Alcohol addiction develops over time and through the repetitive overuse or abuse of alcohol.
It occurs when drinking is used as a crutch for people when they have a problem dealing with stress.
Many studies suggest a hormone imbalance is partially responsible for the addiction.
How to Recognize an Alcohol Addiction A person with an addiction to alcohol doesn't know how to stop drinking.
There is no such thing as "one more" to an alcoholic; there must always be another one.
Many alcoholics will often drink alone because they want to hide their drinking.
An alcoholic always has the need to drink; it does not have to be a party or a celebration.
The first thought an alcoholic has in the morning is of drinking.
Drinking is also the way in which a person suffers from an addiction to alcohol says his bedtime prayers.
Alcohol reveals itself in both physical and mental symptoms.
The symptoms and their severity vary from one individual to another.
The first indicator of alcohol addiction is the refusal to admit that alcohol is a problem.
Other common, physical indications of alcoholism include changes in sleeping habits, slurred speech, clumsiness, red face, weight loss, upset stomach, numb hands and feet, and black outs.
The mental symptoms include mood swings and emotional outbursts.
An addict will also show a very high tolerance for alcohol because he will need more and more of the liquid to feel the effects.
People with alcohol addictions have very little interest in the things that used to give them pleasure.
Their hobbies become boring and so do the places they used to frequent that doesn't support their alcohol habits.
Alcoholics often hide drinks in unusual places to make sure they always have it.
Their dependency on drinking will also reveal itself through monetary problems and troubled, interpersonal relationships.
An alcohol addiction is not the end of the world.
A person can regain his or her sobriety with determination and an enrollment in a good, alcohol addiction program.