At the very beginning of a relationship, a woman often wears pink glasses. She sees the image of an ideal man in her lover and may miss the alarming “bells” saying that her boyfriend loves to drink or is already suffering from alcohol addiction. How do you recognize the first signs that your new partner is an alcoholic?
Desire to relieve stress with alcohol
The life of a modern person is filled with stress. Most often, worries are caused by excessive workload or active communication with people. Tension builds up in the body and over time the mind and body need relaxation.
If your lover’s position is associated with great responsibility, the need to make quick decisions or social contacts, be on the lookout. Pay attention to how your boyfriend prefers to spend his free time and to relax.
If he goes to a club, cafe, or restaurant with his friends every Friday with the obligatory use of alcohol and he is looking forward to this event, this is a sign of the first stage of alcohol addiction. It is even worse when you accompany him and do not interfere with the weekly alcohol events.
Why does drinking alcohol cause feelings of pleasure and delight? Alcohol molecules, penetrating into the intracellular environment, freely reach tissue cells and neurons, activating the work of brain receptors. The production of dopamine, the hormone of joy that is responsible for positive emotions, increases. A person becomes cheerful, he wants to communicate, sing, or dance.
If you drink alcohol regularly, your body gets used to constant stimulation and stops producing the hormone on its own. Addiction develops. Since dopamine can no longer work in a balanced way, it is difficult for a person to control his behavior, and the dose gets higher.
If your lover appreciates the relationship, you can use your influence and help him get out of the alcohol loop: persuade him to undergo treatment, find other ways to relieve stress (sports, music, etc.). Otherwise, the first “bells” will eventually turn into a battle of anxiety for the family and their lives.
Lack of spiritual interests
Do you often go to the cinema together, to exhibitions, go to the countryside (without alcohol) or play sports? See if your man has a hobby. Perhaps he enjoys board games, crosswords, wood carving, or cooking? When the desire to go to a bar and have a drink exceeds spiritual interests, this is the first sign of alcohol addiction.
If you love a man and want to start a family with him, introduce him to lofty values and a healthy lifestyle. Stimulate the production of dopamine and other pleasure hormones in ways that have no side effects.
The best way is to do sports. During physical workouts, there is always an adrenaline rush, there is a feeling of light “drive”. You can go for a walk together in the fresh air, play volleyball or go to the fitness club.
Attend exhibitions and courses together. Along with the feeling of joy, dopamine is responsible for the satisfaction of rewards and recognition. When we learn something new, we receive information that captivates us, our mood improves, and the process of perception itself grabs us no worse than alcohol. The only condition is that creative meetings, lectures, educational projects should be really interesting to your man.
They love alcohol in their environment
Even if your boyfriend deliberately avoids alcohol, but his friends love alcohol, over time, the man can change for the worse. Under the pressure of the environment, he can try strong drinks several times, and in the future, he will not be able to live without them.
Regular alcohol intake disrupts metabolism. The body gets used to stimulating the receptors, and it becomes harder and harder to stop drinking alcohol.
Gradually change your man’s environment. Invite him to a company where they know how to have fun without alcohol, attend creative meetings with artists and writers.
He never knows the norm
People who drink alcohol fall into 2 categories. The first ones know how to dispense alcohol and are limited to 1-2 glasses at lunch. The second category will drink until consciousness starts to fade.
If your loved one is often intoxicated, it’s time to seriously think about it. In the future, with the slightest stress, a man may go into a binge or regularly look for a reason to drink. Remember that alcohol addiction disrupts hormones, making it harder and harder for a person to control themselves.
He can drink alone
If you often notice that your boyfriend is drinking alone, this is another dysfunctional call. A person who is not addicted will not do that. The provocateur is the desire to experience cheerfulness, delight, and a surge of strength again and again. Since alcohol gives the fastest “access” to these feelings, the man will try to reach out for a glass in any free time.
During the period of dating, take off your “pink glasses” from time to time and look closely at the person with whom you plan to connect your life. Timely noticed signs of addiction in a boyfriend will help to avoid a tragedy.