L osing interest in personal appearance or hygiene. S uffering from poor health, e.g., loss of appetite, respiratory infections, nervousness. H aving several arrests for drunken driving or other alcohol-related incidents. S pending a great deal of time overcoming hangovers. I n final stages, experiencing grave social, financial, and personal damage.
Many people drink every day for a variety of reasons with no subsequent problems.
Alcoholism is a complex illness and involves symptoms that may be unrelated to time periods and drinking patterns. Not everyone exhibits the same symptoms. While lacking an exact definition, social drinking usually takes place with two or more participants, is satisfying to the drinker and participants, and does not impede the drinker's health, interpersonal relations, or economic functioning. A social drinker respects alcohol and its effect on the body, consumes alcohol according to family and social customs, and realizes that alcohol complements the pleasures of life. For the social drinker, drinking is not an end in itself but an accompaniment to other activities.