Am I an Alcoholic? Recognizing the 9 Warning Signs

This article discusses alcohol use disorder symptoms and strategies for treatment and intervention. If you want to know more about alcohol use disorder, including treatment options and what counts as a “standard drink” in the United States, you can visit the NIAAA Rethinking Drinking website. But genetics on their own don’t control whether a person has an alcohol use disorder. Environmental factors, such as lifestyle and role models, are also important influences.

There’s a chance your doctor may order blood work to check your liver function if you show signs or symptoms of liver disease. Symptoms of alcohol use disorder are based on the behaviors and physical outcomes that occur as a result of alcohol addiction. signs of alcoholism Although the exact cause of alcohol use disorder is unknown, there are certain factors that may increase your risk for developing this disease. Most addiction professionals agree that an at-home detox or “going cold turkey” is never advisable.

Interfering with personal responsibilities

The stages of alcoholism can also progress to crippling alcoholism. While you’re not likely to get sick from consuming alcohol once or twice, frequent use will lead to liver damage, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and other serious illnesses. Alcoholics who get into legal trouble often use the family’s financial resources to hire a lawyer and pay court costs.

• If you’re ready to live a healthy, sober lifestyle, help is available.
• Loved ones may not suspect problems since the person who drinks seems in control.
• Getting into legal trouble because of drinking is one sign a person is drinking too much.
• People who misuse alcohol lie about or hide their drinking in an attempt to downplay the issue.
• Because alcoholism rewires the brain and affects a person’s mood, thinking and behaviors, it’s classified as a mental illness.
• This is one of the reasons people use alcohol when Mourning the death of a loved one –it can take the pain away, albeit temporarily.

Talk with a treatment provider today to find out more about the decisions you can make to better your future. If you’re ready to live a healthy, sober lifestyle, help is available. The frontal area of our brain, which is involved in (functions such as) executive functioning and planning … that is not as developed in teens, and alcohol affects that. Kids are already more impulsive, less patient … and alcohol affects that. Ria Health’s online treatment program offers complete support to cut back or quit drinking, from the comfort of home.

Who can I call for help with alcohol use disorder?

It may also lead to increased psychological distress among the partners and children of individuals with AUD. People with the disorder may recognize these issues are present but continue to drink alcohol. Alcohol use disorder is a medical condition involving frequent or heavy alcohol use. People with alcohol use disorder can’t stop drinking, even when it causes problems, emotional distress or physical harm to themselves or others. While the exact causes of alcoholism are not known, a number of factors can play a role.

You might not recognize how much you drink or how many problems in your life are related to alcohol use. Listen to relatives, friends or co-workers when they ask you to examine your drinking habits or to seek help. Consider talking with someone who has had a problem with drinking but has stopped. Alcohol use disorder can include periods of being drunk (alcohol intoxication) and symptoms of withdrawal.

Conditions

Unhealthy alcohol use includes any alcohol use that puts your health or safety at risk or causes other alcohol-related problems. It also includes binge drinking — a pattern of drinking where a male has five or more drinks within two hours or a female has at least four drinks within two hours. Alcohol use disorder https://ecosoberhouse.com/ is a pattern of alcohol use that involves problems controlling your drinking, being preoccupied with alcohol or continuing to use alcohol even when it causes problems. This disorder also involves having to drink more to get the same effect or having withdrawal symptoms when you rapidly decrease or stop drinking.

Another sign of AUD is someone drinking alcohol even though it may affect an existing health condition. To determine whether a person has AUD, healthcare professionals refer to the criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR). Some healthcare professionals may use an older tool to screen for alcohol use disorder called the CAGE Questionnaire. A 2019 study found that people with substance use disorder in their late adolescence years were four times more likely to develop alcohol use disorder in early adulthood.