Early signs of alcoholism don’t include the shaking, sweating and tremors of chemical dependency. Sometimes it is most obvious through less than obvious signs. Early intervention is the best way to prevent serious complications and/or death.
Emotional Drinking
You’ve heard of emotional eating. When you’re stressed, you reach for a snickers or a bag of potato chips. Most breakups are stereotyped to be accompanied by a pint of ice cream. Drinking can be and often is emotional most of the time. It’s a problem when you’re reaching for a drink almost any time you have a feeling in general. Stress? You reach for a drink. Good times, hard times, you turn to alcohol to help you cope. Emotional drinking is a crutch which programs the brain not to be able to handle any kind of emotions without craving alcohol.
You Grit Your Teeth When There’s No Booze
This one isn’t obvious to anyone but you. You find that you are extremely uncomfortable when there is no alcohol around. Conversations, interactions, or any kind of activity is difficult without the presence of alcohol. It isn’t that you are physically dependent, because you don’t yet experience symptoms of withdrawal. It isn’t that you are psychologically dependent because you don’t yet have cravings. Yet, you find that you don’t like being without alcohol.
You’re Pretty Sure Everyone Else Is Wrong About Your Drinking
The denial is thick. Plenty of friends and family members have subtly hinted toward you that you need to cut back your drinking or maybe not drink at all. When they make these comments you simply scoff and laugh. You don’t have a drinking problem! They’re the ones with a problem! Pointing fingers and assigning blame might be a past time for you. Anything you can do to deflect and avoid taking responsibility for your alcoholism.
Avoidance
One of the ways you deny your alcoholism and these interactions best is by avoiding. You have started to avoid situations where you:
- Can’t drink
- Can’t drink as much as you want to
- Think that you will be criticized for your drinking
- Will be around people you know think that you have a problem with alcohol
Lakehouse Recovery Center has the solution to alcoholism. Our residential treatment programs offer the best in healing mind, body, and spirit while teaching our clients how to have fun in their recovery. Call us today for more information about our programs and our unique twelve month aftercare program. 877.762.3707.