Drinking is a very large part of American culture. Companies rake in billions of dollars every year on alcohol sales, marketing, and consumption, and it’s hard to walk down a city street without seeing a bar or two in your path.
In the wake of all of that, it’s easy to feel like drinking should be something you do without thinking about. People go out for a drink, you join, you feel like part of the group. It makes sense when you put it that way.
At the same time, there’s a huge underside of drinking. The activity that’s promoted and praised by our culture can actually turn out to be life-ruining and extremely harmful.
It’s important to keep an eye on your drinking. We’re going to give you some of the most common signs of alcoholism.
5 Clear Signs of Alcoholism
You don’t have to have all of these to consider the idea that you might have a problem. Additionally, there are more signs that aren’t covered on the list to look out for.
1. Are You Very Tired?
Drinking excessively entails that you’re up and at em’ most nights, going to the bars and staying out late. Most alcoholics don’t register the idea that they should stop drinking, only look to the clock to see how much more time they can spend at the bar.
This results in a lack of sleep, poor sleep, and a very tired person the next day. Over time, those effects amplify and bring someone to a state of extreme tiredness.
2. Can You Stop Once You’ve Started?
Alcoholism usually comes along with an inability to slow down or stop drinking. This, in part, is because alcoholics have higher tolerances to alcohol.
Additionally, they don’t want to stop or even think to. If you’re drinking more volume for a longer time than your friends, it may be time to seek out help.
3. Are You Making Excuses to Drink?
It should be a red flag if you’re drinking throughout the day. That means bringing alcohol to work and outings that don’t really entail drinking. You may also find that you’re the only one drinking while everyone else decides to refrain.
Not all social gatherings need to involve alcohol, and those who don’t have a problem with alcohol will recognize this.
4. Sacrificing Responsibilities
An alcoholic might incorporate drinking into their normal routine. Drinking during things like picking up a child from school, going to work, or running errands should be an alarming sign.
Further, you might push these responsibilities aside altogether and drink in place of them.
5. Financial Troubles
If you’re facing trouble financially, you should be able to cut out alcohol in order to take care of the more important issues at hand. Whether or not alcohol is the issue at that caused financial troubles, it will certainly contribute to them if they already exist.
It’s easy to use alcohol as an escape from these problems. If you’re spending money you shouldn’t on alcohol, it’s a good sign that it is a problem.
Are These Signs Familiar to You?
If you resonate with these signs of alcoholism, you should seek out help as soon as possible. Whether it’s you or a loved one that has signs of alcoholism, it’s important that it’s addressed in a responsible way.
Contact us to see how treatment can help you or a loved one move forward.