10 Symptoms of Alcohol Abuse

The easiest way to recognize alcohol abuse is to pay attention to involuntary consumption. If a suspected individual is consuming more than they planned to or for longer than they should be, that is an almost clear sign of alcohol abuse. This happens for a very simple reason: the feeling of the addiction being sated completely takes over reasoning, responsibility, and critical thinking. A big problem with alcoholism is that its symptom causes it to worsen, making consumption almost unnoticeable to the sufferer.

While there's no formal psychological study to back the following, it is still evident that alcohol abuse makes its sufferers shut themselves in, sometimes both physically and mentally. In other words, it makes the person focus on their self too much, in a way that doesn't contribute to their well-being. Those that are profoundly influenced by alcohol will often consume it alone, with disregard to those closest to them.

Individuals addicted to alcohol will often live their lives in a short-sighted way. This means that they live today, for today. The easiest way of spotting this debilitating mindset is to monitor the amount of money that the suspected individual spends, as opposed to how much they can spare. Irresponsible use of resources to acquire items that offer temporary pleasure is almost a signature of an alcoholic's way of thinking. When this symptom is combined with the previous two, it creates the perfect environment for uninterrupted self-destruction.

Over-extended periods of regular consumption, the individual addicted to alcohol gets used to falling asleep under the influence of intoxication. Also, the proper balance of bodily chemicals related to sleep induction (such as melanin and serotonin) becomes disturbed by the destructive intake habit. Once the individual is completely addicted, they will find it almost impossible to fall asleep without previously intaking large amounts of alcohol. Another important part of this symptom is the loss of general timing, which the human body somewhat needs to know when to prepare for sleep.

While depression may be one of the causes of alcoholism in place of a coping mechanism, it is often its symptom as well. The already mentioned disturbance of hormonal balance, along with insomnia and social separation create an impregnable mental barrier towards all kinds of activities. The body needs to be active to maintain most of its functions, which is precisely why physical activity is a must in the process of treating insomnia. Alcoholics often do everything they shouldn't when faced with this condition. In the face of sadness and despair, they lose the will to combat them because of the hopelessness that they induce.

Those with substance problems can be overly lazy and become depressed due to the negative state of matters that their laziness has contributed to. This occurs because simply put, nothing is more important than "fun drinking times". In order to remain orderly, the individual needs to devote their free time to other activities The space they inhibit, the clothing they wear and their body odor are the purest reflections of an alcoholic's self-abandonment.

Alcoholics that have had their condition for a long time show reduced analytic skills. Besides the constant brain damage caused by the contents of alcoholic drinks, this occurs because alcoholics simply don't care. They have very few concerns aside from ingesting alcohol, and most of the time, hearing beyond words and looking into the micro-expressions of false body language isn't on that to-do list.

From a very broad point of view, a general way of thinking doesn't have much to do with an addiction. However, upon closer inspection, it is evident that alcoholics don't like delving into subjects that stray from the easy-going party banter unless it's of their concern as well. The basic idea of drinking is, for most alcoholics, "having fun". Once this concept of a good time is threatened by a conversation that requires deeper thinking and a quieter and controlled manner of speech, the alcoholic will often back out. This symptom tends to be extremely harmful when the sufferer's cherished individuals attempt to relay their concern for the current state of matters.

Regardless of how self-aware an alcoholic may be, they will always lack the self-value needed in order to pick their close ones carefully. To put it simply, all it takes to get into an alcoholic's private life is to behave in a manner that they glorify, or at least find acceptable. At the sight of potential closeness and acceptance, an alcoholic will give in to their unstated social urge and begin sharing information that should be kept private. Essentially, an alcoholic can rarely tell the difference between genuine connection and social fascination.

It is one thing to be more open and confident when mildly intoxicated, and another to feel uncomfortable in the company of sober individuals. When an alcoholic is in the presence of those currently undergoing consumption, they will feel much more accepted and involved. This can be noted by the social preferences of the suspected individual at a given time, as they will always flock to those with a drink in their hand. The mental process is easy to understand if we look at the fact that we continually attempt to identify ourselves in others. When it comes to alcoholics, this is mostly a matter of action – not mental characteristics.