Early Signs of Alcoholism

Submitted by Mark Berman Thu 04/07/2011

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Learn about the early signs of alcoholism, as alcoholism is a devastating addiction. According to the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 17.6 million Americans abuse alcohol or are alcoholics. The death toll is upwards of 100,000 people per year. There are early signs of alcoholism for which to look that could perhaps head-off a full-blown addiction.

The Early Signs of Alcoholism Include:

An increased tolerance to alcohol, meaning you have to drink more and more to feel the same effects.
Withdrawal symptoms if you try to stop drinking.
Blacking out while drinking.
A drastic change in your demeanor when you drink, such as becoming angry or violent.

Those are physical signs of alcohol. According to Livestrong.com there are also behavioral early signs of alcoholism, such as:

Drinking in dangerous situations, such as when driving.
Missing work or shirking other responsibilities such as family obligations.
Lying to others about your drinking.
Sneaking drinks.
Your life revolves around drinking it becomes the most important thing in your life.

Of the early signs of alcoholism, another huge sign, according to the Betty Ford web site is that you see that alcohol is causing these and other problems, yet you continue to drink. At that point it is time to get help -- that is, if you want to help yourself.

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