Spotting Closet Alcoholics

Everyone’s talking Diane Schuler … the drunk driver who killed 8 people including herself and her daughter.  Her husband said she’s not an alcoholic.  Is it possible someone you love is an alcoholic and you don’t know?

Right now … Drinking is one the rise.  We’re all stressed about the economy right?  In fact, the FBI says that, nationally, the number of women arrested for DUI was 28.8% higher in 2007 than it was in 1998, while it was 7.5% lower for men.

Why?  Men break down three times as much alcohol in their stomach than women do.  That means ladies … if you’re going toe to toe with your boyfriend at the bar … you’re probably three times as sloshed.  Now … if you’re an alcoholic … all bets are off … your body can consume great amounts.  Most people who have consumed as much as Diane Shuler consumed that night would have been unconscious … or at least … not functioning enough to drive a car.

1 in 3 Americans abuse alcohol.  SO … how to you spot an alcoholic under your nose? Or … are you an alcoholic?

The first sign that you may have a problem with alcohol is the fact you’re even toying with the question. This is right out of AA.

What are the warning signs?  Here are the top five:

1. You drink specifically to become intoxicated or to forget your problems.  There’s a difference between wanted to get a little buzz … and wanted to get numb. This is a fine line … a friend saying “oh my god, what a tough day … I need a drink” may not qualify.

2. You stash alcohol in unlikely places. Hiding a bottle under bed … not normal.  Let’s be clear.

3. You prefer to drink when you’re alone or keep your alcohol consumption a secret.   If you’re consuming enough alcohol to be loopy in an hour or less … you’re going over to the dark side.

4. Problems have arisen at work, school, home, or with the legal system because of your drinking.  This is a big one.  If you’re not functioning at work or school because of alcohol on a regular basis … you’ve got a real problem.

5. You frequently experience memory loss or blackouts as a result of heavy drinking.

If two or more of these statements sound like you, the bad news is that you likely do have an alcohol abuse problem. However, this doesn’t necessarily indicate an alcohol addiction. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, these four symptoms point to addiction.

4 Warning Signs of Alcoholism

1. An increasing tolerance to alcohol.

2. The inability to stop drinking once you start

3. Strong urges or cravings to drink.

4. Experiencing withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, nausea, shakiness, and cold sweats when you don’t have a drink.

Most of us have heard about the support out there for alcohol addiction:

alcoholics-anonymous.org is usually the place to start.

But there are some serious health concerns associate with excessive drinking as well.  Yeah, we know about the beer belly, but heavy drinking can also cause vitamin deficiencies, loss of appetite, liver damage, sexual impotency, pregnancy complications, and can even put you at risk for heart disease and certain types of cancer.

The key here … is the damage it does to your liver. Do you know what your liver even does?  Most don’t. Basically, the Liver not only bags up the garbage from the body but it also throws the garbage out.  An unhealthy liver doesn’t completely detoxify free-radicals … substances in the body that are out to cause damage.

The good news … the Liver is the only organ in the body that regenerates, you can loose or donate 60% of your Liver and it will grow back. We don’t really come with too many spare parts….So you don’t want to take your liver for granted. Once it’s damaged beyond a certain point your SOL…

How to help the liver?

Herbs like Milk Thistle have very strong antioxidant properties to help support liver function … but beware, not all herbs are good for the liver: Kava and Comfrey can cause liver damage, always seek professional advice before embarking on a regime.

Amino Acids like L-Arginine help to increase vascular function of the blood vessels increasing the nutrients going to the liver reducing injury to the tissue

Vitamins like Alpha Lipoic Acid help to re-circulate Vitamin C and Vitamin E, two very important potent anti-oxidants produced in the body to support liver function.

And obviously … stop abusing alcohol.  Easier said than done.