
How Do You Know Your An Alcoholic – It’s hard to know where the line is when it comes to drinking alcohol. Here are some signs that you are drinking too much and may have developed an addiction.
Blog reviewed by Dr Radu Iosub (MBBS, MRCPsych, CCT in General Adult and Addiction Psychiatry), Visiting Consultant Psychiatrist at Priory Hospital Bristol, in June 2022.
How Do You Know Your An Alcoholic
It’s not always easy to recognize when you, or someone you know, is drinking too much. Bad habits can develop gradually, meaning you don’t recognize the effect they have on your mind and body until later.
Alcoholism: Abuse Signs, Effects & Treatment
If someone has raised concerns about your drinking, or if you’ve started to worry that alcohol abuse might be a problem for you, there are changes in your behavior that you can look out for that could indicate that you’re drinking too much.
Alcohol negatively affects health in a variety of ways and there is no definitive “safe” lower limit – no level of regular alcohol consumption improves health. The Department of Health and Social Care recommends that men and women drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week. One UK unit is equivalent to 10ml (8g) of pure alcohol, which is the amount an average healthy adult can break down in about an hour.
For anyone consuming the maximum weekly amount, guidelines advise that these units be spread over three or more days. If you want to cut down on the amount you drink, is it healthier to have a few? non-drinking days per week.
Recent studies, such as this one in the Lancet, have highlighted the fact that no amount of alcohol consumption can be considered completely “safe”.
Alcoholism And Alcohol Abuse
Changes in behavior can be common when drinking alcohol. However, some behavioral changes after consuming alcohol can be difficult. These behavioral changes could be considered warning signs that you have a drinking problem.
Do you find that people comment on how much alcohol you consume? If family, friends and other close people express concern about your drinking, it could be a warning sign that you are developing a drinking problem.
Or have you noticed someone else drinking too much? If so, you can greatly help and support a friend who has a drinking problem.
People are often tempted to reach for alcohol to relax or when they need a boost, but in the long run it can make you feel worse. Alcohol is a depressant that can worsen your mood once the initial effects of the alcohol have worn off. If you find yourself reaching for alcohol whenever you feel low, treat it as a potential warning sign.
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Secrecy is an important warning sign of excessive drinking. If you’ve ever found yourself lying or hiding your alcohol intake when you’re around friends and family, you probably know yourself that you’ve had too much to drink. This could be in words but also actions. For example, you can hide bottles and cans of alcohol in the hope that your loved ones will not discover them.
Heavy drinking can bring problems to your professional life and damage relationships with friends and family. Is your drinking causing you to be late for work or rowing with your partner? If it is but you continue to drink, it could be a warning sign of problem drinking.
If you think you drink too much, you may have tried to cut back at some point. Although there are many ways you can reduce your alcohol consumption, it could indicate how big your drinking problem is if you’ve tried to cut back and haven’t been successful.
“If you start putting in rules and conditions, that in itself is a warning sign that something is going on there, trying to control. Also when you start justifying it to yourself by saying ‘well, that was a bad day’, or ‘it’s getting close to the weekend’.
How Alcohol Impacts The Brain
We have trained advisors available to speak to you straight away by calling 0330 056 6023. We can discuss your concerns in complete confidence, explore options for treatment and help you understand what will work best for you.
We’ll also help you book your free addiction assessment there and then, with appointments usually available within a few days.
We know taking the first step can be difficult, but we’re here to support – without pressure or judgement. Help is just a phone call away.

Drinking can be a great addition to a social event, and even drinking alone can be a nice way to relax in small amounts. When it might become a problem is when you find yourself drinking heavily alone or not as part of a social event.
How Alcohol Affects Your Health
Do you always suggest social activities that involve alcohol? Need a drink as soon as you wake up? If you find it difficult to function in the morning or socialize with friends without drinking, it may be a sign that you have a problem that needs to be addressed.
These behavioral changes can be difficult to notice in ourselves, so an alternative method to assess your relationship with alcohol would be with a screening test.
One example is CAGE. If you answer “yes” to two or more of the four questions, this may indicate that you may have a drinking problem and need professional support:
Other screening tools you might look into include the alcohol use disorder identification test (AUDIT). AUDIT is a 10-question screening tool for harmful drinking, developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and outlined by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in their guidance for assessing and diagnosing harmful drinking.
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These situational or behavioral symptoms are not the only warning signs of problem drinking. You may also experience some physical and psychological symptoms of alcohol addiction. Examples include:
These symptoms can occur either during or immediately after heavy drinking, or as part of alcohol withdrawal if you haven’t had a drink in a while.
If you continue to drink high levels of alcohol, there are various side effects and risks that can affect your physical health, mental health and lifestyle, both in the short and long term.
Alcohol affects us very quickly, no matter how much we drink. When it comes to heavy drinking, you expose yourself to some or all of these short-term risks:
Do I Have A Drinking Problem? 11 Signs Of Alcohol Use Disorder
The effects of alcohol go beyond the physical. Many people who struggle with alcohol addiction find that their drinking damages their relationships with loved ones, friends and colleagues, and has a detrimental effect on their mental health.
If any of the signs above ring true when it comes to your relationship with alcohol, know that help and support is available in the following ways.
Admitting that you may have a problem with alcohol is a big step, so you should be proud of it. If you want to reduce the amount you drink, an important first step is to talk to someone. This could be a family member, friend or someone else you trust. Enlisting emotional support will help you recognize that you are not alone and ensure that you have someone by your side as you take your first steps towards recovery.
If you’re still not ready to talk to a loved one, you could contact your doctor for a confidential chat about the issues you’re facing. Alternatively, you could talk to an addiction helpline or support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).
Signs Your Body Is Telling You You’re Drinking Too Much
Today, many effective, evidence-based treatments for addiction allow people to become sober and regain their lives. Treatment includes:
Led by a world-class team of consultants, psychologists, therapists and other medical professionals at a network of hospitals around the UK, Priory’s alcohol rehab care can help you get your life back on track.
Priory offers a range of addiction treatment programs that can be tailored to your individual needs. Whether you need inpatient or residential care, our expert team will be there to support you around the clock. Treatments are also available on an outpatient or day care basis at some of Priory’s hospital sites. These options will allow you to recover from addiction around your other responsibilities.
We also offer a free, no-obligation addiction assessment where we can talk directly to you about the difficulties you’ve experienced and how we can help you get your life back. You don’t have to fight addiction alone – contact Priory today for the support you deserve.
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World-class addiction treatment makes recovery possible with Priory. Book a FREE ASSESSMENT or call us on 0330 056 6023 to speak to one of our compassionate team today. Home » Blog » Signs and Symptoms of Alcoholism – How to Know if Someone Has a Drinking Problem
Throughout history, alcohol has played an important role in different cultures around the world. Alcohol is used by people as a way to relax, bond, celebrate and socialize. In the United States, it is common for adults to drink with friends on the weekends, at weddings and parties, or as a way to unwind from work.
For many people, alcohol has a strong effect but when consumed in moderate amount, it is not unhealthy or
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