Alcoholism is scientifically considered a disease and you should attempt to treat it as a medical condition. It doesn’t really matter if you have struggled with this addiction yourself or have seen someone you cared about try to deal with this; either way you know how hard it can be to conquer this addiction.

Alcoholism can be difficult to diagnose. It can take months and sometimes years for the actions, symptoms and effects of alcoholism to start causing irreversible problems in your life. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence created a quiz to help you determine whether you or someone you love has tendencies that match the tendencies of alcoholism:

Are you frequently unable to keep commitments you make to yourself about maintaining control over your drinking?

Do you have multiple work, school, family or financial problems due to your alcohol usage?

Do you find that you are intoxicated for several days in succession?

If you had to answer yes to any of the questions above, it is possible that you are abusing alcohol. It is completely understandable that accepting a diagnosis of alcoholism or being told that you have a drinking problem can cause you to feel absolutely overwhelmed. You don’t have to feel alone as you make your way through this dark time. Many of the individuals who suffering from alcohol abuse begin their journey to freedom in firm denial. If you are watching a loved one go through this don’t panic, as this is very common.

Another sign of alcoholism is when you start having lots of drinks and then justify to yourself why you had them. When you start being secretive about your consumption of alcohol, it can be a sign that you are struggling with keeping control of how much you drink.

If you are worried about a loved one suffering from the abuse of alcohol, try to see if they often struggle with hangovers, if their appearance has changed or if they are spending more time with the bottle than they used to in the past. If you feel comfortable, approach your dear one with sensitivity and compassion to initiate open channels of communication.

You can find out more information here.