Chronic Alcohol Abuse Symptoms

The Mayo Clinic define alcoholism as a chronic illness characterized by a mental, emotional and physical dependence on alcohol. As opposed to people who just drink socially or have a glass of wine in the evening with dinner, the alcoholic is completely focused on drinking at all times. According to About Alcoholism Info, alcoholism has four stages, each one more destructive than the previous one in terms of physical, psychological and social damage and severity of symptoms. Chronic alcohol abuse is the fourth stage of alcoholism.

Obsession

• If you are a chronic alcohol abuser, thoughts of when you will have your next drink will occupy your mind and dictate your actions. Your main concern will be whether you have enough alcohol to last through the evening or the weekend. You may find that you begin drinking early in the morning, just to feel "normal," and continue to drink throughout the day to maintain that feeling. Your spouse, family, friends, children and job will take a back seat to alcohol, and you may forfeit participating in activities you once enjoyed because you would rather drink. You will, in fact, have very little use for the things that healthy people consider essential: food, water, career, shelter and human interaction.

Loss of Control

• If you are suffering from chronic alcohol abuse, you will find that the control you once had over your life is deteriorating, and even though you may be fully aware of this, you will feel powerless to do anything about it. Although you may tell yourself that you will just have one drink, you are unable to stop once you start. Despite the fact that you realize -- and feel guilty -- that your family, friends and career are suffering, you still feel powerless to stop drinking. You may even begin to lose control of your moral center, acting out in ways that you normally would not, like driving while drunk, getting into fights, stealing money for alcohol or cheating on your spouse.

Secretive

• By the time you are a chronic alcohol abuser, it is probably not much of a secret from your family and close friends. They may, at some point, make a plea for you to get help. Due to this and the probable shame and guilt associated with alcoholism, you may try to "go underground" in an attempt to keep your drinking hidden. You will drink alone. You may try to hide your alcohol in odd places in your home, office or even your car. You may find yourself purchasing your alcohol from different places, so that no one will notice how much you buy, or you may even begin to shoplift it.

Mental Changes

• Alcohol has a direct impact on your mind and body, so naturally, chronic abuse will yield severe mood disturbances and changes in personality. You may become easily agitated or angry with others, sometimes even lashing out violently, or you may suddenly begin to cry or become excessively emotional or sentimental. You may also find that you are constantly afraid or anxious for no apparent reason. You may even experience alcoholic psychosis in the form of visual and auditory hallucinations.

Physical Symptoms

• Alcohol can wreak havoc on your physical health. By the time you have become a chronic abuser, you may have already done damage to your heart or liver. Other physical symptoms of chronic alcohol abuse include dizziness, unsteadiness, weight loss, redness or broken capillaries in your face, gastritis (painful or upset stomach), numbness in your hands and feet and blackouts. In addition, if you are not able to get a drink when you need one, you will begin to experience symptoms of withdrawal including nausea, shaking, sweating, anxiety, irritability and, in severe cases, seizures.