There are many symptoms of severe drinking problem. Such symptoms may vary from person to person. But there are some major symptoms which will be helpful in detecting the severity of alcoholism. Alcohol dependence or alcoholism will show the following symptoms:

1. The drinker will begin to neglect social or other recreational activities due to heavy alcohol consumption.
2. He\she will start drinking more frequently and that too in larger amounts.
3. The drinker will not be able to control drinking.
4. he\she will continue to drink even though he\she recognized that some problems begin to develop in his\her body due to heavy alcohol use.
5. The drinker will enjoy the activities which are related with drinking.
6. The drinker will show some withdrawal symptoms of nausea, sweating and shakiness when he tries to stop drinking.
7. The tolerance level of the body to alcohol increases and so the drinker will not feel content in consuming the regular amount of alcohol.

Symptoms of alcoholism are really warning signs that the body and mind are experiencing some serious problems. Hence it is not advisable to ignore the symptoms. Some physical symptoms of alcoholism are described below:

1. The person's body will start to develop tolerance to alcohol. Increased tolerance is a clear sign of alcoholism.
2. The person may feel pain in abdomen.
3. Nausea and vomiting may occur.
4. The person will have red eyes and puffy face.
5. He may experience some liver problems including liver swelling.
6. Numbness in arms may also present.

These physical symptoms can be observed by the family members and close friends. The drinker will himself can recognize the symptoms. This is the first step towards treatment to alcoholism. In fact, alcoholism will not only show physical symptoms but some mental symptoms will also appear. The severe drinker will get anxiety, depression, irritability and sleeping disorders. The psychological problems will increase as he continues to drink and the person will experience traumatic effects.

Some other signs of alcoholism are as follows:

1. The person will lose control instead of his efforts to control drinking.
2. The person will drink alone or in secret. He will hide alcohol in some secret places.
3. He will gulp alcohol instead of sipping.
4. He will have the desire to drink more than his friends in the social events.

Some warning signs of alcoholism are discussed below:

If the person lies about the amount of alcohol consumption, then it will be a warning sign of alcoholism. The drinker will feel hangover in the morning and to drive out it he will drink again in the morning. This is however a serious sign of alcoholism. Frequent blackouts may be the sign of alcohol abuse. If the person consumes alcohol as a way to get rid of stress, then it will lead him to alcoholism. If the family members and friends continue to criticize the person for his drinking habit, then it may be a sign of alcoholism. If the drinker is facing legal, financial and family problems due to his heavy drinking habit, then it will be a serious sign of alcoholism.

The drinker can determine at what stage of alcoholism he is in by analyzing the symptoms he has. In modern world, treatment to alcoholism is also available. But the willingness of the drinker to quit the habit is the essential step in the treatment.