Warning Signs

• Increased preoccupation with alcohol. The individual looks for opportunities to use alcohol, and makes sure that he/she has sufficient supply. This develops into a pervasive pattern and eventual preoccupation. The alcoholic becomes careless of family commitments, or possible consequences. Their only concern is their drinking.
• Relief drinking. Alcohol is used as a way to cope, to relieve emotional pain, to feel more confident or social, or just to escape reality for a while
• Frequent drinking. What started out as occasional drinking for the effect, to relieve stress, or to relax, becomes more frequent,
• Increased quantities. The person uses alcohol more often, drinks quickly, especially the first drink, and quantities increase.
• Solitary drinking. Non-social drinking, and/or drinking alone.
• Blackouts. The alcoholic does not remember what happened during a drinking but. This starts with occasional memory lapses and can escalate to othe loss of entire days, or weekends.
• Increase in tolerance. The alcoholic has to drink more to get the same effect. It is not true that alcoholics cannot take their liquor. On the contrary, they develop a tolerance for it and can drink more than enough to kill a “normal’ drinker. Typically, an alcoholic in advanced stages of the illness can drink between one and three 750ml of spirits daily.
• Increased need to drink. The alcoholic starts to depend on alcohol, to feel the need for the effect of alcohol even though they know there may be adverse consequences.
• Urgent first drink. The individual often gulps down that first drink. “That didn’t even touch sides!” they joke.
• Mood and personality changes. Close relatives and friends often observe, “It’s like they have a split personality.” “They’re like Mr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”. Alcohol turns some people from being normal nice people, into aggressive, snarling monsters.
• Shame and guilt. The person starts to feel guilty and uneasy about his problem, yet cannot seem to stop. There is a persistent remorse, especially after a binge. “I must do something about this. However, this good intention, so strong after the binge, pales when the alcoholic starts to crave alcohol.
• The development of denial or distorted or addictive thinking
  • An attitude of defensiveness when the subject is discussed. Eventually the alcoholic uses anger and aggression to keep people for confronting the drinking behavior.
  • The subject becomes difficult because of the shame and guilt surrounding the topic.
  • The alcoholic may begin to cover up his drinking, by lying; sneaking drinks, hiding bottles, using breath mints, changing to a beverage they think cannot be easily detected.
  • The alcoholic minimizes the amount she drinks “I only have a couple”
  • Start to make excuses to drink, and blame others it’s my childhood, my boss, my wife, etc.
• Willpower, promises and good resolutions fail. The intentions are good, but the alcoholic is powerless and cannot do it without accepting the problem, and getting help. Efforts to stop fail.
• Grandiose and aggressive behaviour. The more guilty and ashamed the person feels, the lower the self worth, the more aggressive they become.
• Loss of other interests. Everything starts to take a back seat as alcohol takes centre stage. Family, children, work, church, hobbies all become less important as the alcohol becomes more and more dependent on alcohol.
• Life is Unmanageable. Problems start to escalate. Jobs may be lost, financial problems, traffic violations, relationships worsen and eventually the alcoholic withdraws into his alcoholic world.
• Stinking thinking. The alcoholic starts to believe his strange world of denial. He blames others for his problem, harbors resentments, and feels sorry for him/herself, He cannot see reality any longer.
• Tremors and 'regmakers'. As the physical dependence increases, the alcoholic starts to experience physical withdrawal symptoms when alcohol is withdrawn. The alcoholic has to drink to stave off the shakes, tremors, and nausea.
• Associating with other heavy drinkers and people who wouldn’t normally be friends. The alcoholic feels comfortable socializing with others who accept drinking behaviour as normal and who are doing the same thing.
• Indefinable fears. The person experiences vague feelings of anxiety and fears for no reason. These feelings can feel like a panic attack.
• Impaired thinking. At this point the alcoholic cannot make a rational decision or take action.
• Obsessive drinking. The alcoholic is caught in a spiral of drinking, the alcoholic will either drink himself to death, or become insane as a result of brain damage, or they can get treatment. At this critical time families may be able to “rescue” or do an “intervention” to get the alcoholic into treatment where they have the possibility to recover to re-establish a normal and productive life.