One of the best ways to help an alcoholic is by recognizing them. If you don’t know how to identify an alcoholic, it might be difficult to help them.

Additionally, the signs of an alcoholic vary across different individuals. Although some of these signs are quite common than the rest.  

Here are some of the signs that a person is an alcoholic

Memory loss/Temporary blackouts

Some alcoholics experience memory loss from time to time. You will discover that they find it difficult to remember some things that happened until you make extra efforts to remind them.

If you realize that this occurrence is quite common, they might be struggling with alcohol addiction.

Mood swings

Another sign that alcoholic individuals show is their mood swings. They might be extremely happy this moment and the next second, they are irritated and angry without any direct cause or explanation.

Isolation

Many alcoholics don’t like staying around people because of their condition. Some of them believe that they could be found out. Hence, staying on their own looks like the ideal solution.

Additionally, many addicts are used to stigmatization so they would rather keep to themselves instead of staying around people who might judge them in different ways.

Foul alcohol stench

One of the ways to identify an alcoholic is from the foul stench of their breath. You will discover that their breath will always reek of alcohol, especially after heavy drinking.

Weight loss

Some alcohol addicts usually experience weight loss from drinking excessively. This is because many of them prefer drinking to eating. They often experience appetite loss because of the intense alcohol intake.

Poor hygiene

Although not general, when you discover that an individual’s hygiene is below par, they are likely addicted to substances like alcohol. You will notice that they have dry skin and nails with more wrinkles on their skin.

After being able to identify some of these signs of addiction, it is important to proffer treatment suggestions for them, so that they can get their lives back on track.

One of the biggest problems that treatment providers are struggling with in England is alcoholism.

According to a statistic from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, there was a 2% rise in the total number of adults receiving help for alcohol and drug problems between 2020-2021.

Regarding the reports, above a quarter of 1 million people were affected by alcohol-related problems. The sad part was, that the number of alcohol-related deaths increased by 44% to 1064.

When it comes to treating alcoholism in England, some productive measures can be implemented to ensure this.

Prevention and awareness

Usually, the best form of treating any problem is to prevent it from happening. One of the proficient ways to treat alcoholism is to prevent people from becoming addicts or abusing alcohol.

This can be achieved by sensitizing people on what they stand to lose when they become full-blown alcoholics. When people know the damage that excessive alcohol does to them, they will become less likely to indulge in it.

Detoxification

For people who are already alcoholics, detoxification is a key step to helping them treat their alcohol addiction problem. Detoxification is the removal of unwanted substances in the body that accumulated as a result of alcohol intake.

Inpatient treatment

This is a treatment option for people who have misused alcohol intensely. Such individuals need to remain full-time at the rehab, detox center, or hospital to receive proper monitoring.

Outpatient treatment

During outpatient treatment, you only need to visit your therapist or health provider for treatment. You don’t have to remain within the confines of the health facility because your condition is either moderate or mild.

Medications

It is important to note that no medication can outrightly cure alcoholism. However, some medications can assist your recovery progress. During therapy, your healthcare provider will prescribe some medications that you can take to ease your recovery.

When it comes to treating alcoholism and recovering, it might take a long time. Therefore, you have to be patient with the process and carry your health provider along.