Many of us enjoy a drink from time to time. But if you develop a dependence on alcohol then your life can spiral out of control. Being an alcoholic, or knowing one in your close circle of friends and family, can become an incredibly painful and traumatic experience. Sure, it’s all fun in the beginning, when a drinker can light-heartedly make jokes about his level of alcohol consumption, but often they are blind to the pain they are causing to those around them.

What is alcoholism?

Alcoholism is a chronic disease where a person has an incredibly hard time in controlling their desire to consume alcohol. Once they have poured that first drink, it can be difficult to know when to stop and often they won’t until they reach the point of passing out. It’s not uncommon for the alcoholic to then commence drinking in the early hours of the morning. Latest findings show that eight million Americans suffer from alcoholism.

Regardless of the consequences of their drinking, they will continue with their habits, as they simply do not have the self-control to stop. Their dependence on alcohol can be as extreme as any normal person’s dependence on oxygen or food for survival. Alcohol may help to block out painful memories or emotions, and may improve mood for a short period of time (until the alcohol wears off).

When someone loses control of their drinking, they often lose control of their life.

Recommended Read: The 5-Day Alcohol Detox Program 

Symptoms of alcoholism

• Hiding or concealing alcohol bottles around the house, sometimes in peculiar places in order to mask their drinking problem.
• Consistently drinking to get drunk which might include sculling their drinks with the intent to quickly become drunk.
• Becomes defensive when questioned about their drinking habits.
• Poor personal hygiene or decreased hygiene from their old ways.
• Finds themselves in financial difficulty due to their drinking.
• May have trouble getting or keeping jobs through consistently being drunk or hungover.
• Exhibits facial redness, broken capillaries or blood vessels, otherwise known as rosacea or gin blossoms.
• The smell of alcohol in their breath, even if they claim to not have been drinking.
• Slight yellow tinge on the white of the eyes or jaundice of the skin.