Addiction to alcohol does not happen overnight or without warning. Becoming addicted to alcohol is a process, and often it is a slow one. Many people do not even notice how much alcohol affects them until years after they began drinking. They often make excuses for their behavior, defending their alcohol abuse or completely ignoring the signs that a drinking problem is developing.
What is Alcohol Addiction?
According to the American Psychiatric Association, addiction is a brain disease that is a complex condition. It is chronic and progressive and affects the person’s mind and body. People with an alcohol addiction are so intensely focused on drinking that it eventually controls their life, regardless of any harmful consequences. They cannot stop drinking even though they are aware of the problems it is causing.
The Five Stages of Alcohol Addiction
By being aware of how a person progresses through the five stages of alcohol addiction, you will be able to identify the current stage and get the addiction treatment you or your loved one needs.
Stage 1: Experimenting and Binge Drinking
Experimenting with alcohol is the first stage of alcohol addiction. This stage often occurs during the teenage years or in early adulthood. Generally, most people in this stage are relatively new to drinking and are not sure of their own limits. They may begin to drink large amounts of alcohol or drink more often, pushing beyond the limits of what they are able to handle. At this stage, consuming alcohol is mostly social, and binge drinking is common. If you find that you are drinking to feel better, reduce anxiety, relieve physical pain, or escape bad thoughts or feelings, there is reason for you to be cautious.
Stage 2: Increased Tolerance to Alcohol
A person enters the second stage of alcohol addiction when they begin to drink more often. They begin to develop a tolerance to the alcohol and need to drink more to get the same feeling they got in the beginning. For example, in the first stage, it may have only taken two beers to feel the effects of the alcohol. Now it takes five, then ten, then fifteen, and so on. Sometimes shots of vodka, whiskey, or other heavier forms of alcohol are taken to get a quicker “high.”
During this stage, some drinking still takes place in social situations, but many people begin to hide or lie about their drinking. They may begin to have feelings of guilt and develop a psychological dependence. The person needs to drink to have a good time, unwind at the end of the day, or face a difficult task. In many cases, people use alcohol daily in this stage.
Stage 3: Problem Drinking
A person enters the third stage of alcohol addiction when problems result from their drinking. The problems could be social, emotional, physical, legal, or financial. During this stage, people often take risks, such as driving under the influence or having unprotected sex. They may drink at work, while driving, or while caring for children. Depression or anxiety is common when they are not drinking. Generally, family and friends are aware of the problem during this stage.
Stage 4: Physical Dependence
During stage four, the person is dependent on the alcohol and has no control over the amount they consume or when they drink. Their body needs the alcohol. As they become tolerant to the increased amount they drink, they must drink more to get the desired effect. As they drink more, more damage occurs to their body. A main characteristic of this stage of alcoholism is withdrawal, which occurs when a person stops drinking. Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include body tremors, increased heart rate, sweating, nausea, and insomnia or other sleep problems.
Stage 5: Alcohol Addiction
During stage five, there is a psychological and physical dependence. There is no pleasure in drinking. Consuming alcohol has become a need, and the person cannot go very long without a drink before feeling the effects of severe alcohol withdrawal. At this stage, many people abuse other drugs along with the alcohol. Often people develop serious chronic health conditions as a result of their alcoholism, such as mental disorders, brain damage, dementia, heart disease, liver damage, cancer, and malnutrition. They suffer from severe anxiety, depression, and paranoia, increasing their risk of suicide.
Do You Need Help?
It is important to know that alcohol addiction can be treated at any stage. If you or a loved one is struggling with an alcohol or drug addiction, now is the time to get help. Call and speak to a professional counselor at English Mountain Recovery, located in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Now is the time to begin your journey on the path to recovery.
