Alcohol is the most commonly consumed addictive substance around the globe, and it’s becoming a bigger problem every day. Estimates are that more than 17 million people suffer from alcohol addiction globally. Several million people engage in binge drinking almost daily.

It’s hard to recognize the exact point when drinking alcohol becomes an addiction, but here are a few signs to help figure out whether you or someone you love have a drinking problem.

Physical signs of alcoholism

Are you (or someone close to you) shaking, sweating and feeling nauseous when you don’t drink alcohol? Are you unable to fall asleep without drinking? Persistent insomnia is a real sign of alcohol addiction. Do you need more and more alcohol to get that buzzing feeling that you’d get after two drinks just a while ago? Having high tolerance to alcohol is another common sign of addiction.

Are you neglecting your responsibilities?

Neglecting your everyday obligations at home, school or work and replacing them with drinking sessions could mean only one thing—that you have an addiction. If drinking crosses the line from occasional and fun indulgence to something that causes troubles and impacts the quality of your life and the lives of people around you, then you have a serious problem.

Are you hiding your drinking?

People who don’t have problems with alcohol don’t have the need to lie or hide how much they drink. Social drinkers enjoy their booze publically. If you drink secretly to make your drinking seem like it’s not an issue and often feel guilty or ashamed for this, it might be a sign of a serious alcohol addiction. This sign might be difficult to notice for family and friends.

Do you drink when you really shouldn’t?

Drinking in dangerous situations such as before driving or against the doctor’s orders if you’re taking medications probably means that you suffer from alcohol addiction. This kind of behavior puts your life in great danger. Not only yours—every time you drive under the influence of alcohol, you risk not only your life, but the lives of all other traffic participants. Risking like this means only one thing—that alcohol has unfortunately become the priority in your life.

Do you often forget things?

Blacking out often—having no memories of the previous night whatsoever, and regretting the decision to drink is a red flag for addiction. Having no recollection of what happened during and after the drinking session means that you’ve had way to much alcohol. You don’t have to forget everything to call the night fun, right? So, it must be something else, probably an addiction.

Are you unable to stop drinking?

Perhaps you are aware that your drinking is a problem (or someone from your family pointed this out)? Maybe you even tried to stop consuming alcohol, but unsuccessfully? Trying to stop drinking but being unable to is one of the top signs of alcohol addiction, but also an important step towards getting better. It’s definitely not going to be an easy road.

Help is available!

Almost 90 thousand people die from alcohol abuse annually, making alcoholism the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States, just after tobacco use and poor diet. Experiencing one or two of the signs listed above does not mean that you’re addicted to alcohol, but if you recognized yourself in most of them implies a strong possibility of addiction. To put it simply—if alcohol is causing problems in your life, then you probably have an addiction.

Addiction is a disease, and it can happen to anybody. If you or someone close to you have a problem with alcoholism, don’t hesitate to contact us today!