It is important to know the alcoholic behavior patterns to be able to recognize the signs of those slipping into alcoholism. Read the following article to know all about this issue.
Are you scared that someone in your family or friends might be giving in to alcoholism? Wouldn’t it help if you knew the basic behavior patterns that alcoholics portray, so that you could help them before they slip into the land of no return? I’m sure it would. A lot can be done when a problem, any problem for that matter, is caught early on. The best example being alcoholism. Recognizing this need then, here’s presenting signs of alcoholic behavior that you can refer to and find out if a person is portraying typical alcoholic behavior patters.
Stage One
There are certain stages of the alcohol addiction symptoms that one can clearly list.
In the first stage, the first tell-tale sign of slipping into alcoholic behavior is that a person will no longer confine his drinking to social drinking. He will try and hunt for opportunities in which he can drink more and often. Drinking will become an escapist path used for getting away from the realities of life, as well as certain anxieties, reality, inhibitions and the like. Alcohol affects the brain and dulls pain, relaxes us and is generally known to free the mind, because the messages to the brain become numb, so our guard goes down. This can be a freeing experience for many and so they will start depending on alcohol and its ability to alter their mood.
- A person’s tolerance to the drink will increase. He will need more alcohol to feel its effect on him.
- The amount of drinking increases, and becomes more frequent.
- The person will vehemently deny that they are in the first stage of alcohol addiction.
- Developing a superiority complex.
Stage Two
In this stage, the need for consuming alcohol increases even more because the tolerance level increases. It slowly starts to take the shape of an addiction. The drinking will start early on in the day because of this. People will notice that there is a loss of control in actions even though the person who is exhibiting these behavior patterns won’t be aware of it. Drinkers will also resort to denial of their problem because they cannot overcome it even if they try.
- Migraines and hangovers will be experienced.
- Hand tremors
- Frequent blackouts
- Increase in tolerance levels to the drink.
- Drinking whenever the opportunity arises, even before a social event.
- Drinking because of dependence rather than for stress relief.
- Stomach problems increase
- Increase in physical problems
Stage Three
In this stage, the person starts to show increased alcoholic behavior signs and there is more and more loss of control. He can no longer decide how much he will drink and loses all control on his ability to decide. As a result he will begin to consume more and more alcohol.
- He will lose interest in all the things that used to be fun.
- He will experience all the problems that come with excessive drinking―relationship, monetary, or job.
- He will avoid relatives and friends.
- He will engage in ‘eye-openers’. That is consumption of alcohol the minute one wakes up. This has become a necessity to dull the pain that comes from a hangover.
- He begins to ignore even the basic necessities and elements of life-food, water, shelter.
- There is clear loss of control.
- The tolerance to alcohol decreases.
- He exhibits frequent destructive and violent behavior.
- Begins to physically deteriorate.
- Fails to follow through any medical help or intervention.
- Begins to give excuses for his drinking.
- Tremors begin to increase manifold.
Stage Four
This stage of drinking is characterized by a person beginning to drink early on in the day and then continuing to do so throughout. This leads to a chronic loss of control and will usually result in complete deterioration at the work front.
- Complete loss of control over drinking means that the person now ‘HAS’ to drink to be able to pass throughout the day. It is as if the alcohol dictates the mind.
- He might stay in the drunk state for several days at a time.
- A person will become lost to the world with complete disregard for anything―family, hygiene, food.
- The person will experience severe withdrawal symptoms if he does not drink and his entire body will tremble from it.
- The person will experience a disease called ‘Delirium Tremens’ or DT’s, in which the tremors are accompanied by hallucinations.
- An alcoholic will go to any level to get their supply of alcohol, because no alcohol means experiencing the worst kind of withdrawal symptoms.
- They resort to hiding their bottles so that they can drink whenever they want to.
- They exhibit resentment and hostility towards others.
- They undergo moral deterioration.
All these will lead to other diseases like insomnia, anxiety symptoms, liver problems, high blood pressure, memory loss, and others.
It is necessary to understand the alcoholic behavior patterns because then it becomes possible to help a person who is suffering while it is not too late. A person who would probably not have recognized that an alcoholic has slipped into the second or third stage of alcohol addiction will know clearly what the stages of alcoholic behavior are, and will therefore be able to intervene in time.
Disclaimer – This article is for informative purposes only and does not in any way attempt to replace the advice offered by an expert on the subject.
