While there is a difference between social drinking and alcoholism, sometimes recognizing the signs can be quite difficult as the alcoholic is most always in denial of their drinking problem and some can be quite good at hiding there addiction from others.
However, in most cases of severe alcoholism there are usually signs which are obvious to the friends and family of someone who has become dependent on alcohol and in some cases can intervene to get them help with recovery and treatment.
One of the most common warning signs is frequent intoxication such as drinking on a daily basis in excess and attempting to hide their addiction by lying to loved ones about their drinking habits.
Some other red flags when it comes to alcohol abuse are when an individual is having problems such as in relationships, work, or legal issues due to their alcohol consumption.
Alcoholism is a very treatable disease and while it cannot be cured, there is plenty of help available for successful recovery and treatment when it comes to overcoming alcohol dependency.
If you or a loved one is experiencing a problem with alcohol you should seek help through one of the following methods available to you.
There are many recovery and treatment programs of which some are free of charge such as support groups through "AA" or "Alcoholics Anonymous" and "Al-Anon" which you can easily find the ones available in your local area by searching the internet or your local phone book.
By checking with your family physician or local clinic you can find out where the nearest available rehabilitation or treatment centers are relative to your location.
There are also local and national hot lines which you can call that will help you by discussing with you all the options which are available to you.