Am I an Alcoholic?

Alcoholism is a very real and very dangerous disorder that affects millions of people around the world, and many have succumbed to the ills of this syndrome. The root of the problem is that many people do not realize when they have slipped into alcohol abuse, and are constantly in denial of the fact as a result. If anyone close to you is displaying alcoholic tendencies you need to make them ask themselves this question and then help them recover from this evil.

Now you may wonder how much do you have to drink to be an alcoholic, and this statement is thrown further into confusion due to the widespread advent of social drinking. This has become a part of our culture now, and all signs of alcoholism stem from this act. What begins as a few harmless drinks slowly becomes an urge, then it transforms into a habit, and pretty soon it has morphed into a full blown crippling necessity. It is important that this problem is solved in its early stages, as it becomes extremely difficult to do so later on.

What is an Alcoholic Personality?

There is no standardized way of measuring alcohol addiction, but a sudden change in behavior is a clear way of distinguishing one. You first need to know what defines an alcoholic. Everyone has a certain capacity of alcohol that they can consume before losing their senses completely. If you find that this capacity is steadily increasing then you need to be careful. You may be one if you find that you are unable to control the urge to have a drink or two, every now and then, or you feel that you still want to consume more, even though you know that you have had enough.

Alcoholism simply implies a dependence on alcohol so strong that it destroys your life and your relationships. In the most extreme cases alcoholism can even lead to actual physical harm to yourself or to another human being. An alcoholic will have no control over his/her urge to consume more alcohol, and eventually will also lose control of their mind and their sanity. All this calls for some harsh means to stop drinking alcohol and undergo some alcohol treatment.

Signs of an Alcoholic

There are certain signs and symptoms that clearly indicate the presence of this disorder. If you are displaying these signs yourself, or know someone who is displaying them at an alarming regularity, it is time you took some action. The key is self reflection, and only when one admits his or her problem, will the recovery process begin. These are some of the signs of an alcoholic that you should look out for.

• Incessant lying
• Neglecting work and chores
• Constant depression
• Isolation
• Inability to say no
• Always wanting another drink
• Repeated blackouts due to excessive drinking
• Unnatural violent and aggressive behavior
• Regularly breaking the law
• Drastic mood swings
• Regularly over drinking

Frequent observance of these symptoms usually point to alcoholic behavior. Though any of these signs and symptoms in itself is not a sure fire way of recognizing it, but a combination of some of these is a clear indicator. If you show these signs and symptoms, in all likelihood you are already an alcoholic.

Acceptance is the factor that makes all the difference. As long as you'll be in denial over your alcoholism, it will never get cured. The first step in the stages of recovery is acceptance and without this there can be no progress. Acceptance also implies a willingness to change, and the realization that your behavior and actions are affecting those people who are closest to you. Many homes have been broken due to this disorder. And many children have had disruptive and traumatic childhoods because of this social evil that refuses to go away. If someone around you is affected by this, go ahead and help them. Let them ask themselves and see for themselves what the answer is. If they are still in denial, help them. If they have accepted it, help them. If you are the person in question, do not hesitate to ask for help.