Alcohol addiction in simple words can be excessive drinking of alcohol which causes significant problems to mental and physical health of a person and disturbances in their social life. For certain individuals the problems can get so severe that one need to seek treatment for alcohol addiction.

Difference between casual drinking and alcohol abuse or addiction

Casual drinking is when an individual has few drinks with friends or on any special occasion once in a while or socially. But problem arises when the individual is unable to keep their drinking in check and let alcohol affect their behaviour or drinks frequently and too much.

Check the signs and symptoms below to see if you need treatment for alcohol addiction.

SIGNS of Alcohol Addiction

Think about your life experiences of the past year and look at the following signs.

Drinking larger amounts or for longer period that initial intended.
Multiple unsuccessful attempts to give up alcohol.
Spending lot of time to either buy, use and recover from alcohol use.
Craving to drink frequently
Alcohol use disrupting your obligations to family or work.
Continued use despite various social and personal problems caused by drinking
Drinking in hazardous situations, like while driving.
Increased alcohol consumption over time to get desired effects
Experiencing physical discomfort and pain if stopped drinking for a while
Drinking alcohol in the morning to avoid hangover.
Giving up personal, social, and work relationships and connections due to drinking or their comments on your drinking habit

No matter the severity any addiction can be treated and help should be sought out at any stage.

If you have experienced at least 2 of these signs in the past year you have mild alcohol addiction. If- you have experienced 3 or 4 of these you have moderate alcohol addiction and if its more than 4 then it is severe in nature and you should seek immediate treatment for alcohol addiction. Or you can refer to this site and use the free alcohol dependence TEST and get a score.