Alcohol is a part of human living. It’s used as fuel, antiseptic, solvent, and most popularly, a beverage. People line up bars to relax and kill their stresses away with a good swig. The problem lies on when this swigging becomes a problem. How can you tell if you’re an alcoholic?
Can you call a man who binge drinks, an alcoholic? Is it any different from say, a woman who has a nightly martini? There are many people who drink alcohol as a part of their lives. Some of them do so to “function” well, especially in social cases. There’s a lot of scenarios to muddy the waters of distinction.
The first step to finding out is to understand it. By definition, alcoholism is the excessive and compulsive use of alcoholic drinks. This ropes in binge drinkers and those who drink to get drunk ASAP. The intentional act of poisoning one’s self with alcohol is another definition. But that means everyone who’s had a good time at the bar’s an alcoholic, right?
Yet another definition is “a chronic disorder marked by excessive and usually compulsive drinking of alcohol. Which then leads to psychological and physical dependence or addiction.”
The word dependence comes into play. This is where you start thinking if you’re an alcoholic. You first ask the question, “Am I dependent on alcohol?”
That in itself is not a simple question to answer. You could say you are, but you could argue that you depend on it to talk to people or dance on the dance floor.
To fully answer the question, “Am I an Alcoholic?” you must consider the bad things. It’s when dependence and these ‘bad things’ merge that alcoholism occurs. In many cases, people will deny that they are alcoholic, sometimes they’re right. But if you or anyone can relate to the following, consider seeking help.
Those are the effects on you. If you still find it difficult to clearly answer the question, consider the effects to other people:
The symptoms and signs you feel, combined with how the people around you act, should help. One thing about alcoholism is, that when you finally realize that you’re an alcoholic, you’re already in hot water. The good news? It’s never too late to seek help. Speak to your loved ones and your doctor. If you can’t stop it, they can help you.
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Dr. Vikram Tarugu, M.D, is the CEO of Detox of South Florida, Inc and medical professional focused on addiction. A veteran in the medical field with over 25 years of professional experience. He is a consultant for many South Florida Rehab centers. Patients travel from allover the US to seek his help with addiction and Hepatitis C treatment.
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