Alcohol servers as well as everyday people should be able to recognise the signs of a problem drinker. If you are a bartender or waiter you want to be able to tell if a person has a problem and if you notice these signs in a friend or family member, you should take action for their wellbeing.

These are a few of the alarm bells:

1. They only visit places, people and events where they know there will be alcohol.
2. They suffer from withdrawal when they don’t have a drink for a few hours. Withdrawal symptoms include sweating, rapid heartbeat, anxiety and shakes.
3. The person’s tolerance to alcohol increases meaning they need to intake more alcohol to get drunk as compared to others.
4. The person craves alcohol and cannot rest until the craving is fulfilled.
5. Family and friends will recognise the symptom that they often make promises they don’t keep and miss special occasions and dates, uncharacteristically. They also lie quite a lot.

Moderate drinking is the only acceptable form, if a person finds themselves craving alcohol more than normal, they should consider a period of abstinence rather than risk developing an addiction that has the potential to destroy lives, relationships and a person’s health and may even result in death.