Recognise Alcohol Addiction
There are many people who regularly have a drink, but otherwise experience no hindrance in their daily life. Alcoholism often has a cause such as personal circumstances, major events or social factors. Heredity can also play a factor. We talk about an alcohol addiction when you have consistently drunk a lot of alcohol over a long period of time, which has resulted in you being unable or hardly able to stop regularly drinking a lot of alcohol on your own. This often results in other problems and/or symptoms as described in the paragraph below.
Recognising Alcohol Addiction
An alcoholic often does not recognize his or her addiction (easily). This may be because they do not understand the seriousness of the situation or they are ashamed. Alcoholism occurs in all levels of society, but is often difficult to admit.
How can you recognize alcohol addiction? The following symptoms may be an indication of this:
- Forgetfulness;
- Mood swings;
- Concentration problems;
- Less contact with family/friends (withdrawal);
- Wanting to drink at unusual times;
- Eating a lot of chewing gum or using perfume to hide the smell of alcohol;
- Trembling and sweating;
- Sleep problems;
- Poor diet/malnutrition;
- Frequently ill.
Are you concerned about your own or someone you know’s alcohol use? Take the test and find out whether you or someone you know is in danger.
Consequences of Alcohol Addiction
Prolonged and excessive use of alcohol has negative long-term consequences. Your mental state changes, which can cause social problems. In addition, there are many health risks lurking, such as obesity, liver problems, gastric mucosal inflammation and brain problems. Alcoholism can be traced back to as many as 200 conditions. An alcoholic may also experience withdrawal symptoms when he or she stops drinking. Sweating a lot or shaking hands are common withdrawal symptoms. With a severe alcohol addiction, the withdrawal symptoms can be so intense that a delirium or epileptic attack can occur.
Alcoholism can also have negative effects on a mental level. For example, sleep problems can arise from alcoholism, which causes or increases psychological complaints. In general, alcohol has a negative effect on problem-solving ability, which means that psychological complaints such as depression can also be traced to alcoholism. Below is a general summary of possible consequences of alcohol addiction:
- Health problems and/or physical complaints;
- Mental complaints such as forgetfulness or blackouts;
- Psychological complaints such as depression/aggression:
- Social problems;
- Problems with work/study;
- Financial problems.
Help with Alcohol Addiction
It takes a lot to admit that you have an alcohol addiction. Admitting and acknowledging it is the first step to overcoming your addiction. Do you want to overcome your alcohol addiction or do you want to help someone overcome an alcohol addiction? Then choose professional help from Succeed in Recovery. With professional help from Succeed in Recovery, you can count on a proven step-by-step plan to achieve your goal.
Why Succeed in Recovery?
If you are struggling with addiction, it is nice to be guided by an experienced expert. It is difficult for others to understand what you are experiencing. At Succeed in Recovery we believe professionalism, discretion and a high level of knowledge are important. Moreover, Theo from Succeed in Recovery ensures short lines of communication, so you get help quickly. Read more on the ‘about me’ page.
Succeed in recovery is a private provider of addiction care. Reimbursement from health insurance is not possible.