Alcohol abuse disorder is the most serious level of problem drinking. It’s associated with lots of different symptoms, and is generally characterised by an impaired ability to control your drinking or stop drinking altogether. If you’re struggling with alcohol abuse disorder, it’s likely that your drinking has led to problems with your health and your social and professional life.
This page will outline some of the most common warning signs for alcoholism, plus what you can do if you’re struggling with some of the symptoms.
The signs and symptoms of alcohol addiction, also known as 'alcoholism' or 'alcohol use disorder', can vary from person to person. Some of the symptoms will be more difficult to spot than others, and factors like the amount of alcohol you're drinking and the frequency of your alcohol consumption will all play a role in whether you develop a dependency on the substance.
Join our expert psychiatrist, Priory's Dr Renju Joseph, as he discusses the key signs and symptoms of alcoholism - informed by years of experience treating people with addiction issues.
For many of us, our behaviour changes after drinking alcohol. However, if you're suffering from alcoholism, these behavioural changes can linger and could affect everyday life. Just some changes include:
As well as psychological changes, alcohol abuse can cause physical changes too. These include:
Alcohol use and depression, or other mental health disorders like anxiety, are closely linked. You might find yourself feeling anxious or depressed, and turn to alcohol in order to self-medicate and cope with these symptoms.
Sometimes, the symptoms of alcoholism will be quite obvious, but at other times it can be difficult to pinpoint when someone has a serious issue. This is especially the case when you’re dealing with a functioning alcoholic. Despite being dependent on alcohol, the symptoms of a functioning alcoholic are much tougher to spot, as they'll be able to operate normally in their professional and social lives.
To get a clearer idea of whether someone is suffering from alcohol abuse disorder, you could use a series of screening questions like CAGE. It’s recommended that if you or someone you know, answers 'yes' to two or more of the four questions, this can indicate a drinking problem and the need for professional assistance.
It’s also worth looking at how medical professionals might assess whether someone has a problem with drinking that requires treatment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) outlines their guidance for assessing and diagnosing harmful drinking. In it, they point to the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT). Developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), AUDIT is a 10-question tool for screening for harmful drinking.
If you, or someone you love, appears to be struggling with the symptoms of alcohol abuse disorder, there are steps you can take to tackle the issues you’re experiencing and put yourself on the road to recovery.
Accepting you have a problem with drinking is a tough but significant step. Seeking the thoughts of someone you trust, a loved one or close family friend for example, can help you to speak frankly about the impact of alcohol on your life. Gaining the support of someone you love is going to be vital for your recovery.
If you’re concerned about someone else’s drinking habits, take time to consider how you broach the subject. If you’re speaking to an alcoholic partner, for example, be sure to do your research beforehand, helping you to get an idea of what they're going through. Once you’ve done that, speak to them about it when they’re sober and emphasise the fact you’ll be there to support them throughout.
Statistics from Alcohol Change say there are over 600,000 dependent drinkers in the UK, and these alcohol statistics highlight that 57% of adults (aged 16+) drink up to 14 units of alcohol per week and 23% drink more than 14 units. If your drinking is becoming an issue, rest assured that you're not alone. Finding a support network of other people who are going through the same issues can be an effective way of working through them.
Numerous alcohol support lines and groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Drinkline, can give you emotional support, both in the immediate term and long-term.
If your alcohol use is severely damaging your life and the lives of those around you, it may be right to explore potential treatment. Trying to curb alcohol cravings and beat addiction on your own is incredibly challenging, and sometimes you need professional support. Today, many effective treatments exist for those struggling with addiction:
Using our network of hospital sites and wellbeing centres, Priory offers effective, evidence-based treatment for addiction that can put you on the road to recovery. Our world class team of consultant psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists and other medical professionals deliver the very best treatment to people struggling with addiction.
Treatment programmes at Priory can be on a residential, inpatient basis at one of our leading hospital sites across the UK, allowing you to receive round-the-clock treatment. Alternatively, we can treat you on an outpatient or day care basis – allowing you to recover from addiction around your other responsibilities.
Book a free addiction assessment to help us understand the difficulties you’ve been experiencing and talk through the best course of treatment for your recovery.
