In this post, we outline some of the signs that may mean you could be developing alcoholism. In the United Kingdom, alcohol is ubiquitously available in shops, bars and restaurants.
Around 90% of people are able to drink alcohol responsibly. This means there is no pressing political movement to illegalize the sale of alcohol. However, around 10% of drinkers are referred to as ‘problem drinkers’. For these people, the urge to drink alcohol is beyond their control.
Around 25,000 people die each year due to alcoholism. For these people, it’s extremely difficult to avoid alcohol. Furthermore, many people who do not suffer from alcoholism find it difficult to understand why these people cannot control their drinking. Despite alcoholism being classified as a disease in recent years, society remains largely unsympathetic to the plight of people who cannot control their drinking.
Fortunately, alcoholism is a treatable condition. Despite this, many people suffering from alcoholism do not access this treatment. This means thousands of people die needlessly each year because they are either in denial or because they cannot access treatment even when they seek it out.
In this post, we outline some of the steps you can take to recognise your alcoholism. We then outline what you can do to address the issue once it has been diagnosed.
Internal barriers: denial and inertia
Nobody wants to be labelled an ‘alcoholic’ or ‘problem drinker’. The thought of this ‘disease’ applying to you is enough to send a shiver down your spine. However, if you want to improve your life for the better, you need to admit that you need help.
Getting over denial
Denial is the most common barrier that must be overcome for all addictions. This isn’t something that’s unique to alcoholism. For many, engaging in alcohol consumption helps them forget their current reality, and so removing alcohol consumption often uncovers a far more unbearable problem. It’s important for you to know that there are healthier means of dealing with your issues that do not involve the consumption of toxic substances such as alcohol.
When you attend a residential rehab clinic, you will engage with daily therapy sessions that aim to help you process past traumatic events in healthy yet effective ways.
You may also reject the idea that you fit the stereotype of an ‘alcoholic’. You may argue that you do not drink every day and that you usually sort out your drinking without seeking out help. Your idea of the typical ‘alcoholic’ is bound to be plagued with inaccuracies. Many people believe they understand alcoholism from watching TV programmes and movies. These sources paint a wholly inaccurate picture of the realities of alcoholism, and you should not self-diagnose yourself based on these sources.
Signs you may suffer from alcoholism
We now advise you on some of the more common signs that may indicate you do indeed suffer from alcoholism. One of the first signs you will experience that could mean you suffer from alcoholism is concern expressed by your family members about your drinking. These people will look at your problems much more objectively than yourself, so please do hear their concerns out without dismissing them as unfounded.
Another sign of alcoholism is that you regularly ‘get plastered’. This means you ‘drink to get drunk’, or in the immortal words of Richard E Grant in the classic 1980s film ‘Withnail and I’, you regularly ‘get utterly arse holed’.
Remember that most people do not drink enough alcohol to get drunk. If you are actively drinking alcohol with the aim of becoming drunk, this could mean you have developed an addiction to alcohol.
Alcoholism is an ‘impulse control’ disorder. This means you cannot control the urge to drink. If you promise yourself you will not drink, but you do, this could be a sign that you cannot control the impulse to drink, and hence this may mean you suffer from alcoholism.
Some questions that might indicate alcoholism
Below we list a number of questions that may help you self-diagnose your alcoholism:
- Do you drink alcohol despite telling yourself you will not?
- Do you significantly drink more alcohol than you set out to do?
- Does your drinking interfere with everyday tasks?
- Do you spend more time drinking alcohol than you planned?
- Do you hide your drinking and hide evidence that implicates your drinking?
- Have you tried to stop drinking on multiple occasions but failed?
- Do you suffer from withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop drinking?
If you answered ‘yes’ to the above questions, this may mean you suffer from alcoholism. You can access alcohol rehab in London at Cassiobury Court. Contact us today on 01923 369 161. Alternatively, contact us through this website.
