Recognizing The Signs Of Alcoholic Behavior
Alcoholics Are Usually In Denial
When you have to deal with an alcoholic in your life, you're bound to face some pretty difficult decisions. One of the hardest things to do is to confront an alcoholic about his problems.
Usually, an alcoholic will deny up and down that he has a problem until his face turns blue. That is why, before you confront someone you have to know the things to look for. Studying alcoholic behavior is a great way to be prepared for this inevitable, but difficult conversation.
The Alcoholic Tries To Hide His Drinking From Others
There are many behaviors of an alcoholic, and some of them are more obvious than others. One of the most obvious ones is, of course, excessive drinking. Definitions of how much constitutes excess vary, but generally someone who has to get intoxicated every single day is an alcoholic. Yet it isn't just the amount of drinking that shows signs of alcoholism. One of the most telling alcoholic behaviors is hiding your drinking patterns. Alcoholics will often stow away bottles of booze and only drink it when other people are not looking in order to make it look like they drink less than they do.
Dr. Jeckyll And Mr. Hyde
Another one of the most troubling alcoholic behaviors is changing when you are drunk. A lot of people enjoy getting drunk now and then, but most people keep their same personality. With alcoholics, however, you never know. Some relatively peaceful folks will become violent when they drink. Sometimes conservative alcoholics will become excessively promiscuous and take risks when they are drinking. Often this strange alcoholic behavior is accompanied by an inability to remember events from the night before. It is almost a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde kind of phenomenon.
One less obvious sign of alcoholism, or perhaps this behavior falls into the category of a "drinking problem," is the alcoholic who can go weeks at a time without a drink. But when he does drink--Look Out! He's the guy who gets arrested for drunk driving, gets into fights (which he usually brings on himself), passes out at social functions in front of his family and co-workers, beats his wife, etc.--just plainly unacceptable behavior. The next day he is mortified when you tell him what he did (he usually can't remember). In my book that person is an alcoholic because he cannot control alcohol--alcohol controls him.
Stopping Off At Their Favorite Saloon For A Quickie
I've spent a lot of time in bars myself in my life, but fortunately I don't have the genetic pre-disposition toward alcoholism. But I sure have seen a lot of them in my time. Many are my friends. Many also were my friends, but they all died of alcohol-related ailments or in accidents. You go into a neighborhood tavern-type bar at 3:00 in the afternoon on any weekday, and there is a regular group sitting at the bar drinking hard stuff and smoking cigarettes--nearly every single one. Many are single or don't relish going home to the spouse. You know what they watch every sing day on TV? Jeopardy! They shout out the answers if they know them. It's like a club. And most of them are alcoholics. It's depressing. One of the reasons I don't drink much anymore.
Alcoholics develop different friendships when they are drinking. Many of them will leave their usual group of friends to go out with their drinking buddies. These buddies are often alcoholic themselves, and are willing to reinforce each others' addictions. They don't really spot each other's alcoholic behaviors, because they are all in denial. If the alcoholic in your life develops these kinds of friendships, it can be much harder to intervene. After all, he will have a new group of friends telling him that his drinking is okay. The important thing is just to persevere. If you have to, bring in some other mutual friends and do an intervention together. Sometimes it is easier to confront someone as a group and that is as individuals.
Good Luck. It's very difficult on all parties.
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Tags: alcoholism signs, denial, depression, intervention, memory loss, treatment
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