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Do you find yourself longing for the evening, only to grab a pint of beer or maybe down a few stiffs? Are you the first one to ‘raise a toast to that’ or propose a celebratory drink? Do you find these occasions where you decide to indulge yourself with just a couple of drinks cropping up a lot more frequently than they used to? If all of these situations sound distinctly familiar, then it’s time to take a minute to seriously reevaluate those drinking habits. For these are none but the precursors to the most pervasive addiction of the modern era Alcoholism.

When can a drinking habit be termed an addiction? Alcoholism or an addiction to alcohol can be determined as an overwhelming urge to partake of excessive amounts of alcohol, even when an individual’s consumption patterns begin to have physical and psychological implications on him. These implications could range from social to personal where the individual begins to negatively impact his social ties, begins to suffer from several physical illnesses which can be attributed to his intake of alcohol, and begins to neglect his social and personal duties and responsibilities as a result of his drinking excesses.

At this point, many, if not all, of you will probably heave a sigh of relief. “That’s not me!” you say to yourself. But did you know that the most common trait of all alcoholics is denial? And that recognizing the symptoms of your addiction, may be not be a very easy task, either for you or those you share your life with? Indeed, many individuals, who are dependent on alcohol, may go about their daily routine without any apparent interference in their behavior. The question is, do you really want to wait until you’ve broken that ground and then have to undergo drastic curative measures, when a few preventive steps would have been all that was needed?

That’s right. There are several other, more subtle indications which signal that your patterns with alcohol are not headed the right way. For instance, if you are disillusioned with the world around you, if you tend to resort to a stiff drink to drown out your problems, or even have a family history of alcoholism, then you may be more prone to alcohol dependence than if you have different means of coping with stress or release of tension, both physical and mental.

The physical manifestations of alcohol addiction can be severe to the point of being life threatening. By itself, alcohol is deemed responsible for a majority of deaths around the world, be they through diseases stem out of excessive consumption, or mishaps that take place under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol abuse can single-handedly lead to liver cirrhosis, renal failure and several gastrointestinal complications. Alcohol also makes your blood pressure shoot up, which puts your heart at a greater risk of failure or stroke. Alcoholics may find themselves to be hypoglycemic, as alcohol disrupts the release of glucose to the blood stream. Over time, alcohol can even cause severe neurological impairments like distorted thinking and even dementia. Psychologically, alcohol abuse also leads to the individual becoming estranged from his family and even resorting to domestic violence or even pathological patterns of behavior, either to fund their consumption of alcohol, or under the effects of its intoxication.

If, in all honesty, you have even the slightest inkling of a doubt that you’re alcohol consumption patterns do tend to border on the high side, or if your family or even friends seem to be a lot more concerned about your ‘binges’ than they were in the past, then it’s time you had a heart-to-heart with your doctor. What you must remember is that when it comes to determining whether your drinking is taking its toll on you, you are not the best judge. Your doctor will refer you to appropriate counselors to deal with your habit, based on what level of treatment he deems necessary. If your drinking is just marginally higher than the recommended levels, he will simply ask you to curtail your habit. If you are indeed in the throes of addiction, a detoxification program will be prescribed which then needs to be followed up by counseling and group therapy sessions. For more excruciating withdrawal symptoms, you may also be prescribed medication to ease your process of recovery. However, it is essential that you take the initiative to avoid gathering and interactions where you might be coaxed into a drink and refrain completely from any form of alcoholic beverage until your counselor permits it.

Remember, it’s never too late to begin; only that it’s you who has to take the initiative. All it takes is one firm resolve to step away from the vicious cycle alcohol steeps you in you’ll soon find that there’s so much more that life has to offer!