Symptoms
Tolerance
Overtime you need more and more alcohol to feel the same effect. This is the first major sign of alcoholism.
Withdrawal
Drinking to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms is a sign of alcoholism. When you drink heavily, your body gets used to the alcohol and experiences withdrawal symptoms if its taken away. These include
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Anxiety or jumpiness
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Shakiness or trembling
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Sweating
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Nausea and vomiting
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Insomnia
- Depression
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Irritability
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Fatigue
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Loss of appetite
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Headache
In severe cases, withdrawal from alcohol can also involve hallucinations, confusion, seizures, fever, and agitation.
Causes
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Genetic predisposition, environment, and mental health are the leading risk factors for developing this disease.
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The process of becoming addicted to alcohol occurs gradually, although some people have an abnormal response to alcohol from the time they start drinking.
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Over time, drinking too much may change the normal balance of chemicals and nerve tracks in your brain associated with the experience of pleasure, judgement and the ability to exercise control over your behaviour. This may result in your craving alcohol to restore good feelings or remove negative ones.