Recognizing an alcoholic and knowing how to understand the symptoms is essential to be able to help, especially when talking about a friend or family member.We can speak of alcohol abuse only when the recurrent inability to stay sober takes over and the consequent impairment of the social, relational and working spheres, as well as from the point of view of physical health.
But what are the symptoms to recognize an alcoholic?
How to help him? How to get him to solve this problem?
- what is alcoholism;
- warning signs;
- alcohol withdrawal: symptoms;
- long-term effects of alcoholism;
- alcoholism when to worry;
- how to help an alcoholic.
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Discover the approach of the CTS Center in the center for the treatment of alcoholism.
When it comes to alcoholism
Alcoholism is not a bad habit or a vice, but a real disease. An alcoholic may also be able to maintain normal drinking (particularly before tolerance sets in), but the main point is the difficulty they feel in not consuming alcohol.
Alcoholism is established in a slow and sneaky way and often alcoholics do not even know they are. In fact, many people understand that they have a chronic problem after a long time or only after having suffered non-negligible physical repercussions or a social response of their problem.
The characteristics and symptoms of alcoholism therefore define it as a real disease.
Warning signs of alcoholism
Recognizing an alcoholic is not so easy, because the symptoms can vary greatly from one individual to another. In principle, a problem of alcoholism can be identified in signals such as: systematic mood changes, difficulty concentrating, unreliability and distraction, anxiety, aggression.
An alcoholic will struggle to link these disorders to addiction and will tend to minimize the severity of his problems. This is the hardest obstacle. Not only for those with alcohol addiction, but also for family and friends, who would like to give their support.
Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal: how to recognize it
Alcoholism is characterized by the compulsive pursuit of alcohol consumption and subsequently by addiction, tolerance (to achieve the desired effect one is forced to drink more and more quantities) and abstinence.
By abstinence we mean the state of suffering due to the loss of the effect of alcohol produces painful and unpleasant sensations and manifests itself with:
- sweating;
- tachycardia;
- tremor in the hands;
- insomnia;
- nausea or vomiting;
- hallucinations (causing distress, restlessness and fear);
- psychomotor agitation;
- anxiety;
- convulsions.