Since her junior year in undergraduate school, Cheryl has been drinking in a hazardous and abusive manner. Now, four years later, unfortunately, she was drinking more frequently than any time in her life. One Wednesday night when she was feeling a bit under the weather, nonetheless, she decided that instead of going out drinking with her friends, she would stay in her condo, eat some pizza, and watch TV.
While flipping through the channels for something that seemed interesting, Cheryl stumbled upon a documentary about adolescent and young adult problem drinkers. Due to the fact that she had a drinking history that started in her teenage years, this program instantly captured her attention.
The narrator of the program took the time to explain the key differences between alcoholism and alcohol abuse and then spent about ten minutes talking about different alcohol dependency warning signs and symptoms. At this point, what really captured Cheryl's interest were the specific alcohol dependency symptoms and signs that the speaker listed. In fact, Cheryl got more than a little concerned because many of the signs and symptoms that were emphasized seemed like they were directly related to her drinking situation.
With thoughts of the special TV program still on her mind, Cheryl decided to go on the web and search for various signs and symptoms of alcoholism. Cheryl found the following symptoms and signs especially worthy of note: increasing irritability, making excuses to drink at almost every opportunity, difficulty cutting down or abstaining from drinking, serious work-related and relationship difficulties, and sleep disturbances.
An alcoholism symptom discussed on the web that really made Cheryl think was the following: "Do you commonly drink after telling yourself that you are going to cut down or quit"? Cheryl knew that she drank too much but she never considered that she might be alcohol dependent. In her heart of hearts, however, she also knew that she was not successful in cutting back on her drinking in her recent attempts. If truth be told, it can be added, during this time period, she was drinking more than ever.
Another alcoholism symptom she saw on the Internet that really hit home with her was the following: "Do you crave a few drinks when you first get up in the morning"? Until now, Cheryl had been less than honest about her careless and irresponsible drinking. After reading about the various signs and symptoms of alcohol dependency on the Internet, nonetheless, Cheryl realized that she was probably facing a fairly serious drinking situation.
Another symptom of alcohol dependency she read about on the web that grabbed her attention was this: "Have family members, friends, neighbors, or coworkers angered you by making negative comments about your excessive drinking"? As soon as Cheryl read this, she immediately remembered a fairly recent argument she had with a coworker about her abusive drinking.
Similarly, the next symptom of alcohol addiction made Cheryl reflect on her drinking circumstances: "Do you ever drink so you can better deal with tension, pain, frustration, or with difficult issues in your life"? Without a doubt, Cheryl answered this question with a "yes" because she routinely used alcohol as a psychological crutch when things in her life got problematic.
One sign of alcoholism that caused Cheryl to worry about her abusive drinking was the following: "Has your ambition substantially diminished after you began drinking more repeatedly"? When Cheryl read this alcoholism symptom on the web she immediately knew that she had a potential drinking problem because she frequently asked herself why she lacked motivation to do things she used to love to do.
After reviewing all of the diverse symptoms and signs of alcohol dependency she discovered online and heard about on the TV special she watched, Cheryl understandably felt rather dejected.
Then something positive happened when she reflected on the fact that she was actually addressing her drinking problem because she promised herself that she would call and make an appointment with her family doctor. In fact, when she thought about the fact that she would be able to see her physician and discuss all of the alcohol dependency signs and symptoms that she thought she was exhibiting, Cheryl actually felt a sense of optimism because she was now ready to make the required changes in her drinking situation and reestablish her life in a healthier manner.
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