The third stage is characterized by further increasing the frequency or use on a regular basis. The fourth stage of alcohol use is that they have become preoccupied with getting intoxicated and have social, educational, or family life problems. The most serious stage is when the user only feels normal when they are using alcohol. At this time they may begin stealing, fighting, and having suicidal thoughts. .
Alcoholism is where you cannot cut back or quit drinking without help and the denying that you have a problem is part of it. .
There are symptoms of the disease process that include depression, anxiety, lack of self-esteem, not participating in family functions and other anti-social behaviors. Other signs and symptoms include solitary or secretive drinking, alcohol cravings, an inability to control the amount that you drink, blackouts, irritability, legal problems, difficulty sustaining a relationship or a job, an increased amount of alcohol, and liver disease. We recognize alcohol intoxication by the smell on the breath or skin, glazes or bloodshot eyes, deterioration in the person's appearance or hygiene. Diagnosing if you have an alcohol problem is by reviewing these symptoms. A doctor or nurse may recognize some symptoms and start to ask questions about their lifestyle to diagnose abuse or dependency. You can take preventive measures to keep you from becoming an alcohol abuser or turning to alcoholism. Changing your lifestyle is the biggest preventive measure along with choosing to limit you alcohol intake.
Alcoholism is not something that is easily diagnosed. There are not blood work or lab tests that can be sent to confirm that someone is an alcoholic. They can check for things that the alcohol may have affected through testing, but they cannot check for alcoholism itself. If a problem with the liver is suspected due to drinking excessive amount of alcohol a diagnostic test called a LFTs (liver function tests) can be performed.
