Signs that you have an alcohol problem

You know that you have an alcohol problem when:

1 Before every party or social occasion your partner asks you, “not to drink too much tonight”.

2 You feel that everyone else drinks too slowly or doesn’t know how to let their hair down and have a good time – like you.

3 You have extra drinks when you go out to the bar, because (see number 2).

4 You dislike having to go to social events where there is no drinking.

5 You think about drinking constantly. Sometimes you can’t wait to finish your work before having a drink or you can’t wait to finish anything before you go and have a drink.

6 You know you have an alcohol problem if you hide alcohol around the house, garage, office or wherever.

7 You lie about how much you drink and how often you are get drunk. You always minimize the amount you drink.

8 You can’t, or have difficulty, setting a limit on the number of drinks you have.

9 You drink too much and consistently do it at inappropriate times. Sometimes you embarrass your family, friends and self.

10 You feel guilty and ashamed about the night before or worse still, you have difficulty looking people in the eye.

11 Your hands shake in the morning!

12 You feel sweaty on waking and throughout the day.

13 The previous night’s drinking is a bit of a blur, or worse still you have no memory at all, it's a complete blank.

14 Your partner increasingly criticizes your drinking.

15 Your friends increasingly criticize your drinking.

16 Your co-workers and/or boss increasingly criticize your drinking.

17 you don’t count your money in dollars or pounds but in the number of drinks that it will buy

18 You are often the last of your group to leave the bar and the first to suggest going to another bar and first to suggest having one more.

19 You find it increasingly difficult to talk to people or socialize without a drink.

20 Finally, you know that you have an alcohol problem when you want a drink as soon as you wake up (eye opener)!

If you experience a couple of them occasionally it does not necessarily mean that you have a problem with alcohol. It is a problem when these signs are regular features of your drinking.

We can all overindulge on occasion but if these occasions are becoming more frequent and you are experiencing an increasing number of these signs you may need to take a hard look at your lifestyle especially as it relates to your drinking.

Counter intuitively you do not need to be experiencing all of these signs to have an alcohol problem. Just a few of them is more than enough indication.

If you do feel that you need help talk with your family doctor sooner rather than later.

Like most problems, drinking problems are easier to treat when they are detected early. Also consider seeking alcohol and drug treatment at Orange County Drug and Alcohol Rehab.

Life is too short to be spending your time fixing problems caused by drinking alcohol. When you live a simple and healthy life you can see, sometimes for the very first time, that going to bars and waking up with hangovers is an unattractive and unhealthy lifestyle.

Call your doctor or local detox center and live the life you were meant to live. Following your bliss is much better than following the bottle.

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