Experts tell us how to detect alcohol addiction in loved ones

Alarming symptoms of alcohol addiction identified

The problem of alcohol addiction has been studied by scientists for a long time. While some choose not to drink during the holiday season, for others, the New Year can be a time of overindulgence—sometimes to the point where loved ones become worried. Experts explained what signs you should pay attention to and how to talk about it with relatives or friends who suffer from this disease.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) falls on a spectrum of mild, moderate or severe forms of addiction, CBS News reports. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse, AUD is characterized by “impaired ability to stop or control drinking despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences.”

Experts on the eve of the holidays reminded people how they can identify alcohol addiction and help. Driftwood Recovery’s director of psychology, Vanessa Kennedy, explains that some of the criteria for alcohol use disorder are warning signs to look out for.

Among them, she named: alcohol tolerance, in which a person needs to drink more to achieve the desired effect, tremors, cravings to drink without being able to stop, as well as various problems with social, household or work responsibilities, with health, mood or relationships. In addition, when drinking alcohol, people begin to behave dangerously for themselves and others.

“Denial of addiction often comes with a person falling into a gray area and can be seen as largely socially acceptable,” says Kennedy, but adds, “problems with alcohol affect specific areas of the brain and are detrimental to a person’s life and health.”

The expert admits that if you want to share your concerns with someone, you should keep a few things in mind. “It’s usually best not to initiate a conversation while the person is intoxicated,” Kennedy says. She believes that “the best way to approach and talk to someone who is in denial about their drinking problem is to talk to them when they are sober and deal with them calmly.”

Vanessa Kennedy suggests being wary of attacks and expressing your emotions and concerns directly and starting the conversation with something like, “I feel anxious when you drink too much because I don’t want you to miss out on celebrating the holidays with your grandchildren.”

Driftwood Recovery’s director of psychology, Kennedy, adds that bringing a professional into the conversation can help point out the person’s problems.

“You may need to supervise addicts with the help of other supportive people to keep them and others safe,” Kennedy says. “It might look something like this: make sure they don’t drive, give them a place to rest. , eating and rehydrating if possible.”