If you want to know if your loved one is an alcoholic, then you’ve come to the right place.
Finding out if your loved one actually has a drinking problem can be a very tricky and sensitive task.
The fact that you are reading this article indicates that there may already be a problem present. The good news is that there are so many alcohol treatment centres available to help you and your loved one.
So, is your loved one an alcoholic? Let’s find out.
Alcoholic Denial
There’s a saying that goes ‘denial is not just a river in Egypt’, which in actual fact is absolutely correct.
Denial plays a major part in alcohol addiction and it’s normal for an alcoholic to simply deny that there is any problem present, despite seeing and experiencing the damage it’s causing to themselves or their loved ones.
You might find that if you confront your loved one about their drinking problem, they may become apprehensive and in some cases verbally or even physically aggressive. The alcoholic may even tell you that it’s none of your business and will quickly try to change the subject to take the pressure off them.
Sometimes the alcoholic will even try to play down their alcohol usage and begin to hide or lie about how much they drink by saying things like they haven’t got sick, they still have their job making it seem like you’re overreacting at that they have everything under control.
Another component of denial that you might experience is when an alcoholic defends or try to reason the amount of alcohol they drink. Your loved one might tell you about the problem they are facing and will compare their drinking habits to that of someone else’s or even blame it on somebody else’s behaviour, for example an unruly child or a tough boss.
Other signs and symptoms of alcohol addiction include:
- Bad hangovers, which takes longer than usual to recover from.
- Needing to drink more and more alcohol to become drunk. This known as becoming tolerant.
- Neglecting important personal responsibilities at work or at home.
- Being unable to quit alcohol despite efforts to stop drinking.
- Suffering withdrawal symptoms when they cannot drink or alcohol isnt available.
If you are able to pick up these signs on your loved one, understand that they are doing this because they are embarrassed and ashamed of their drinking problem. They might be denying it but this could also be a call for help.
Remember, the lies that they are telling you are the ones that they believe. They won’t be able to recognise or accept that they have a problem present and will simply continue to drink regardless of the consequences.
For help with an alcoholic loved one, we can provide you with expert and confidential alcohol addiction advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Feel free to contact us at anytime for access to the best private alcoholism treatment centres near you.