Approximately 7 percent of American adults have a hard time limiting their consumption of alcohol and are, therefore, addicted. Alcoholism is an illness marked by repeated consumption of copious amounts of alcohol until physical and psychological dependency occurs.

Alcoholics might experience all or only some of these characteristics, all the time or only occasionally.

Alcohol Addiction Indicators

How can you tell if Alcohol is a problem for you? If you have any doubts about your ability to limit your consumption of alcohol, you may be addicted. If you use alcohol as a tool to escape from your problems, balance your moods or just cope with life, you may have an addiction.

Is your tolerance level of alcohol higher than most? Do you find yourself drinking increasing amounts of alcohol in order to reach the same comfort levels you desire? Have you ever had blackouts after drinking? Do your friends and family seem concerned about your use of alcohol? Do your loved ones ever express concerns over your drinking? A “yes” answer to any of these questions might indicate a problem with alcohol.

There is no single, definable cause to alcohol addiction, but many alcoholics have a strong genetic link or predisposition to developing problematic relationships with alcohol or other drugs. Those who consume alcohol regularly can also develop an addiction through consistent alcohol use and abuse.

Problem drinkers often try to regain the pleasant, mild euphoria they experienced when they first started drinking. However, a heavy drinker can pass quickly from feeling good to feeling nothing at all. When a person’s life is affected that much by their drinking the only solution may be an alcohol treatment center.