Drinking alcohol excessively can lead you to ruin your life. It's not rare — it happens to tens of thousands of people yearly. Drinking alcohol can create issues that build up gradually over time, leading to dire consequences.

I'm going to share 10 signs that alcohol may be negatively impacting your life, and these indicators became evident to me when I was approaching a challenging period. I'm grateful that I recognized them, as I can only imagine the potential consequences if I hadn't. Given that I experienced these signs, likely others may also identify with them.

If you can spot these signs, it's entirely possible to break the cycle and embark on a journey to sobriety. So, without further ado, let's delve into the details of my story.

#1. Friends and family start commenting on your alcohol intake.

If your spouse, partner, family, or friends have commented, or are starting to comment more frequently on your alcohol consumption, there may be a good reason for their concern. Often, they're not bringing it up just to be awkward. In my case, my partner subtly began mentioning my alcohol consumption, initially in a casual manner. However, it evolved to the point where it became a topic every time we socialized.

For instance, even when we were just at home on a Saturday night, he would notice my alcohol intake, saying things like, "Babe, you've had 10 bottles of beer now. Is that right?" As someone with a history of a poor relationship with alcohol, this triggered a defensive response in me. I wanted to stay in denial and believed my drinking was normal.

The situation escalated when my partner started commenting on my alcohol consumption during dinners, where I'd often have four to five pints of beer to his one cocktail. Concerned about my well-being, he would ask if I had a rough day or if everything was okay. Again, I became defensive, unwilling to acknowledge any potential issues.

This pattern continued at social events, parties, or barbecues, where I'd get excessively drunk in a short time, exhibiting loud and sometimes embarrassing behavior. My partner noticed the change in my attitude and demeanor, expressing genuine concern. Despite waking up with feelings of shame and regret over my actions, it didn't deter my desire to drink.

These examples highlight how someone close to me noticed my escalating alcohol consumption and its impact on my life. It's important to discern between genuine concern from loved ones and unwarranted anxiety. If those close to you express worry about your drinking habits, it's crucial to reflect on your behavior and consider if there's an underlying issue that needs attention.

#2. Frequently drinking alcohol alone.

I used to travel and live in hotels as part of my business, and I would visit a bar every single night, having a couple of beers with dinner. However, the issue didn't stop there. I would continue drinking, consuming between four and six beers, and embarking on a little bar-hopping venture to explore the city I was in. It was an exciting experience for me.

If on a particular night I didn't feel like being in public due to overwhelming anxiety — often exacerbated by alcohol — I would decide to leave and head to the grocery store to pick up some beers for my hotel room. While it's normal to come home, turn on the TV, and unwind with a glass or two of wine after a long day, there's a significant difference between that and consuming an entire bottle of wine. If this becomes a regular occurrence a few nights a week, it signals a problem.

A notable red flag is when you primarily used to drink socially, but now you find yourself drinking more frequently at home alone. I experienced this shift, and there was a valid reason behind it. It's essential to delve deeper into the issue. What triggers the decision to drink alone at home more frequently than when socializing with friends or work colleagues? It could be an underlying issue in your life.

Take a moment to assess what's happening in your life. Is work causing stress and burnout? Do you have an overwhelming workload or responsibilities at work that you're handling almost single-handedly? Are there challenging projects from your boss adding to your stress? Is your personal life, specifically your relationship, creating difficulties that lead you to seek solace in alcohol?

Whether it's work-related stress, personal challenges, or a combination of factors, it's crucial to explore the root causes behind the increased frequency of drinking alone at home. Acknowledging and addressing these triggers is a crucial step toward a healthier relationship with alcohol.

#3. You start hiding drinking alcohol from loved ones.

Full transparency disclosure: I remember concealing my alcohol consumption from my partner at the time. He would inform me that he was on his way home, and I knew I had approximately 30 minutes from his departure from work to his arrival at our door. During this time frame, I would decide to have a couple of beers. I'd open the fridge, crack open a bottle, and challenge myself to consume one to two beers before he got home. Strangely, I derived a sense of excitement and adrenaline from this covert behavior — it felt like a daring challenge to avoid getting caught.

I even took precautions like chewing gum to mask the smell, ensuring that when he walked in, he wouldn't immediately detect the scent of beer. If he were to ask if I had been drinking, I was ready with my chewing gum alibi. Once he entered, I would extend an invitation for him to join me in a glass of wine, all the while discreetly pulling out the wine bottle from the fridge. This routine served as subtle permission for me to continue drinking. However, in his world, he remained oblivious to the fact that I had already consumed one or two beers during the brief time between leaving the office and arriving home. By then, I was already feeling the effects.

Occasionally, I would make a stop at the grocery store on my way home to pick up necessities like food or other essentials. In those instances, I would grab a can of beer and drink it in my car in the parking lot before heading home. While I didn't engage in this behavior frequently, I justified it to myself, granting some leniency to avoid acknowledging that I might have an issue with alcohol.

There were also times when I would discreetly have a beer or a shot at the bar while my partner went to the restroom. The rush of doing something covert before he returned provided a sense of thrill because I had successfully gotten away with it. Though your actions may not reach the extent of what I did on occasion to hide my alcohol consumption, if you find yourself concealing your drinking in any way, there's likely an underlying problem that needs exploration. Engaging in such behavior indicates that there may be an issue that needs attention.

#4. Alcohol threshold increases.

Number four: Your alcohol tolerance increases significantly. The ability to abuse anything often implies the development of tolerance. In the context of alcohol abuse, individuals become desensitized to its effects. This means that over time, you need to consume more alcohol than you previously did to achieve the same level of intoxication. If you find yourself drinking to take the edge off, relax, or unwind, and you've noticed that the amount you once considered sufficient no longer achieves the desired effect, requiring you to drink more, it's a concerning sign.

Drawing a line becomes crucial in this scenario. It's essential to remember that alcohol is essentially poison, and many people overlook its detrimental effects. Not only do they not care about it, but they also don't often think about it. This is not to preach, but it's important to recognize that alcohol can cause damage to both the brain and body, and its impact doesn't remain constant with each drink. Instead, it worsens progressively with increased consumption.

#5. Alcohol-related legal problems.

Now, I can't say I ever got into any legal trouble as a result of my alcohol consumption because I absolutely didn't. Sure, I got into some shenanigans here and there, being a bit mischievous — you know, Jack the lad. However, I never engaged in bar fights, domestic violence issues, or abusing people. That's just not in my nature. I know I was a whisker away from potentially getting into legal trouble on some occasions, but thankfully, I still had enough composure to stay clear of any problems. With just one or two more drinks, though, I could have found myself in deep waters.

For some of you, however, luck might not have been on your side. Alcohol does lower inhibitions, impair judgment, and affect decision-making, causing some people to act or do things they wouldn't when sober. This spectrum can range from offending someone you love or a random stranger to becoming physically violent, among other possibilities. If you find yourself getting into legal trouble based on your alcohol intake, it's a matter that should be taken seriously.

Many individuals use alcohol to self-medicate, often grappling with inner demons and struggling to navigate through emotional pain. Speaking from my own experience, eight years ago, I underwent significant trauma, and I'm still working on healing from it. I used alcohol as a means to escape that pain, a way to self-medicate when I didn't know how to navigate through the emotional trauma. Alcohol became my pacifier, soothing me in times of distress. I know I'm not alone in this, so if you're finding yourself in legal trouble due to alcohol consumption, it's crucial to delve deeper, identifying the root causes and reasons behind your actions. Understanding and addressing these underlying issues is essential for real and lasting change.

#6. Skin issues from drinking alcohol.

Long-term alcohol use can cause the skin to dry out and lose its luster and shine because it dehydrates you. Many people don't realize that alcohol is a diuretic, causing increased water loss through urine. Consequently, the skin becomes dry, and individuals may develop blemishes and blotches, appearing unhealthy and lacking hydration.

Additionally, alcohol can lead to bloating, causing a bloated face. I experienced this when I used to drink alcohol, despite maintaining a relatively acceptable diet and working out three to four days a week. Working out while consuming alcohol was likely a recipe for disaster because I was losing a significant amount of fluids and minerals through sweating while also being dehydrated due to alcohol's diuretic effects.

Broken capillaries around the nose and cheeks are common in those who drink frequently, and rosacea can also develop. This skin condition leads to an overall reddening of the complexion. The development of broken capillaries and rosacea doesn't happen overnight; it builds up gradually over time. I vividly recall waking up one morning, looking in the mirror, and noticing broken capillaries around my nose. Needless to say, I was not pleased, primarily because I knew it was a result of my excessive alcohol intake. It was at that point that I had to admit I was drinking excessively.

#7. Drinking alcohol impacts personal and professional responsibilities.

Now, these are typically areas where you observe gradual, subtle changes over time. It's rarely something catastrophic that happens overnight, and it manifests in various aspects of your life, including home life, work life, and school life.

For instance, it could involve neglecting household chores like keeping the house clean and tidy. Dishes might be left around, and laundry may go undone, accumulating over time until you find yourself facing several days' worth of dishes and a week's worth of laundry. Before you know it, your home looks like a mess. This often occurs because many people's focus is solely on drinking, especially after a stressful day at work or a lengthy commute. They come back, have a few beers or a bottle of wine, and everything else gets neglected.

As the weekend rolls around, a lot of people, driven by the anticipation of more alcohol, continue to neglect household chores. Living for the weekend becomes a common pattern. The laundry, washing up, and tidying of the house all fall by the wayside, leading to an increasingly neglected living space that becomes challenging to bounce back from.

For others, alcohol intake can start affecting their work environment. They may forget to complete important tasks, fail to follow up on crucial matters, become less organized and structured, and even arrive late to the office more frequently. The impact varies from person to person, and these changes can be subtle and easily overlooked until the sudden realization hits that an essential task for your boss went undone for the third time in four weeks — a departure from your usual performance.

The brain fog resulting from alcohol is very real. I personally experienced walking around with what felt like a permanent cloud over my eyes and in my brain. Forgetfulness during meetings was common, reaching a point where I'd be mid-sentence and forget what I wanted to say, causing significant embarrassment. Mistakes on legal agreements requiring client signatures were routine, leading to multiple on-the-spot amendments. This heightened my anxiety, resulting in profuse sweating and turning the entire situation into a complete and utter disaster.

#8. Weight loss and weight gain.

People who abuse alcohol can experience weight loss because they prioritize alcohol over nutritionally dense food. Alcohol can also reduce and suppress appetite in some individuals, especially those who graze or nibble on their preferred snacks throughout the day. This appetite suppression occurs because alcohol reduces blood sugar levels and produces hormones that curb hunger.

Individuals who abuse alcohol often lose weight because they may not prioritize sitting down for proper meals. Instead, they might opt for a bottle of wine and graze on a few chips, snacks, or nuts. This lifestyle choice lacks proper nutrition and results in consuming empty calories from alcohol, contributing to a gangly, skinny appearance due to the absence of real food.

On the flip side, some individuals can easily gain weight due to the hidden calories in alcoholic beverages. Many people may not realize the caloric content of alcoholic drinks, and if consumed in addition to three standard meals a day, it can lead to a calorie surplus and weight gain. For example, a glass of wine can range from 100 to 300 calories, depending on the sugar content.

Consider the scenario of having two eight-ounce glasses of white wine every night, totaling an additional 300 calories per day. This adds up to an extra 2,100 calories per week from wine alone, not accounting for potential increased consumption on weekends. It's crucial to note that approximately 3,500 additional calories can lead to gaining one pound of fat. While this is not a universal formula for every individual, it provides a rough estimate.

Taking a closer look at a lifestyle involving regular alcohol consumption, where three meals are consumed daily alongside two glasses of wine in the evening and potentially more on weekends, it becomes evident how easy it is to accumulate excess calories and gain weight. The impact may not seem significant at first, but over time, this repeated pattern can lead to noticeable weight gain.

#9. Experiencing more relationship issues.

I've never seen or heard of anyone with a problematic relationship with alcohol who doesn't also face issues in their relationships. It just goes hand in hand, and I speak from personal experience. While relationships naturally come with challenges due to our human nature, alcohol introduces a completely different ball game. It's often used to mask unresolved pain or trauma, providing a quick dopamine hit and a form of self-medication.

However, the issue arises when one suppresses their pain using alcohol, projecting it onto the people in their lives — whether romantic partners, parents, siblings, friends, or colleagues.

The alarming thing is that Ie encountered individuals with an extremely dysfunctional relationship with alcohol who genuinely believe nothing is wrong with them. They think their behavior is normal and deny any inner pain. While some might not acknowledge their pain, it usually happens for a reason; we're not born to excessively drink alcohol and develop problematic relationships with it.

I've observed this even with work colleagues. Although I might not know them on a personal level, speaking to them daily over months or years allows me to grasp their mental and emotional state. Recognizing certain behaviors, speech patterns, and actions reveals the dynamics in their home life, indicating that things aren't healthy. Past pain often projects into our present, consciously or not. So, if you're experiencing relationship issues and alcohol is involved, it's crucial to take a step back and identify the root causes. Is the same pattern repeating itself? Are trust issues or emotional and physical abuse recurring themes?

These are just a couple of examples of how alcohol can contribute to relationship problems. If you find that alcohol is impacting your relationship, whether you're the one affected or causing the impact, change is necessary. Things are likely to worsen unless the relationship with alcohol transforms. Again, I speak from personal experience in this matter.

#10. Reckless behavior from drinking alcohol.

Now, we all know that alcohol consumption can lead to reckless behavior because it disrupts the thought process. The prefrontal cortex in our brain shuts down when we consume alcohol, responsible for decision-making and judgments. When which is hat capability diminishes, our inhibitions lower, and things can get a little dicey.

Lowered inhibitions can transform a person, essentially leading to a personality transplant. I've witnessed this firsthand with many people over the years, and I can name several off the top of my head. Even with just one drink, it's as if they've undergone a personality transformation, becoming the polar opposite of their sober selves.

Reckless behavior can manifest in various ways, such as driving under the influence of alcohol, engaging in physical altercations, or being unfaithful, to name a few. Despite knowing that these actions are inappropriate when under the influence, alcohol tends to override our better judgment, leading us to act against our better knowledge. The issue is that engaging in reckless behavior under the influence of alcohol can have severe consequences, potentially causing harm to others or, worse, leading to fatalities.

If you find yourself exhibiting reckless behavior after consuming alcohol, it's crucial to step back and assess your actions. Such behavior can result in serious harm to others or even lead to fatalities, and taking responsibility for one's actions is imperative.