How To Identify If You Have A Drinking Problem: 10 Signs To Watch For

Alcohol has played an essential part in various civilizations throughout history. People drink alcohol to unwind, bond, celebrate, and socialize.

Adults enjoy a drink with friends on weekends, at weddings and parties, or as a way to unwind from work. 

Do you want to know if your drinking is on the high side or if it’s become a problem? 

Consider the previous year. If any of the following circumstances seem familiar, it’s time to make some adjustments.

However, if you find out you have an alcohol use disorder, you can always take professional help from Infinite Recovery. It is a popular drug rehab center in Austin, and if you want to get more information about it, you can get it from here.

What Is Alcohol Use Disorder?

Alcohol has a profound influence on many people, yet it is neither harmful nor hazardous when used in moderation. 

Read More: detox Cincinnati

On the other hand, excessive drinking can lead to alcohol use disorder over time. Cravings, physical and emotional dependency on alcohol, uncontrolled alcohol consumption, and unpleasant feelings while not drinking are all symptoms of AUD. 

According to the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, approximately 15 million persons in the United States suffer from AUD.

AUD is a recurrent, chronic brain illness that can cause serious health problems such as depression, liver damage, heart failure, high blood pressure, and some forms of cancer. 

It can also have severe effects on one’s life, such as job loss, damaged relationships with loved ones, and arrests or jail time due to drunk driving.

How To Identify If You Have A Drinking Problem?

A pattern of excessive drinking is one of the early warning indicators. This pattern involves binge drinking as well as heavy drinking. Binge drinking is when a person consumes a massive amount of alcohol all at once. 

It’s having five or more drinks in less than two hours for guys. For women, it means consuming four or more drinks within two hours. 

Let’s check these signs to find out if you have a drinking problem: 

1: You Drink More Than Planned

You’ve experienced moments when you drank more than you intended or for a more extended period than you intended. 

It may not appear to be a significant concern if it happens once in a while, but it demonstrates that you have difficulty managing yourself while drinking. 

It’s also an early warning indication. Therefore, if you catch yourself drinking more than you intended every time you sit to drink, it’s time to make some adjustments.

2: Your Tolerance Has Increased

Ordinary drinks no longer have the same impact on you. Over time, your brain adjusts to alcohol and becomes less susceptible to its effects.

To acquire the desired high, you must drink somewhat more than before.

Once you cross your usual threshold, it’s time you make some adjustments because it’s evident that your tolerance level has increased.

3: You Have Cravings Of Alcohol

There are moments when you are so desperate for a drink that you can’t think about anything else till you have one. 

People, places, things, or specific times of day may remind you of alcohol or may trigger that overwhelming desire to have a glass. 

Specific thoughts or physical experiences can also trigger cravings. When you have a problem with alcohol, your brain reacts differently to these cues than of social drinkers.

4: You Give Up Other Activities

You must have some other hobbies apart from drinking. 

Consider the hobbies you used to like, the essential concerns, and the things you used to do in your spare time. 

Has alcohol pushed such activities out of your life or stopped you from performing them? If the answer is YES, it means you have a drinking problem.

5: Your Priorities Have Changed

Can you recall more than a few occasions when you arrived at work with a hangover, missed deadlines, or fell behind in homework as a result of your drinking? 

It’s an issue when your alcohol usage frequently stops you from keeping up with duties at home, work, or school.

It means alcohol has forced you to change your priorities in life, which clearly proves that you are suffering from AUD. 

6: It Causes Friction In Relationships

You adore your family, but you can’t fathom your existence without booze. 

You continue to drink even though it has caused conflict with your family or friends or has exacerbated existing difficulties. 

This does not make you a horrible person, but it does emphasize the importance of seeking help to modify your lifestyle patterns and get your relationships back on track.

7:You Feel Withdrawal Symptoms

You may experience shivering, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, irritability, sadness, nausea, restlessness, or sweating when the effects of alcohol wear off. 

Alcohol alters the chemistry of your brain, and when you drink significantly over an extended length of time, your brain attempts to adjust. 

When you abruptly quit drinking, your brain must re-adjust, resulting in withdrawal symptoms.

8: You Are Falling Sick

Do you continue drinking even when you know it’s creating or exacerbating your health problems? 

Your heart, liver, pancreas, brain, and immune system can all be harmed by alcohol. It can also increase your chances of developing some malignancies. 

Even if you know it’s bad for you, a physical or mental reliance on alcohol might make quitting difficult. It may also impact your weight scale, leading you to depression.

9: You Have Been Tangled Into Legal Trouble

When intoxicated, your brain doesn’t understand the long-term consequences of making poor judgments and getting into harmful circumstances such as swimming, driving, fighting, having unsafe sex, etc. 

If you’ve been arrested or had other run-ins with the police due to your alcohol addiction more than once, things are becoming severe. 

You might be living with the legal consequences of this for years. However, it’s not too late to make a change.

10: You Can’t Quit It Even After Trying

Maybe you’ve been worried enough that you’ve attempted to cut back on your drinking – and it didn’t work. 

Since alcohol conceals negative emotions, after you stop drinking, those sentiments may resurface, making it more challenging to keep to your objective. 

If you try to quit but then get obsessed with alcohol or move to another drug or habit, this is a warning sign that you have a drinking problem.

Final Note

Contrary to what movies and television shows portray, it is not always easy to detect if someone has a drinking problem. For example, a person suffering from AUD may not spend all day in a bar or collapse after consuming a large amount of alcohol. 

Despite their alcohol addiction, some people appear to be well and productive in their everyday lives. However, this is still a red flag, even if nothing awful has transpired yet.

So, if you want to know more about these signs, ping us in the comment section.