When a person enjoys their first alcoholic drink, they certainly do not do so with the intention of becoming an alcoholic. Similarly, having one drink does not make you an alcoholic. Alcohol abuse is a condition that often takes years to develop and can become the disease of alcoholism. There are certain specific Stages of Alcoholism that the disease progresses through as it develops. Knowing them can help you decide if you or someone you love has an alcohol problem needing treatment.
Stages of Alcoholism
We all like to have a drink or two while socializing. It is the drinkers who want a much more intense mood change from their alcohol use that are "drinking for the effect". For them drinking is a bad method of solving stress and anxiety problems. Using alcohol as a coping mechanism to feel good is the beginning of alcohol dependence.
Developing a Tolerance to Alcohol
Drinkers' original problems aren't solved through their alcohol use and over time their bodies begin to become used to the liquor, creating a new one. It takes more and more alcohol to create the same mood change.
Experiencing Blackouts
Once drinkers make a habit of regularly getting intoxicated, they may begin to miss parts of their drunken states. The next day they may forget what they did, what they said or how they got home. This usually surprises or even upsets the drinkers initially. As it becomes habitual, unfortunately, they become matter-of-fact about it, ignoring the dangerous risks they are taking with alcohol abuse.
Developing Alcohol Abuse-Related Problems
Chronic heavy drinking takes a serious toll on a person's health and physical well-being as well as social and family relationships, plus career and financial security. Drinking alcohol is the root cause of 40 percent of all incidents of physical aggression reported to the police, 13 percent of all incidents of sick leave requested from work, and the cause of 10 percent less work productivity from drinkers. Job loss, loss of spouse or partner, and disrupted family lives are common. Drinking while pregnant causes fetal alcohol syndrome in infants. Heavy drinkers and alcoholics suffer from fatty livers, gastritis, inflamed pancreases, cirrhosis and brain damage.
Dealing with Withdrawal
At a certain point, heavy drinkers must ingest a certain level of alcohol daily simply to avoid getting withdrawal symptoms because their bodies have become alcohol-dependent. Without it, they get very restless, have sleep disorders, sweat profusely and experience body tremors, among other symptoms.
Loss of Control
Along with the physical dependence that drinkers' bodies develop, there is a psychological dependence as well. Alcoholics will resolve to stop after a few drinks but are unable to do so. They are no longer in control of themselves.
Drinking Becomes a Self-Maintaining Condition
As alcohol addiction progresses, it goes into vicious cycles that take a heavy toll on the drinker. There are four:
Pharmacological: When drinking, the withdrawal symptoms temporarily disappear only to return with even more strength when sober again.
Mental: Sobering up leads to guilt and shame over drinking. Alcohol relieves these feelings, but when sober again there is even more guilt and shame.
Social: Alcoholics become aggressive and often fight with others. They also isolate themselves from others. Loss of family, spouse or job leads to loneliness, which leads to drinking to fill the emptiness.
Cerebral: Heavy alcohol use can cause brain damage which means the drinker has less ability to resist the impulse to drink.
Alcohol abuse and alcoholism are major physical and mental health issues as well as serious societal issues. Heredity, environment and personal habits all play a part in developing these conditions and also in their successful treatments. If you or someone you love is battling with an unhealthy dependence on alcohol, we invite you to follow us for more resources and information on alcohol abuse and treatment.
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