A Guide to Patterns of Behaviour and Spotting an Alcoholic The hardest step to getting rid of alcoholism is to accept that there is a problem. Nothing is more difficult than taking that crucial first step. One habit consistent to all alcoholics is changing behaviours. These often appear as subtle behaviours that appear out of character, but they can also manifest as complete transformations. If you are worried about someone and you want to start looking into alcohol rehab in London, here’s how to start spotting changes in behaviour. •
Why Do Alcoholics Change Behaviour?
Let us start by understanding why alcoholics change the way they behave in the first place. This helps us to better understand the mind of the individual and what they are going through. Practically all behavioural changes are caused by concealment. They are not caused because of alcohol itself. Alcoholics want to hide what they are doing to themselves. The truth is the vast majority of addicts know full well that what they are doing isn’t helping anybody. They do not want people to know about it. Whether the person in question is a high-functioning addict or not, they will exhibit some changes. •
Social Changes
Some alcoholics will only drink alone. They will not drink heavily in front of others. If you are dealing with this sort of person you will see that when they become addicted their social schedule changes. For a start, they may begin missing social events on a regular basis. It will begin with the occasional event missed, but it will soon manifest into something bigger. Eventually, they will rarely leave the house at all, as the addiction takes hold. If they do appear at a social event, they may lose focus on what is going on around them. They will begin to ‘zone out’ from time to time and they’ll excuse themselves regularly to go to the bathroom. The chances are they are thinking about drinking and thinking about how they can get away from a social occasion. •
Work Changes
Another area you should investigate is work. If someone is normally good at his or her job, a change in this will show you that something is wrong. Most alcoholics will start to take sick days because of hangovers. Worst of all they may begin to attend work with hangovers. Naturally, this is going to affect the quality of their work. It is not uncommon to find alcoholics being disciplined by their bosses. Eventually, this is going to lead to unemployment, and that is when addiction truly starts to take hold.
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In the Home
Finally, how do they interact within the home? Someone who is always interacting with their family and friends at home may start to shut him or herself away if they are addicted to alcohol. They will not readily speak and they will constantly seek isolation. In extreme cases, they may even become abusive for no apparent reason. There are rehab centres available, and it is important that you seek them out if you are having problems. Do everything you can to encourage the person in question to look into checking into alcohol rehab centres. By targeting the issue early, you can reduce the amount of damage caused by their alcoholism.