Shakes & Other Signs You Are an Alcoholic

By Laura Latzko, eHow Contributor

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1. • Alcoholism is a disease that is characterized by a physical dependence on alcohol. About 17.6 million people in the United States suffer from alcoholism or have problems with alcohol addiction or dependence, according to MedlinePlus in 2010. Alcoholism is a chronic disease that can put people at risk for liver, stomach, heart, kidney, bone and central nervous system problems. There are physical and psychological symptoms that show if you suffer from alcoholism.

   Tremors

   • One of the main physical symptoms of alcoholism is tremors, or involuntary shaking movements, in your hands and sometimes other parts of your body. People develop tremors because their bodies are reacting to a physical withdrawal from alcohol. If you drink alcohol heavily for a long period of time, your body may start to experience delirium tremors, shakiness throughout your body caused by changes in your brain, between 72 hours and 10 days after you have had your last drink, according to MedlinePlus. Along with delirium tremors, you may experience seizures, hallucinations, mood swings, fatigue, strong headaches, palpitations and/or other symptoms.

   Physical Sickness

   • Alcoholism often causes people to feel physically ill in such a way that they develop headaches, feel nauseous, have problems sleeping, vomit and/or sweat heavily. These are other symptoms that show that you are suffering from withdrawal from alcohol. As a result of these physical symptoms, you may feel strong emotions, such as anxiety, depression, anger, guilt, annoyance, irritability and other negative feelings. These emotions can cause you to have problems communicating with friends and family members, and you may develop strained relationships with them.

   Cravings and Dependence

   • Alcoholics often experience cravings for alcohol that are so intense that they want to have alcohol regularly or daily. These cravings can cause you to think about alcohol and find ways to get the drug regularly. You may also have problems stopping drinking once you have started. If you are an alcoholic, you probably can no longer control your alcohol consumption. You likely also have developed a dependence on alcohol that causes you to need to drink more than you used to in order to get the same high. You may put yourself at risk by driving, engaging in suicidal behavior, becoming violent toward others or putting yourself at risk in other ways when you are drinking. The cravings for alcohol may also cause you to have trouble concentrating on work and school, and your performance at your workplace or school may suffer to the point where you get bad grades and/or risk your job.

   Psychological Changes

   • Drinking for a long period of time can affect the functions of your brain in such a way that certain parts of your brain do not work as well as they once did. You may have trouble remembering events in your life, forget important commitments or think that you are hearing or seeing things that do not exist because of your alcohol consumption. The longer you drink and the more alcohol that you consume, the more "blackout" episodes you are likely to have. If you are an alcoholic, you may also start to feel depressed and no longer have an interest in activities in which you once participated, such as sports or other hobbies. You may also experience lowered inhibitions, which can cause you to have unprotected sex and put yourself at risk for pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases.

Read more: Shakes & Other Signs You Are an Acoholic | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_5925612_shakes-_amp_-other-signs-acoholic.html#ixzz1PxmiZsyj