How to Tell If You Are an Alcoholic
Alcoholism is one of the most common substance abuse disorders in the United States. Roughly 15 million people in the nation have asked “Am I an alcoholic?” and realized that they are. Alcoholism can affect anyone. Men, women, adults, minors, and seniors can all end up needing alcoholism treatment.
Identifying alcoholism can be fairly tricky because it is a socially acceptable drug. Problematic drinking can often hide behind the guise of having a beer to unwind from work or partying like other college students typically do. Therefore, it is important to educate yourself on the signs and symptoms of alcoholism.
What is Alcoholism?
Formally called an alcohol use disorder, alcoholism happens when you develop a physical or mental dependence on alcohol. It is often characterized by uncontrollable drinking and an unreasonable preoccupation with alcohol.
There is no specific amount of drinking that causes you to answer yes to “Am I an alcoholic?” Some people may experience alcoholic behavior while having just three drinks a day, while others may end up drinking as much as 70 drinks per week. According to the CDC, anything more than 8 drinks a week for a woman or 15 drinks a week for a man is a sign for concern.It is essential that you recognize a potential drinking problem so that you can get help. If left untreated, alcoholism can be incredibly dangerous. Alcohol has a very high risk for overdose, and it can also be fatal to suddenly go “cold turkey” after abusing alcohol regularly for a while. In addition to potential overdoses, alcoholism may also cause physical and mental health problems such as:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, or colon cancer
- Increased risks of illness
- Early-onset dementia
- Depression
- General anxiety disorders
- Liver disease
- Liver failure
11498An unfortunate reality is that only 10 percent of people with alcohol use disorders actually seek help for alcoholism. The majority of these people do not get care because they try to ignore the problem. They tell themselves “I can stop whenever I want to” or “my drinking is not even that bad.” This is why it is important to understand what is alcoholism. Being able to actually recognize the symptoms in yourself or others can make it easier to get proper care.
To see whether or not you may be experiencing some of the symptoms of an alcohol use disorder, take this simple alcoholic test. Think back over your behavior in the past year and ask yourself these questions.
