Alcoholism Symptoms

Alcohol use disorder is a common disorder caused by various mental, physical, and emotional issues. In this disorder, patients find the use of alcohol in their daily routine. There are various symptoms associated with alcohol use disorder. People suffering from alcohol use disorder find it challenging to control the amount of alcohol they consume. Practicing unhealthy alcohol consumption is defined as being alcoholic (Barnett et al., 2021). The outcomes of these practices can be severe to the user. It is important to monitor alcohol intake to avoid becoming an alcoholic. Some of the signs and symptoms to look for in diagnosing a patient with alcohol use disorder may include:

Uncontrolled alcohol consumption. Patients can recognize or diagnose themselves through this symptom. If a person consumes much alcohol and finds it challenging to control alcohol consumption, this can be a sign and symptom of alcohol use disorder. It might start slow and rapidly grow to be a problem for the patient. The mental state of the patient chances, and they include alcohol as part of their daily tasks (Khan et al., 2021). At times alcoholics wake up from drinking and find a solution to stimulate their minds to work better. People with alcohol use disorder can bring their alcoholic drinks into their working place since they cannot control themselves. It is a common trend for people working in certain offices where they do not walk around often.

Another symptom is the urge and craving for alcohol. Most patients with alcohol use disorder spend several hours without tasting alcohol and get huge cravings for alcohol. Those with jobs get restless, waiting for work hours to end for them to run to their joints and quench their thirst. Like any other craving, alcohol can be very distractive and make patients lose focus on what is important (Barnett et al., 2021). They are programs designed to help such patients beat the cravings whenever they come. Again, another symptom that shows someone is an alcoholic is that they try to limit or completely quit alcohol consumption but find it extremely challenging or impossible.

Despite health or legal issues, a person with alcohol use disorder continues to consume alcoholic drinks, indicating their state of alcoholism. For instance, a person with liver failure might continue to consume alcohol despite them knowing that alcohol with affect them and result in severe consequences. Therefore, this indicates that this person is suffering from alcohol use disorder (Khan et al., 2021). In most cases, these patients have a weak mental state that makes them make these irresponsible decisions. The use or consumption of alcohol in places or areas where it is dangerous is seen as another symptom of alcoholism. It is very dangerous to go swimming while under the influence of alcohol or to drive while one is under the influence of alcohol.

Alcohol consumption is associated with particular withdrawal symptoms, which include nausea, shaking, and sweating. Patients experience these symptoms whenever they fail to consume alcohol. At other times they have to consume alcohol to try and avoid experiencing these withdrawal symptoms (Sun et al., 2021). At this level, it is safe to say that this person has alcohol use disorder, and medical aid is vital for them.

Alcoholics tend to lose focus of what is their priority, and they can fail to finish their work tasks, go to work late, or fail to show up at work or school. The reason behind their lateness or failure to show up is alcohol (Sun et al., 2021). They might have drunk, forgotten to do their tasks, or slept late, which makes them wake up late for school or work. It is a major symptom associated with students and patients with emotional or mental issues.

Nevertheless, alcoholics have to consume too much alcohol to feel or get the desired effect of the drink. It is a symptom that many people take it lightly as they joke around. The alcohol amount in the body increases, making, which makes the effect of alcohol take time before manifest (Khan et al., 2021). At this time, the patient consumes much alcohol to get drunk and feel the desired effect. All these symptoms are easily recognized and examined; therefore, alcoholics can evaluate themselves and make the necessary changes.

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References
Barnett, A. I., Hall, W., Fry, C. L., Dilkes‐Frayne, E., & Carter, A. (2018). Drug and alcohol treatment providers’ views about the disease model of addiction and its impact on clinical practice: A systematic review. Drug and alcohol review, 37(6), 697-720. Khan, D. M., Kamel, N., Muzaimi, M., & Hill, T. (2021). Effective connectivity for default mode network analysis of alcoholism. Brain Connectivity, 11(1), 12-29. Sun, Y., Chang, S., Liu, Z., Zhang, L., Wang, F., Yue, W., ... & Shi, J. (2021). Identification of novel risk loci with shared effects on alcoholism, heroin, and methamphetamine dependence. Molecular Psychiatry, 26(4), 1152-1161.