What Are The 5 Stages of Alcoholism: The Jellinek Curve

But as you continue to drink, you become drowsy and have less control over your actions. Because denial is common, you may feel like you don’t have a problem with drinking. You might not recognize 5 stages of alcoholism how much you drink or how many problems in your life are related to alcohol use. Listen to relatives, friends or co-workers when they ask you to examine your drinking habits or to seek help.

• As soon as something goes wrong, problem drinkers may feel the urge to have a drink.
• Individuals in this stage of alcoholism will never go very long without having a drink in order to avoid severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

The presence of scar tissue also impairs the body’s ability to clean toxins from the blood, control infections, process nutrients, and absorb cholesterol and certain vitamins. In addition to chronic health diseases and conditions, persons in the end stage of alcohol abuse may be at a heightened risk of falls and other accidents due to balance and coordination problems. Most often, when death occurs after a fall, it is due to bleeding in the brain and not the fall itself. Common issues accompanying alcoholism in this stage can include isolation, anxiety, depression, and legal troubles.

Start the road to recovery

These changes are not always negative – they may include changing jobs very often or finding a new social circle, which partakes in drinking more actively. The center is conveniently located in Houston, Texas, and is led by experienced master’s level counselors and medical professionals who specialize in personalized treatment for drug and alcohol abuse. Just like there are stages of the disorder itself, their stages of quitting drinking, too. The treatment will most likely include a rehabilitation process that should be tailored to one’s particular needs.

When that craving happens, one finds that “a beer every other day” increases to “two beers” and then “three beers” as tolerance levels of the body to alcohol increase. This first stage of alcohol addiction is most often undergone at a young age, although some adults do not drink alcohol for the first time until adult age. At this stage, the person is only trying the substance out – possibly out of curiosity or due to peer pressure. In cases where the person is experiencing four to five of these symptoms, the severity levels are said to be moderate. In cases where the present symptoms are six or more, the person is diagnosed with severe alcohol use disorder.

Alcohol use disorder

Heavy drinking poses many long-term health risks, including liver damage, brain damage, heart disease, malnutrition, and mental health disorders, including an increased risk of suicide. At Rockland Treatment Center, we understand how consuming addiction is and how intimidating it is to take the first step to a better life. People in the late alcoholic stage may attempt to quit drinking several times and remain unsuccessful. While some people can live as “functioning alcoholics” and continue to work and participate in daily lives, others cannot maintain functioning. Potential consequences include job loss, financial difficulties, health issues, and family problems.

Individuals may find themselves seeking higher amounts of the substance, or experiment with other chemicals that provide similar effects. One’s tolerance level can create major emotional and physical effects, as their brains have become altered by the abused substance. At this point, he or she may not be able to go a day without the substance, slowly increasing their desire to use.

Description of the Early Stage of Alcohol Abuse

Many people in this stage will suffer internally as an aftermath of drinking too much as well. There are a constant heartburn and high or elevated blood pressure. People face a high risk of delirium tremens and alcoholic polyneuropathy, a condition characterized by shakiness of the legs and/or arms.