The Subtle Signs of Alcohol Problem

These are the signs of having an alcohol problem that most people miss. Because if you can pick up on the problem in the earlier stages, it's a lot easier to address. Don't wait until you have all those stereotypical signs, like you have to drink every day, you're going to be sick, or you go into, like, severe withdrawal if you don't drink. Yeah, those are signs of having an alcohol problem, like the terminal signs, like the late stage signs. So don't wait until those things happen to decide to do something about it. If you're seeing any of these signs, it's time to time to take action. Have you found that you've lost interest in activities or hobbies or other things that don't really involve alcohol? Or you make excuses not to go unless alcohol is going to be part of the picture? Do you find that you plan your days, weeks, vacations, road trips around alcohol? Like you spend a good amount of time thinking, okay, what's going to be there? How can I get some? Is my flight going to land in time to stop at the bar? Are you planning all your meals around what alcohol is going to be available? That one is a really big sign that Alcoh is becoming a major preoccupation in your life. And it happens so subtly. You're almost like doing it. And it's like in the background, kind of like a computer works, has these programs running in the background that sometimes we're not even like paying attention to the fact that that's happening. So stop right now and think about, do I do that if I think about it? Is that program running in my head? Are you sensitive about the topic or avoid talking about it if someone brings it up in a serious way? And maybe you don't hide that you drink, period, but maybe you hide the amount that you're drinking or you're sort of very aware of how much you've drank in front of other people or how much you've drank that other people have noticed? Or do you hide the fact that you care about what other people think about your drinking? Because the other thing people do is they sort of have this big bravado about it and they like almost take it on as the role as the guy who can like, drink you under the table, life of the party, and they sort of embrace it. And honestly, a lot of times that's just a way of hiding the fact that you care what people think. Think. And honestly, that's just pretty much hiding the fact that you care how much you're drinking. Do you find that you're less resilient to life. Stressors, stresses get to you more. You're more frustrated, aggravated, irritable, less patient. This one can be hard to figure out because it seems like if we feel something, that it's real. So it feels like the stressors are bigger, the problems are worse, life is more difficult. But I want you to stop and think about it. Is it really more difficult, more stressful, or does it just feel like that? Because that is a major sort of rebound effect from drinking. I talked to this lady for a consult the other day who was trying to figure out how to help an addicted loved one. And the person she was telling me about was, had a long history of being very successful, of being very ambitious, accomplishing a lot of things. And what she told me was, well, lately the stress of work, the stress of all these things is just getting to them. But as I listened to her tell me about this person's life, I was thinking, you know what, this person handles stress really well. Like they have done major giant things. In fact, they thrive on stress. They love the competitiveness. I don't think that's what's really going on. It may feel like the work stress or life stress is getting to you, but in a lot of cases, what's really happening is that the rebound effects of the alcohol is making you feel so much more stressed. And then you think, oh, it is these things causing it, but really it's the alcohol changing the way you process those things and your resiliency. Do you find you're having difficulty letting go of past hurts or losses? Do you find that you focus on bad things that have happened to you? Do you focus on resentments towards your parents, towards your spouse, towards your children, things they've done in the past? You want to think about it all the time, you want to bring it up all the time. It kind of feels a little bit like grudge holding because when you drink, you re remember those things and it's like re traumatizing yourself. And then you think about it and think about it and get more upset and more upset and more frustrated and more resentful. Is one or more person in your life frustrated with you about your drinking? Now you may think, oh, that's just my husband, he's always like that. That's just my mom, she's always like that. But before you just dismiss it completely by saying, oh, that's just them. Are they the person that's closest to you? Because usually the person that's closest to you Sees the problem before everyone else. And it's real easy to tell yourself, like, oh, none of my friends think I have a drinking problem. They tell me they drink more than I do. Well, are you hiding some while you're drinking in front of them? Do those people really know the full story? Is this person that's upset with you or are they upset with you because they're around you the most? They see the effects of it the most? You see a lot of people I see that have alcohol problems. They superstar. They're still superstars at work. They're wonderful. The people that know them outside of their home would say, oh my gosh, like, no way. That guy does have a drinking problem. He's wonderful, he's fabulous. But ask the people in the home and they'll tell you a different story. Does anyone around you ever monitor how much you're drinking? Or before you go out to like an event or a concert or like a family thing or something like that? Do they say, hey, let's not drink too much tonight. Let's keep it to this and that? Like, are they having like these little side talks with you and asking you to keep your drinking in check? That tells you that someone around you is very nervous about how much you're going to drink. And when that happens, I don't want you to just brush that off your shoulder and say, oh my God. They just worry about everything. There's a reason why, why they feel that way. There's a reason why they're worried about that. Do you feel more bloated lately, like physically uncomfortable? Is your skin not so great? Maybe it's red and blotchy. Do you sometimes forego eating because you don't want the food to affect the absorption of the alcohol? Do you often do things that you regret, feel embarrassed about, shameful about? Do you get upset with yourself about how much you're drinking? Do you promise yourself, I'm only going to do this much or I'm not going to let myself get into a fight this time. And then it just keeps happening. Do you make promises to yourself that you're going to do better? All of these are pretty big red flag warning signs that, yes, you indeed do have an alcohol problem. Now, just because you're not drinking every day, just because you're not having the shakes in the morning doesn't mean it's not serious. It doesn't mean that you shouldn't address it. In fact, it means exactly the opposite. Means right now is the time to address it. Quit while you still can do something about it. Stop this train from going down this track. Because I promise you, it doesn't end anywhere good. Now, if you're kind of thinking about making this change, but you're like, well, I don't want to go to treatment. I don't want to go to those 12 step meetings. I don't want to do all that stuff, then I want you to watch this video next, because it's all about how to do that, how to get sober without having to go to treatment or go to those meetings.