Warning: This article contains discussion of alcoholism which some readers may find distressing
A NHS doctor has revealed six of the subtle signs which might reveal someone has an alcohol addiction.
When people talk about British culture, we often joke that it means having pints in the pub - but the reality isn't far off, with trips to the local no doubt a very big part of lots of people's lives here in the UK.
Although drinking only Dr Pepper is probably worse for you than the occasional pint, there are all sorts of health warnings attached to alcohol, and more and more young people are giving it up.
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But with Christmas approaching, there are plenty of folks who will be upping their alcohol intake in the next few months, and it's always worth keeping an eye on your mates who might be a little too keen to keep drinking.
Dr Dave Nichols, a NHS GP and medical adviser at MyHealthChecked, has revealed six potential signs of alcoholism to look out for.
What are the six signs of alcoholism?
1) Drink alcohol every day without thinking about it
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2) Binge-drink regularly
3) Only socialise where drink is involved
4) Drink regularly during the day
5) Find it annoying when others are not drinking
6) Drink more than the NHS guidelines every month.
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What are the NHS guidelines for drinking?
The NHS advise men and women not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis.
One unit equals 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol, which is around the amount of alcohol the average adult can process in an hour.
It's often difficult to keep track of how many units you've had depending on whether you're drinking shots, pints or from the bottle, but most pints equate to around two or three units.
What are the dangers of alcoholism?
Dr Nichols also spoke about the dangers of alcoholism, revealing the problems that can arise as a result of drinking regularly.
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He said: "Their body is dependent on alcohol. Alcoholics will usually develop physical and psychological symptoms if they stop drinking.
"Borderline alcoholics might experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, stress, anxiety, bad skin, trouble sleeping, irritability and higher blood pressure.
"They are early indicators that you need to significantly reduce your alcohol consumption.”
He added: "The most common long-term physical impacts of borderline alcoholism are abnormal liver function, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mental health problems, but these are often hidden diseases and patients are unaware of them until they progress."
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Please drink responsibly. If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence, contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110, 9am–8pm weekdays and 11am–4pm weekends for advice and support.
James Moorhouse