Books aplenty have been written on this subject. I will try to keep it brief and to the point.
Most alcoholics think they can handle their alcohol. They spend huge fortunes and hide it all over. They try to appear as social drinkers but it keeps increasing. It gets to the point that they need to start their day with a shot. Instead of a coffee, it might be a swig of Vodka. But not all alcoholics drink all day. You can be an alcoholic who doesn’t drink at all through the day but at the end of the work day, downs 3 bottles of wine. They consider it social drinking but can they imagine their evening without it? They are just as alcoholic as the person who takes a swig instead of coffee in the morning. They often think that they are not hurting anyone but they eventually do.
Alcoholics tend to spend a lot of time drinking, they crave alcohol and often suffer depression.
When one over indulges in alcohol, they can suffer from slurred or incoherent speech, poor balance and clumsiness, delayed reflexes, stomach ache, vomiting, nausea, black-outs and a red face. When alcohol is over indulged regularly, the symptoms get worse. They lose their control to not drink. They have debilitating hangovers and need an increase in time needed to recover from a drinking session. Their tolerance increase which means they need more alcohol to get the same feeling. They pay less attention to their personal and professional responsibilities. They will suffer from withdrawal symptoms when they cannot drink, yet they cannot stop drinking. They can also have medical complications. On long term drinkers, withdrawal symptoms include tremors, convulsions, or uncontrolled shaking of the hands or body, profuse sweating, agitation, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, vomiting, seizures and hallucinations.
The point that I want to end on is a very important one. Alcohol detoxification is very dangerous. It poses a greater risk than other drugs. Going “cold turkey” can risk DEATH! If it has to be done at home, decrease slowly. However, the best option is medical detoxification. Take alcoholism very very seriously!