Alcohol Addiction: Causes, Signs and Withdrawal

Alcohol addiction is a serious craving for any beverage with alcohol content. Learn what causes alcohol addiction, its common signs and withdrawal symptoms.

Alcohol addiction is a serious craving for any beverages with alcohol content. It is also considered a medical disease whose signs and symptoms vary based on the intake volume and frequency of consumption of alcoholic drinks.

It is a serious problem affecting not only the health of the alcoholic but also can impact negatively the lives of the alcoholics and their families as well. A certain level of intoxication can be life threatening since this can result in alcohol poisoning which can lead to depression of the respiratory system and eventually stoppage in breathing.

Signs of Alcoholism

Some signs of alcohol addiction is the consistent increase in the the frequency of alcohol consumption and intake amount of alcohol which can result into medical symptoms that can put one’s life at risk. Alcoholics make drinking of alcoholic beverages a craving or a priority and sometimes the centerpiece activity of their lives. The craving for alcohol makes him or her ignore a healthy lifestyle and a healthy relationship with his or her love ones.

Alcoholics always loss control of the amount of alcohol they are drinking and constantly ignore the call or advice of loved ones and friends to stop the addiction. Alcoholics also seem to be emotional and easily gets angry most specially in inappropriate settings. Alcohol addicts may also suffer from insomnia while others tend to oversleep after long sessions of drinking or after a drinking spree.

People dependent on alcohol usually develop increased tolerance on the amount of alcohol consumed but suffer from extended hangovers or an increase in time to recover from being drunk or after effects of alcohol abuse. This increased time to recover makes him or her neglect personal and work related responsibilities. More seriously the alcoholic puts himself or herself of at risk of medical consequences that puts their lives in danger. Medical issues are not only the result of an advanced state of alcoholism.

Causes of Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol addiction may be a result of at least three reasons such as genetics, the social environment you are within, and a person’s mental health. People with a family history of alcohol addiction and also those who live or are associated with heavy drinks have high chances of developing alcoholism. Those with mental health problems such as those suffering from bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression may be at risk of being an alcoholic since they consider alcohol a medium for self-medication.

Alcoholism Withdrawal Symptoms

Alcoholism withdrawal symptoms are also the result of advanced addictive disease. Some withdrawal symptoms of alcoholism are nausea or vomiting, hallucinations, seizures, profuse sweating even in cold environment, extreme anxiety, tremors, convulsions or unexpected shaking of hands and even of the person’s body.


  • 5 Serious Short Term Effects of Alcohol AbuseAlthough seemingly less impairing than drug addiction, alcohol abuse is also a serious condition. Here are five serious short term effects of alcohol abuse that you should be aware of.
  • 9 Alcoholism Facts You Must KnowWhy do people become become alcoholic? Is it something that can be avoided? Here are nine alcoholism facts that could help you understand why a family member or loved one becomes alcoholic.
  • The Sad Truth about Alcohol and DepressionAlcohol and depression are serious issues in both men and women. But did you know that women are more likely to abuse alcohol because of their body composition?
  • Short Term and Long Term Effects of AlcoholAlcohol drinking has short term and long term effects to you psychologically and physically. Poor motor skills, depression, liver damage and hypertension are only some of them. Learn about the damage excessive alcohol drinking can cause.
  • Alcohol Intervention StrategiesAlcohol intervention strategies, as confirmed by intervention specialists, should always involve compassion and deep concern for the good of the alcoholic. Here are some key tips to ensure the success of your alcohol intervention strategy.
  • Alcohol WithdrawalAlcohol withdrawal is a conquerable dilemma. One who goes through all these very difficult symptoms must always keep that in mind. Half the battle of an alcoholic has already been won the moment he admits that he needs help.
  • Alcohol InterventionAlcohol intervention is the process of getting a person who has become addicted to alcohol to seek professional help. This is usually orchestrated by concerned family and close friends.
  • Four Stages of AlcoholismThese four stages of alcoholism will help you to identify how grave the alcohol addiction is and up to what extent should the patient be treated.
  • Six Most Common Signs of Alcohol AddictionYou may already have alcohol addiction without knowing it. Learn about the six most common signs of alchohol addiction and evaluate yourself.
  • Family Intervention for AlcoholismFamily intervention for alcoholism is essential, especially when persuading an alcoholic family member to take action to recover from alcohol dependence.
  • Why Alcohol Is Harmful to Unborn BabiesAlcohol is harmful to unborn babies. Whatever the mother eats or drinks goes directly into her bloodstream and into the placenta and unborn baby very quickly.
  • Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Support GroupsSupport groups for persons with alcohol addiction can impact the patients' lives and make withdrawal symptoms more bearable and recovery sustainable.
  • Alcohol AgeAlcohol age is the legal drinking age by which an individual can purchase and drink alcoholic beverages. Find out what's the alcohol age for various countries.
  • How Dangerous Is Alcohol to Your Health?Regular drinking of excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages can be dangerous to one's health. Learn how excessive alcohol intake affects different parts of your body.

9 thoughts on “Alcohol Addiction: Causes, Signs and Withdrawal”

  1. my uncle Bobby is addicted alcohol he has been addicted to meth pills and marijuana but now he’s a full blown alcoholic and has been for the last 25 years please help him

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  2. Hello my name is Kameron Varner I am 23 years old and I’m an alcoholic I need help I cannot stop drinking alcohol I was sober for a whole yeAr but now back to day 0 again I just can’t solve any life’s problems without alcohol idk how to live without it plz help me (223)333-6187

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  3. To whom it may concern, i’ve been an alcoholic for about 30 years now & i’m scared & i’m between a rock & a hard place with my addiction.The reason that i say that is because i’ve been hospitalized for pancreatitis about 6 times now over the last 4 years & now, i went to see my primary care physician today & saw that i was just recently hospitalized a few weeks ago again for pancreatitis.He told me today that if i don’t stop drinking, that i will develop chronic pancreatitis, my body will shut down & that i will die from it.I can’t take anymore & i desperately need help ASAP & i don’t want to die from this.Can somebody PLEASE HELP ME?I’m out of work on permanent disability & i do have medical coverage.I’m on medicare & i also covered by Horizon Blue Cross & Blue Shield of New Jersey supplemental insurance.At this point, i’m ready & willing to get the help that i need.PLEASE HELP!Thanks.

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  4. My daughter Kristal has been battling addiction for over 27 years.. she has been in rehab and done good for awhile. I have raised her 2 kids still have one 14.. A the moment she has been in a facility for 21 days in our local town She is allowed to come back to my home , where she has been staying . per my landlord. I need help immediately to get her help.. how do i get in touch with this organization for help, does any one know?? Please respond to me if anyone can help me and her..Thank you Victoria Harrison

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  5. Hello I really need some help with my mother she’s a wonderful woman with 3 children and an onslaught of grandchildren whom I know she loves very much however she’s a chronic alcoholic and she gets very disoriented, violent, and confused she’s over 50 years old and I’m very afraid that I am going to lose her to the drinking everyday she drinks at least a gallon of Vodka (Her drink of choice) I am her eldest daughter and I am reaching out for someone to help with this issue I have two younger siblings and we all want what’s best for our mother. We are all willing to do whatever we can to save our mother’s life please help save my mother’s life

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  6. My 34 year old year needs help beating alcohol and perephiral neuropathy. There is so much to his story. He will not seek treatment because of lack of money he says. Please reach out to me. There is sooo much more to this.

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  7. Hello, my mother has been an alcoholic for over 10 years and one year ago I decided to take her in after she was homeless but instead of living inside my apartment with me and getting her life back on track she sleeps in her jeep in our complex parking lot. My family including my father – her ex husband has tried to talk to her about her acoholism but nothing seems to work, her other daughter refuses to talk to my mother or let her see her own grandchildren because of our mom’s actions. She drives drunk constantly, sends terrible text messages, steals from us, lies about her situation to our neighbors, and can’t keep a job. Our lease is up in November and at this point I won’t feel bad for leaving her behind and not telling her where we will be moving to next. If I could go back 20 years and show her how she was going to turn out I can guarantee she would never even touch the stuff, and I couldn’t begin to tell you how disappointed she would be in herself. I miss the mother I used to have.

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  8. My mom married a guy this past February, she knew he was an alcoholic and lately he’s gotten worse. He uses my mom’s paycheck every week to buy alcohol and he get a check from the government the first of every month and uses all $700 to buy alcohol. He’s a very mean drunk and loud. He started getting worse when his best friend died. My mom is always asking my sister for money because she’s letting him take her paychecks so they don’t have any money. No one in the family supports her decisions when it comes to him. My grandma has let my mom have her van, she’s given her probably hundreds of dollars never excepting that my mom would pay her back. It’s gotten so bad and I’m kinda scared that he might get drunk enough one day that he’s gonna attack her. We need help bad

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