When a person has developed a pattern of drinking that results to distress and dependency on alcohol he/she is termed as an addict. Alcohol has ethanol as its main ingredient which affects the brain by increasing dopamine; an agent that triggers happy hormones and a relaxing effect. For this reason it is considered a depressant.
Common drinking behaviours
Before we look into the addiction it is better first to know the different types of drinking behaviours. It will help us understand much better on our topic. Below are the three types drinking behaviours that may also ultimately lead to a drinking pattern and ultimately addiction.
Recreational Drinking
This kind of drinking has no consistency and only a small amount of alcohol is consumed on different occasions.
Heavy drinking
When an individual is involved in consistent drinking of large quantity he is considered a heavy drinker. This category has various effects on social and personal aspects. It also has high chances of developing to an addict.
Addictive drinking behaviour
This behaviour involves drinking alcohol continuous and an individual cannot control his or her drinking consumption. The social and occupational activities are affected due to continued drinking. It is considered both a physical and psychological problem which affect the individual involved in the drinking and the parties that are close to him or her.
How do you tell a person is addicted to alcohol?
There are signs and symptoms that you can observe which can help you take the necessary steps to help yourself or an addicted person. These indicators can be behaviour changes and signs, Psychological symptoms and physical signs. When you are able to tell if a person is addicted, you can support and direct them to a psychological treatment. Below are the highlights of signs and symptoms of an alcohol addicted person.
Behavioural signs and symptoms
- Increased debts
- An individual develops tendencies of lying and giving excuses
- Repeated absence and lateness in work place and institutions
Physical signs
- The person can develop trembling effects mostly before consuming alcohol
- Dependency on alcohol affects the speech and the breadth is no longer pleasant
- You can also note the eyes have changed color to red
- Walking style can also change which is easy to identify
Psychological signs
- A person will have an aggressive behaviour which can be accompanied with mood swings
- Memory problem can also develop
- An addict can also develop isolation behaviour
- Finally you can note that the concentration of the individual has also deteriorated
How to help a person addicted to alcohol
When it comes to alcohol addiction there are various ways you can play a part to help the individual recover from the effects. Below are some of the measures you can take to help the individual recover from the addiction.
- Be observant and take note of all the symptom changes in the person.
- Have a meeting with the person and have a genuine talk to understand the cause of the dependency
- Advice on a psychological treatment and support the individual
- Then you have to follow up on the person when taking his/her treatment.
- Encourage against alcohol consumption
Family and friends should help and support an addicted person who is close to them.