A psychiatrist and addiction specialist has outlined the key signs that a person may be developing alcohol dependence, from physical changes to shifts in behavior and social life.
Miroslava Chernyshova, speaking to the outlet UfaTime.ru, said the first visible sign is often appearance: facial puffiness, skin redness particularly on the cheeks and nose, visible broken capillaries, a dull or yellowish skin tone, early wrinkles, and loss of skin elasticity.
She added that alcohol dependence can also produce hand tremors, excessive sweating, worsening sleep quality, and problems with memory and concentration.
Chernyshova said behavioral changes are another indicator. A person with dependence begins looking for reasons to drink and cannot stop once they start. Over time, she noted, they also require increasingly larger amounts of alcohol to feel its effects.
The doctor said alcohol dependence eventually pulls a person away from their usual social circle, with money and time redirected toward drinking at the expense of family and other areas of life.
