The symptoms of alcoholism can vary from person to person.  A few or all of the symptoms of alcoholism listed below may be present in an alcoholic.

Early Stages:

• Activities are planned around drinking
• Sneaking drinks or hiding alcohol usage
• Drinking occurs to relieve stress
• Blackouts, the inability to recall or remember events or parts of time that happened while drinking
• More and more thoughts about alcohol
• More and more alcohol is required to feel drunk

Middle Stages:

• Lack of ability to keep promises
• Refusal to admit a drinking problem
• Drinking more than planned
• Drinking immediately after awakening from sleep
• Personality changes or mood swings
• Attempting to control drinking with mind games (ex. Telling one’s self not to drink prior to noon)

Late Stages:

• Severe withdrawal symptoms, such as delirium tremens