Top 5 Signs of Alcohol Dependence or Abuse
Millions of people around the world suffer from addiction or alcohol abuse. But not everyone can tell when excessive drinking crosses the line and becomes alcoholism.
To help identify when drinking becomes a problem, Dr. William Jacobs, director of addiction medicine at the Georgia Medical College at Georgia Regents University, developed five major signs of alcohol dependence or abuse:
Signs of alcohol dependence
One of the signs is a high tolerance for alcohol, which means you create resistance to large amounts. A person with high tolerance can drink more than others without showing obvious signs of intoxication.
Another sign is the withdrawal symptoms when not drinking. These symptoms include anxiety, tremor, nervousness, sweating, nausea and vomiting, insomnia, irritability, depression, fatigue, headaches and loss of appetite. Some people may experience seizures due to alcohol withdrawal.
People with alcoholism problems often spend less time doing activities that used to be important to them because alcohol takes up more of their time, energy and focus.
An alcoholic can continue to drink despite the negative consequences. Some possible consequences are problems at work, damage to the marriage or other relationships or health conditions.
The fifth sign is that a person can not stop drinking or reduce their consumption even when they want. That is, the individual realizes that the alcoholic beverage is doing him harm, but, even wanting, he can not abandon the addiction.
If you or someone you know has these signs of alcohol dependence, it is recommended to talk to your doctor and / or seek professional advice.
Risks of alcohol abuse
Too much alcohol is dangerous. Prolonged use of alcohol can damage all organs in your body, including the liver and brain. According to Jacobs, alcohol abuse can also hurt your career, your finances, your emotional stability and has a negative impact on your family and friends.
Drinking too much may increase the risk of certain types of cancer. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can harm your baby. Excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of death from accidents, injuries, homicides, and suicides.
More information
It is possible that for most adults, moderate alcohol consumption is safe. However, according to WHO, the Brazilian ingests 8.7 liters of pure drink per year, which is higher than the world average, which is 6.2 liters of pure alcohol.
Across the world, alcohol abuse appears to be linked to 3.3 million deaths each year. In this way, almost 6% of all deaths worldwide are attributed wholly or partly to alcohol.
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