your drinking habits is a great place to start. Our goal is to ensure that you and as many people as possible get the right help that they need sooner rather than later.
It’s important to remember that alcoholism is a treatable disease, just like cancer or diabetes, and getting help is just a call away. Only 10% of alcoholics receive treatment, but you can take back control with the right help.
So, if you or someone you know is showing these signs of alcoholism, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with us for a consultation to see what program is best for you. We offer outpatient alcohol detox, recovery coaching, group therapy, and addiction psychiatry to get thousands of people on the right track to recovery.
Alcoholism doesn’t have to take over your life; just remember to be honest with yourself or someone you know, and seek help before it worsens.
About Master Center
Master Center is a groundbreaking addiction treatment program headquartered in Glen Allen, Va. Based on a vision of comprehensive outpatient care, Master Center was launched in 2016 and now includes locations throughout the Commonwealth.
Master Center offers a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach rarely seen in the outpatient setting, staffed by experienced addiction physicians, psychiatrists, counselors, therapists, and peer recovery coaches.
