According to NSDUH, about 15 million people over 12 years have alcohol use disorder. In addition, alcohol causes over 200 diseases and injury conditions, and over 3 million deaths worldwide result from harmful alcohol use.

With such alarming statistics, the need for alcohol recovery programs has increased. Also, you may wonder whether your loved one who has been out of sync with their usual self is struggling with alcohol. Maybe you have noticed they have a strange demeanor, experience mood swings, or may start to forget important things. If you notice that they tend to drink more or display unexplainable behavioral changes, they may be exhibiting early alcoholism signs. Here are four tell-tale signs of alcoholism to look out for.

1. Excessive Drinking

Having less than two drinks daily is defined as social or moderate drinking for most individuals, depending on their weight and gender. However, social drinking can gradually turn into unpleasant effects, like drinking over five drinks daily. Binge drinking is not uncommon for people struggling with alcoholism. Unfortunately, this disruptive drinking begins slowly, causing the individual to drink more to experience the original effects of alcohol consumption as their tolerance level increases.

2. Loss of Control

If your loved one promised to reduce their drinking but couldn’t keep the promise, they could be struggling with alcoholism. Once they get to a certain place, it becomes impossible for them to stop drinking without the help of alcohol recovery programs. When they get to this place, they lose control of their lives and don’t regard the consequences of their excessive drinking.

3. Persistent Drinking

Another tell-tale sign of alcoholism is persistent drinking, regardless of your loved one’s awareness of the issues the drinking is causing. For instance, if they have received divorce papers or a DUI but do not change their ways, they are struggling with addiction. Their denial of the problem makes them fail to recognize the total impact of their drinking. This downward spiral persists as they lose control and perspective. However, it is not impossible to heal and recover regardless of the problems’ intensity if you consider one of the alcohol recovery programs near you.

4. Withdrawal Symptoms

A loved one who has been drinking experiences withdrawal symptoms heavily when they stop alcohol consumption. You can look for withdrawal symptoms like depression, insomnia, hallucinations, tremors, rapid heartbeat, convulsions, difficulty concentrating, headaches, blackouts, fatigue, sweating, nausea, anxiety, fever, and vomiting. If you notice such signs when your loved one has not used alcohol, they are struggling with alcoholism, it may be time to seek help.

Conclusion

The more your loved one uses alcohol, the more tolerant they become, and the more alcohol they’ll need for the original effect of using alcohol. If they spend too much time drinking, drink more than they had planned, crave alcohol often, get into legal trouble frequently because of alcohol or give up activities they love because of alcohol, they are struggling with alcoholism. It could be time to start researching alcohol recovery programs in your community to get help.