There are many tools available right at your fingertips to yell you if you have been drinking too much. All over the internet are alcohol self awareness tests, which will help give you a good indicator of if your drinking is a problem. Other things that you can look at are if you constantly crave alcohol and feel like you can not make it through the day without having a drink. Do you feel physically sick if you had not had a drink in some time?
Other symptoms you can look at when it comes to your drinking are if you ever felt the need to cut down on your drinking? Do you get angry when other people bring up your drinking? If the answer to both of these is yes, then you might want to contact your doctor for help.
Now what should we look for in other people who we might suspect have a drinking problem. For some we might be able to pick up on the signs before it becomes a problem. Noticing someone drinking more heavily then they have before might clue you into a problem in the making. Other signs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse are lack of interest in activities that might have once brought your loved ones interest, and centering recreational activities around drinking, or having uncharacteristically reckless behavior.
You also want to look for the four symptoms that the NIAAA (National Institute of Alcohol abuse and alcoholism) has stated indicates that alcohol addiction is apparent.
The first is craving. If you notice yourself or your loved ones having an uncontrollable urge to drink this should wave a red flag. Alcoholism has been defined as having a strong dependency on alcohol and a strong urge to drink. If you notice someone who can not get the thought of alcohol out of their mind, this could be a good indication of something serious.
Alcoholics also tend to lose control when they start drinking. If you find that once you start drinking, you can not stop it or see a loved one who behaves in the same fashion, get help. Also notice if you or someone you suspect might be an alcoholic suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms happen once you stop drinking. They happen when you decide to quit drinking and when you stop drinking due to sleep or because you are unable to drink at that time. These symptoms include the shakes, irritability, and sweating. You might find that having a drink is the only way to "cure" these withdrawal symptoms.
Lastly look at the amount of alcohol being consume. If you find yourself needing to drink more alcohol to achieve the same effect you are use to, talk to someone right away. If you notice a friend or family member needing to drink more than they use to, chances are they might be losing control of their drinking.
If you are an alcoholic the choice to stop drinking is yours. If you are educated on the signs and symptoms of alcoholism, you might stand a good chance at getting yourself help. If you know someone who displays any of these signs, talk to them or to someone who can help you get the message through to them. Even though they may think you are trying to hurt them, you are probably saving their life.
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