If your loved one is always drinking and you’re starting to get worried about their health, it might be time to consider whether they’re an alcoholic. If they do show any of the following signs of being an alcoholic, you can talk to them about how to get help.
Always Ready to Drink at Events
When your loved one always is ready to drink at events or goes to events because drinking is possible, you might start to wonder, is my loved one an alcoholic? If they seek out reasons to drink with others, it is possible.
Starts to be Defensive About Drinking
Another sign is that they start to become defensive about their drinking. If you mention they have had a few too many this one time or that they’re drinking more often, they’ll defend against this and may become angry or upset.
Goes Through Personality Changes
You may notice they end up going through personality changes because of their drinking. Even when they aren’t drinking, they may not be the same person you used to know.
Starts Drinking for Stress Relief
Your loved one may use stress relief as an excuse to drink daily. They might want to just have a beer or two after work, but they do it every time they work and don’t always stop at a beer or two.
Has a Higher Tolerance
You might notice that your loved one starts to have a higher tolerance and can drink more without feeling the same effect. They may buy more beer or liquor to compensate, or they might switch from beer to liquor to try to hide their higher tolerance.
Drinks More Frequently or All Day
You might find they start drinking all day, especially on their day off. Instead of just having a drink or two with dinner, they start drinking earlier in the morning and have more alcohol throughout the day. At first, this might just be on the weekends, but it could start happening during the week, too.
Criminal or Personal Consequences
There might start to be criminal or personal consequences as a result of your loved one drinking more frequently. This can include getting reprimanded or fired from work or getting a DUI when they’re driving home.
Makes More Impulsive Decisions
It might become apparent that your loved one is making more impulsive decisions. They might decide to drive after drinking and insist that they’re fine or get into fights when they’re out and drinking, even though they’re not the type of person to do that normally.
They Start Hiding the Alcohol
Have you started finding alcohol in odd places? They may have noticed they’re drinking a lot more and you’re not happy about it, so they may have started hiding alcohol in different places around the home.
They Go Through Withdrawal Symptoms
They may start to go through withdrawal symptoms, which can range from minor to severe. They may start sweating or have nausea, or they could have more extreme symptoms like hallucinations that require medical care.
When you start to notice a loved one is suffering from alcohol addiction, it’s time to look into how you can help. Look into the different treatment centers and programs available today to help them find one that would be a good fit for them. Doing so may help convince them to get treatment for the addiction and recover their life.
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