| Are you an alcoholic? When do you know you have | | | | That's just the beginning. You start to shut out the |
| become addicted? | | | | family and your friends. You shut out everything |
| Drinking alcohol excessively for a long period of time | | | | except the alcohol. The long term effects of alcohol |
| has a lot of risks to your health. The amount of | | | | become more serious as time goes by. |
| alcohol you drink at a sitting and the extent of overall | | | | You could lose your job. You could lose your family. |
| times you do this will determine the amount of | | | | You have already lost your self respect and your self |
| damage done to your body. | | | | esteem. |
| If you are not a heavy drinker and only drink 1-2 | | | | More serious than anything else though, is your health |
| drinks a sitting a couple of times a week, you would | | | | status. Alcohol addiction causes many health |
| not be considered an alcoholic If your drinking | | | | problems. The most extreme and most serious |
| becomes more and more each time and more often, | | | | problem is Cirrhosis of the liver. When this problem |
| and you continue this habit over a long period of | | | | occurs, it is incurable. |
| time, you will eventually become addicted to alcohol. | | | | Other organs affected include the pancreas, |
| You increase your body tolerance each time you | | | | stomach, throat, esophagus, and the brain. Excessive |
| have a drink. | | | | alcohol intake has been linked to cancers of these |
| 1. Your family life begins to crumble. | | | | organs. Women who consume alcohol excessively are |
| 2. You become depressed. | | | | at a higher risk of breast cancer. If these are not |
| 3. Your anxiety will increasingly become worse. | | | | enough reasons for anyone to think twice about |
| 4. You will be unable to sleep as well as you did | | | | continuing to drink excessively, then you are probably |
| before. | | | | too far gone. You should immediately contact a |
| 5. You start to lose your self esteem. | | | | health official and get into a program as quickly as |
| 6. Your friends avoid you. | | | | you can. At this point, you cannot do it on your own. |
| 7. You have problems at work. | | | | |