Signs & Symptoms of Alcohol Addiction: Making sense of changing behaviours

Globally, no drug causes more harm to individuals and families than alcohol. While its acceptability in most parts of the world undoubtedly contributes to its popularity, why don’t more people recognise the signs and symptoms of a growing dependency and take action?

The answer is shockingly simple: when it comes to judging either our own or a loved one’s alcohol use, we just don’t know when enough transitions into too much. The line between the two is blurry, and even regular drinkers who far exceed the threshold for alcohol dependency might still be meeting their personal, professional, and family responsibilities.

Do the professionals who enjoy a daily glass of wine while cooking and another while eating require support for alcohol dependency? What about a young, fit, and otherwise successful amateur athlete who works out all week but spends most Saturdays and Sundays nursing a hangover? When does blowing off steam become a sign of a bigger problem?

While the UK Chief Medical Officers’ (CMOs) recommendation of not drinking more than 14 units of alcohol per week1 is valuable, most individuals don’t track their drinking this way. This article will instead focus on identifying the physical and behavioural signs and symptoms of a developing alcohol dependence, and provide context for when occasional drinking turns into a regular occurrence worthy of addressing.

We hope it helps you or a loved one understand when to seek support for a developing alcohol addiction.

Alcohol addiction is nuanced, and being able to identify the signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse in daily life—subtle changes in mood, sleep patterns, priorities, and relationships—is only half the battle.

Recognising when to intervene or seek professional help, as well as identifying the best form of support, is what empowers families to take meaningful action.

Understanding when to seek help hinges on recognising changes in behaviour and intent. Regardless of whether the individual has been drinking for years or only recently started, as soon as ‘I like to have a drink every now and then’ turns into ‘I need to have a drink every now and then’, it is time to address a growing alcohol dependency.

Recognising the switch isn’t easy—even in yourself. However, you don’t need to hit rock bottom before seeking help.

If you have recognised the signs and symptoms of alcohol addiction in yourself or a loved one and have decided that it is time to seek professional assistance, we encourage you to speak to a physician or addiction specialist about all your treatment options. While residential treatment, which completely removes the patient from their environment of abuse, may be necessary for some individuals, others may benefit more from lower-intensity treatment options that allow them to stay with loved ones and continue work or caring for their families.

Being drunk is not a definitive sign that someone needs addiction support. However, being able to tell when someone has been drinking, as well as recognising the signs that it is becoming a regular or hidden pattern, is an important step in determining when alcohol misuse is becoming alcohol dependency.

Below are some of the most common physical and behavioural signs of alcohol misuse to look for, in both the extremely short term and over the course of several weeks.

It is worth mentioning that several factors, including overall health, youth, diet, exercise, and genetic factors, will all affect how an individual responds to extended periods of excessive drinking. Recognising the signs of continued recent abuse or repeated instances of very recent alcohol abuse allows spouses, parents, children, and loved ones to step in early, before prolonged alcohol misuse starts taking its toll.

Over time, continued alcohol misuse leads to serious and potentially irreversible physical, cognitive, and psychological harm. It goes beyond just temporary intoxication, but affects how the brain and body function on a day-to-day basis. The worse the dependence, the more severely it can affect one’s health and the more difficult and dangerous quitting becomes, again underscoring the importance of early recognition and action.

When alcohol becomes a daily necessity rather than a choice, some of the more recognisable physical, behavioural, psychological, and cognitive symptoms of prolonged (6 months or more) abuse include:

* Symptoms marked with an asterisk are strong indicators of declining physical health and a severely increased risk of mortality. We strongly recommend seeking immediate professional addiction assistance or intervention services.