The distinction between heavy drinking and alcoholism is typically based not on the quantity that is being drunk but on the way, the drinking is affecting the life of the drinker. There are seven key signs of alcohol dependence:

1. The person develops a tolerance for alcohol. This means that it takes more and more alcohol to feel the same level of intoxication.

2. The person has withdrawal symptoms. This means that they feel sick when there is no alcohol in their body. These symptoms include nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety.

3. The person often drinks more than he does or she had originally intended to drink.

4. The person attempts to cut down or to stop drinking but all attempts on their own are failures and they just continue to drink more and more.

5. The person spends a lot of time and effort making sure he or she can get alcohol.

6. The person gives up opportunities for social, recreational, and professional activities because of their drinking.

7. The person continues to drink despite having physical and psychological problems because of the drinking.
For the purposes of diagnosis among professional diagnosticians, if a person has three of these seven signs then they are considered alcohol dependent. There are some other "less official" type signs that can be used to determine if someone is drinking too much.

* The person begins to miss work or is less successful at work.
* The person seems angry or sad a lot.
* The person hits or physically abuses members of the family.
* The person emotionally abuses members of the family.
* The person has blackouts (cannot remember what he or she did while drunk).
* The person has hangovers (feels really sick the day after drinking).

Alcoholism doe not go away by itself so it is extremely important for friends and family members who recognize any combination of these symptoms or signs to encourage the person to seek treatment. In the long-term alcoholism can cause cirrhosis and cancer of the liver, heart and central nervous system damage, memory loss, impotence and a high risk of over dosing. People who abuse alcohol may not want to admit that they have a problem because they are ashamed or embarrassed or maybe even they do not want to change their lifestyle.

Alcoholism can affect anyone and does not discriminate based on race, age, or circumstances. It is a treatable disease, but the person seeking treatment must be willing to give it up entirely. The treatment community for alcoholism typically supports a zero tolerance complete abstinence-based approach to treatment. Research has shown that very few alcoholics can simply cut down on their drinking and be able to know when they have had enough and can stop. Once that tolerance is built up, the body craves the feeling of intoxication and the only way to rid the body of those cravings is through total abstinence. Alcoholism, most importantly, is a treatable disease. I cannot always be controlled but there are large success rates with treatment. The alcoholic must remember that they will still have the disease even if they are no longer drinking and they will always be considered to be "recovering".