The Five Stages of Alcoholism

When it comes to alcoholism, it is worth pointing out that nobody actually chooses to become an alcoholic, nor is it something that one wakes up with one morning, having been perfectly fine the day before. There are actually five stages of alcoholism that a person will go through before he or she can be classed as an alcoholic.

While most individuals who drink alcohol do so in moderation, there are some who go on to develop a problem. Alcohol is a very addictive substance, and abuse of it can lead to addiction. But as with all addictions, it must start somewhere and the first stage of alcoholism is experimentation.

1.      Experimenting

Most people will decide to drink alcohol the very first time they try it. They may or may not like the taste or how it makes them feel. Experimentation often begins during the teenage years. Many high school students find that they are pressured into drinking by their peers, even if they do not want to. Most teenagers will never go on to have a problem with alcohol but those who drink it to feel better, escape painful memories, to relieve pain, or to reduce anxiety could go on to develop a dependence on the substance.

2.      Increased Tolerance

Building up a tolerance to alcohol is the second stage of this illness. As a person continues to drink alcohol, he or she will notice that the effects are lessened each time. This may mean that the individual needs to drink more to feel the effects that they once did while drinking less alcohol. The first time a person drinks alcohol, the body will speed up in order to resist the effects of this chemical substance. When the effects of the alcohol wear off, the body will have to compensate once more by slowing down. These chemical ups and downs can throw the body off balance, but it will fight to retain some semblance of normality.

As it adapts to the presence of alcohol, the person will need to drink more in order to get the feeling he or she expects. Each time, the body will adapt to the increasing amount of alcohol so that the person must keep drinking more to achieve the desired effect.

3.      Negative Consequences

As the stages of alcoholism progress, the person might notice that alcohol begins to have a negative impact on his/her life. In many instances, it is the family members and friends who first begin to notice that alcohol is causing problems.

As the individual continues to drink it could negatively affect his or her relationships with family members and friends, it could cause problems at work, and it could also result in financial difficulties. Alcohol also begins to have an adverse effect on health and could cause interrupted sleep, which can leave a person feeling anxious or depressed. Those who are in danger of developing an addiction to alcohol might find that they are drinking at times they would have previously considered inappropriate or else taking unnecessary risks while drinking.

If you have noticed that your drinking habits are causing problems in your life, you could be on the way to developing an alcohol addiction. Now is the perfect time to reach out for help and tackle this head on. Early intervention is the key to a successful recovery. If you act now, you could prevent the many physical and mental health problems that are heading your way if you continue with your addictive behaviour.

Here at Recovery.org.uk, we know the importance of early intervention when it comes to treating alcoholism. You do not have to go through the five stages of alcoholism if you have already become aware that a problem exists. Contact us now and let us help you overcome your problems before they spiral out of control.

4.      Dependence

As the brain and body get used to the presence of alcohol, it will continue to adapt until the person actually develops a physical dependence on it. This means that when the person is not drinking, he or she will experience withdrawal symptoms that can include sweating, headaches, shaking, nausea, and vomiting.

A psychological dependence may also occur. When this happens, the individual may feel that he or she ‘needs’ a drink in order to function. He or she might begin thinking about alcohol all of the time, and will begin to arrange their life around it.

5.      Addiction

Once the person has developed an addiction to alcohol, all control over consumption is gone. The person will drink because he or she needs it to either relieve the physical symptoms that occur when the effects wear off or because of a feeling of anxiety whenever he or she is not drinking.

When alcoholism occurs, the person will be unable to stop drinking even if he/she wanted to. The affected individual could begin to experience more and more health problems, which might include heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, depression, anxiety disorder, paranoia, dementia and cancer.

Recognising Alcoholism

Many people go through the stages of alcoholism without even realising. Some will be regular drinkers who do not really notice that they have been steadily increasing their level of alcohol consumption. Many are unaware of the dangers involved in drinking alcohol, and some are even of the opinion that a drink or two every day is beneficial to health.

Nonetheless, regular drinking can be very dangerous and it can lead to alcoholism. Government guidelines on alcohol consumption recommend that no more than fourteen units are consumed by male and female adults each week, with a number of days kept alcohol-free. If you are regularly drinking more than this amount, you could be on shaky ground and may need help for potential addiction.

If you or a loved one needs help for addiction, contact us here at Recovery.org.uk today.