Alcohol dependence, better known as alcoholism, is a serious—and sometimes debilitating—addiction to alcohol. With 17 million adults in the United States suffering from some sort of alcohol use disorder, it’s an ever-increasing problem. Fortunately, there are a few indicators of alcohol addiction which, when noticed, often prompt intervention and treatment. Recognizing a problem is the first step to fixing it, and with 88,000 alcohol-related deaths each year, it’s definitely a problem that needs to be solved.
Blackouts
The first sign of alcohol dependence is blackouts. It’s a common mistake to think blacking out and “passing out” are interchangeable, but that’s not the case (although you can faint from high amounts of alcohol consumption). Blackouts do not include losing consciousness like fainting does. Blackouts instead cause you to not remember what happened when you were drinking dependence
Unexplained Accidents or Illnesses
It’s possible to develop a new problem, such as stomach aches, or exacerbate an existing health condition with an alcohol addiction. Alcohol dependence also greatly increases the chances of having accidents—and of these accidents being far more severe than they would have been had alcohol not been involved.
Tolerance
With alcohol dependence comes a greater tolerance for alcohol, meaning that you need to drink more and more in order to get the same effect. Tolerance also means that you can drink more alcohol than the majority of people and not reach the same level of intoxication. Tolerance leads to excessive amounts of alcohol is being consumed, because you need to drink more to need more. According to Edmonton defense lawyer Rod Gregory, a high alcohol tolerance can lead to impaired driving, as an individual could be intoxicated and still seem sober enough to operate a vehicle to those who might be able to stop them.
Withdrawal
The more alcohol you drink, the more your body gets used to it. If you stop drinking alcohol, you could show signs of withdrawal. Drinking in order to avoid the symptoms of withdrawal is a huge red flag when it comes to alcoholism and alcohol dependence. Some signs of withdrawal include:
- anxiety
- trembling
- sweating
- nausea and vomiting
- insomnia
- depression
- irritability
- fatigue
- loss of appetite
- headache
Alcohol dependence is a serious disorder. When treated, the person has a huge chance of living a normal life. If you or someone you know is displaying these symptoms, seek help; it could save a life.
*Our content is not intended to provide medical advice or diagnosis of individual problems or circumstances, nor should it be implied that we are a substitute for professional medical advice. Users / readers are always advised to consult their Healthcare Professional prior to starting any new remedy, therapy or treatment. Your Wellness Group accepts no liability in the event you, a user of n-gage and a reader of this article, suffers a loss as a result of reliance upon or inappropriate application of the information.
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