Millions of Germans drink too much – 6 warning signs that indicate alcohol addiction

• In the video: Why alcohol hits women harder – and what that means

"I'm an alcoholic and I'm sick. It's a problem I have to change. But it won't happen overnight," Nadja Abd el Farag said in 2015 on the show "RTL Exclusiv." At the time, she wanted to get sober. She said in an interview with "Bild" that same year that she hid champagne bottles from her ex, Dieter Bohlen. She didn't drink hard liquor, but "I did have my two or three glasses of white wine several evenings a week."

Despite her best intentions, Abd el Farag has now presumably died from the consequences of her alcohol abuse. As announced on May 12, 2025, she died of organ failure at the age of 60. This was preceded by liver cirrhosis, which had been diagnosed years earlier. Doctors refer to this condition when the liver becomes severely scarred, for example, due to heavy alcohol consumption.

The problem: Drinking alcohol is accepted in our society and even encouraged in many situations. A glass of wine or a bottle of beer with friends, a toast at a birthday party, a cocktail at a club – in many situations, alcohol simply seems to be part of the experience.

Those who slip into addiction often don't realize it until it's already too late. Alexander Glahn is an addiction medicine specialist and specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy. He lists six warning signs:

1. Priorities are determined by alcohol: "If, for example, someone has many hobbies and suddenly stops pursuing them in favor of alcohol consumption, or only seeks out hobbies that are linked to alcohol - for example, they tend to go to football matches because they always drink a crate of beer afterwards, but they themselves don't play that much anymore - then that is a characteristic."
2. Ignoring health problems: "If you have health problems and continue to consume alcohol, that's also a sign. For example, if you go to your doctor and your liver values ​​are elevated, possibly due to alcohol, and you continue to consume despite being aware of the dangers, that's also a typical indicator of addiction."
3. Tolerance development: "Another criterion is that you need more and more to achieve the desired effect. For example, you may be more open in your environment or more relaxed in the evenings."
4. Loss of control: "When you no longer stop after half a bottle of wine, but say, 'Oh, I can drink the whole thing now.' That's called loss of control. It's a warning sign, and family members will also notice it when you say, 'Man, he's drinking and he won't stop.'"
5. Withdrawal symptoms: "More advanced, there is a strong urge to use and what is known as cravings. These are withdrawal symptoms such as sweating or restlessness. People then become very thin-skinned and tactile, and their personality structure also changes."
6. Morning consumption: "One of the strongest warning signs, regardless of the substance, is morning consumption. If you ask the question, 'Man, does this have to be in the morning?', then all alarm bells should ring. That's always a marker."

Family members often suffer from a loved one's addiction, too. And they often feel powerless. What can you do if you notice the warning signs not in yourself, but in friends, colleagues, or your own family?

Family members can also contact the counseling centers mentioned above. Further help can be found here:

Collaboration: Simon Knolmayer