10 Common signs of addiction and alcoholism

Addiction is a compulsive pull towards a substance. The pull is such it can’t just be labeled just as craving. Craving is a trivial word it’s such a strong pull that knowingly you destroy your life. A lot of people believe that drinking socially or casual drinking is not detrimental. The statement might not be true for everyone, as not everyone can control their consumption and know where to stop.

Let’s see a few common signs of alcohol addiction

1. Binge or heavy drinking

Heavy drinking is one of the most common signs of alcoholism it does not necessarily signify addiction or alcoholism but might increase the likelihood of future dependency. Heavy drinking is drinking more than 3 or 4 drinks a day where as binge drinking involves consuming larger amounts of alcohol within two hours.

1. Capriciousness

Alcoholism leads to mood swings which can cause difficulty in forming and maintaining close relationships. When an alcoholic is unable to drink, it hampers the emotional stability of the person. A person with emotional instability finds it difficult to maintain same emotional state for an hour or two. These mood swings can cause instability in a person’s personal as well as professional life.

1. Isolation

An alcoholic is very likely to isolate themselves as they want to hide the alcohol abuse. In extreme cases the reclusive alcoholics abandon family members, friends and work. In the other cases they choose to drink without friends or family members around. They continue to live a relatively normal life with their job and family but will distance themselves physically and emotionally. An alcoholic seeks a life of isolation for a number of reasons like fear, rejection, anger and denial.

1. Withdrawal symptoms

When a person is unable to reach out to alcohol; they experience withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms include increased heart rate, nausea, fatigue, headaches, anxiety, sweating, nightmares and inability to focus. The withdrawal symptoms are not just physical they can also be emotional which might appear in the form of depression. A person might go through depression and feel depressed during the withdrawals. Alcohol withdrawal treatment is available in various alcohol rehabilitation centers for addicts.

1. Denial

Denial is the most common and major indication of a drinking problem. A person does realize that drinking has led to alcoholism but would be unwilling to admit it. Denial is the result of shame. It is the biggest hurdle an addict has to overcome to regain the control of life. Denial is more of a psychological hurdle if your loved one is in denial it is advisable to seek help there are various rehabs in India from where you can seek help and get required guidance.

1. Legal obligations

A person who is addicted to alcohol often indulges into a risky behavior like driving under the influence of alcohol, inappropriate behavior in public places etc. Such risky behaviors often result in legal consequences. If alcohol intoxication has caused any legal troubles to a person then the person must introspect and seek help.

1. Degrading performance

You can’t expect to be at your best if you are down because of an argument or having a bad day, similarly you cannot expect to be at our best or excel at your performance at your school, college or workplace if you are under the influence of alcohol making it difficult to focus on work. This can take a toll on our performance and the work can become more burdensome and as a result you might drink even more because of the workload.

1. Degrading Relationships

The first sign of trouble is when your partner and family express a concern. They might complain about our behavior and say you don’t care enough for them or yourself. Most of the alcoholics end up neglecting family and friends and also might display abusive behavior towards them. Once the personal relationship take a turn for the worse it gets very difficult to save them. It is always better to seek help if you are facing all the above symptoms. There are various alcohol rehabilitation centers in Mumbai, Pune and Delhi where you can receive required treatment and guidance.

1. Bad company

They say a man is known by the company he keeps. If the people you spend time with are heavy drinkers you are more likely to follow their footsteps. Close friendships develop over a period of years. Hence, you find it difficult to let these people go. This is the biggest reason why alcoholics have a hard time avoiding temptation. Fighting alcohol addiction is tough enough already. It is even harder when the people around you are drinking regularly.

1. Loss of social status

There is ample of evidence that people with drinking problem tend to lose respect in the eyes of others. Heavy drinking and alcohol abuse leads to work accidents, decrease in productivity, unemployment, absences, troubled relationships, conflicts due to these reasons the person loses his respect and the social status.

If you or your loved ones are facing any of the above symptoms it is essential to seek help immediately as alcoholism is as good as falling into a black hole. Zorbacare Rehabilitation is a home away from home; we are here to be a part of your recovery.  When we love others and help those in need the journey becomes easier for everyone.