Symptoms and Signs of Alcohol Addiction: Am I Addicted to Alcohol?

Many people assume the occasional beer or glass of wine at mealtimes or special occasions doesn’t pose much cause for concern. But drinking any amount of alcohol can potentially lead to unwanted health consequences. At this stage, drinking becomes everything in your life, even at the expense of your livelihood, your health and your relationships.

You’re always borrowing money to make ends meet, or even stealing from friends or family to pay for your drinking. If you rely too much on alcohol, you’ll likely lose interest in things you used to love and prioritize physical signs of drinking too much drinking over other engagements. You have a drink first thing in the morning, and another at work, and still more when you get home. You keep alcohol in your car or at the office, so you’re never without it.

Physical Signs of Long-Term Alcohol Abuse

Therefore, it’s an individual’s BAC, not the exact amount of alcohol they’ve consumed, that determines the effects the alcohol will have on them. If you have a little too much alcohol once in a while, it probably won’t do lasting damage if you’re otherwise healthy. If you drink more alcohol than that, consider cutting back or quitting.

• You never want to assume that one physical effect is a definitive sign of alcohol addiction.
• Over time though, excessive drinking can develop into alcohol use disorder (AUD), or more commonly known as alcoholism.
• Around the globe, there is low awareness of the negative impact of alcohol consumption on health and safety.
• Medicines are usually used with talk therapy and support groups to treat alcohol use disorder.
• Also known as acid reflux, heartburn, causes your stomach acid to travel back up your esophagus toward your throat, which feels like burning in your chest.

Much of this feeling “off” is because alcohol disrupts your sleep and is a diuretic that invites more trips to the bathroom at night. Also known as acid reflux, heartburn, causes your stomach acid to travel back up your esophagus toward your throat, which feels like burning in your chest. Even small amounts of alcohol can irritate your stomach lining and produce bloating, burping, hiccupping and pain in the upper stomach. While drinking in moderation isn’t necessarily bad, too many people misuse alcohol. Your doctor may suggest a medicine to help treat your alcohol use disorder. Medicines are usually used together with talk therapy and support groups.

Alcohol-induced mental health conditions

So much of alcohol tolerance depends on each individual’s body composition, health history, age and previous drinking patterns. The older you are, the slower your body processes alcohol and the longer it stays in your liver before it moves into your bloodstream. Too much drinking can mess with your skin complexion and youthful look. Alcohol can leave your skin dehydrated and inflamed with a dull appearance and reduced elasticity. Puffy or swollen eyes and intensified wrinkles and dark circles are other effects of alcohol on your skin.

This condition can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the number of symptoms you have. Denial is one of the main reasons why millions of people do not receive treatment for alcoholism. Some individuals will try to rationalize their drinking behaviors. For instance, you may blame other people or certain circumstances for your drinking. Rather than acknowledge the problems you’ve experienced from alcohol, you become defensive when someone mentions your excessive drinking pattern.

Common Symptoms Of Alcohol Abuse

Low electrolyte levels in the body can cause muscle spasms and cramping. A third way to avoid drinking too much water is to be aware of when your body needs it. The body can fight against dehydration by letting you know when you need to drink some water.

This causes the body to crave alcohol in order to feel good and avoid feeling bad. Long after the acute effects of intoxication have faded, excessive alcohol consumption can continue to cause health risks. The first stage of someone quitting alcohol is detox and it’s important to make sure that people who drink heavily don’t detox alone. The seizures that can occur during withdrawal can be severe enough to be fatal without medical supervision. Behavioral signs of alcohol addiction include developing a tolerance, failing to fulfill responsibilities and having withdrawal symptoms.

A little over 6 percent (16.6 million people) drank heavily or binge drank on at least five occasions in the last month. But it’s important to keep in mind that it is a depressant, which means that even a small amount can cause you to feel down. The good feelings you get with a temporary rise in your https://ecosoberhouse.com/ blood alcohol content can turn to depression when those levels eventually return to normal, as Healthline mentioned. If you’ve noticed that it takes a little more effort to get into your favorite pair of skinny jeans, it could have something to do with your weekly margarita date with your BFFs.