You are likely not the only one who struggles with drinking alcohol. 14.4 million people in the United States are estimated to have an alcohol use disorder.

Alcohol addiction is a real challenge and there are many consequences if you drink for a prolonged period of time. So seeing any signs you have a problem with alcohol can help you out in the long term and prolong your health.

How do you know if you have a problem with alcohol? These are the signs you have a drinking problem.

It Runs Your Social Life

It’s normal to have one drink at a party that you’ve been looking forward to. It’s another thing to be drinking a lot every time you go out with people you know.

It can get in the way of your relationships with your professional colleagues, family, and friends, and lead you to ignore any obligations or responsibilities you may have.

Examples of this happening include staying out at the bar later than your significant other expects you home, disrespecting parents by bringing drinks to family gatherings, or making unkeepable promises to your kids since you are too drunk or hungover most days to do them.

The more you drink, the more it affects the people around you. This is a clear sign that alcohol is taking over your life.

You Drink Until You Black Out

You may think that blacking out and passing out are the same thing, but they really aren’t. When you pass out, you are no longer conscious. On the other hand, when you blackout, you are still conscious, have a temporary memory lapse, and are at an increased risk of engaging in dangerous activities like driving while drunk and engaging in unsafe sex.

If you think what you did isn’t that bad, you may try and laugh it off as a joke. But there is nothing worse than not being able to remember what you did the previous night and feeling horror that you could have said something or did something embarrassing, and working up the nerve to call a friend to see what you had done.

You Hide or Lie About Your Drinking

Often enough, family members or an employer may be the first people to tell you they are concerned with how much you may drink. When you have a drinking problem, you go so far as to hide how much alcohol you drink on a regular basis or lie about it to the people who ask.

You Have Personality Changes

Some people may act differently while drinking than they do in real life. A person’s personality while drinking problem can vary depending on the individual. One person could be loud and obnoxious, while another could be more withdrawn and antisocial.

It can also be more serious if you are using alcohol as a method to cope with mental illnesses by numbing yourself, such as anxiety and depression. This is dangerous since it encourages you to drink from the emotional pain.

You Have Withdrawal Symptoms

When they don’t drink alcohol for a long period of time, many people don’t feel any physical effects other than a mild hangover over a late night of drinking. But for people who have a drinking problem, not drinking for even a few hours can give them issues with withdrawal.

Withdrawal from alcohol is the body’s way of trying to flush the heavy amount of alcohol out of your system after a prolonged period of time. Some of the signs of withdrawal include:

• Having trouble sleeping
• Feeling shaky
• Restlessness
• Nauseousness
• Sweating
• Racing heartbeat
• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Seizures
• Sensing things that are not actually there

If you have experienced any of these symptoms, this is a big sign that you might have a drinking problem a lot and that you should cut back.

You Constantly Want It

It may be fine to once in a while have a night where you have a few drinks. It is not normal, however, if a glass of whisky, gin, or wine is what you always want to drink instead of water or soda.

Even worse, you may keep drinking and encourage your friends to keep drinking with you, even when they say they do not want to do so.

You Tried to Stop, But Couldn’t

Maybe you had a negative experience while drinking that made you try to give it up for good. But when you tried giving up drinking entirely or cutting back, you found that it was impossible to do so. Whether you or your friend keep having the same reactions to drinking but cannot stop doing so, that is a sign of alcoholism.

Many in-patient rehabilitative centers, like Rehab Campus in California, are open to people who need help with their drinking problems. When you go there, professional counselors or therapists can help you get to the root of why you drink.

If There Are Signs You Have a Drinking Problem, Get Help Today

If any of these signs you have a drinking problem resonate with you, that means you may have signs of a drinking problem. A drinking problem and alcohol addiction is no joke. Know that there are always resources and the support of your friends and family if you do decide to quit drinking.

Hopefully, if you see these signs, you can make the decision to stop drinking as frequently.

For more articles that could help you live a better life, check out the rest of our blog page.