The person with alcoholism often becomes more irritable and argumentative, and is agitated when not drinking. They become isolated, drinking alone and avoiding family obligations and gatherings. Financial problems and legal issues, such as accidents or arrests, may develop.

• Lastly the final stage, known as the end-stage of alcohol abuse, is the point where the alcoholic is experiencing very serious health and mental issues.
• These conditions include heart disease, liver damage, brain damage, malnutrition, and mental disorders.
• This stage means, without intervention, early death can be likely.
• It takes a small minority of people six months of abstinence to reach the point where they don’t go back to their addictive behavior.
• Typically, when each individual uses a substance, they may not become dependent right away.
• However, even though each case is different, people who suffer from alcohol use disorders tend to go through a similar five stages of alcohol addiction.

The damaged liver can cause other complications in the body since it is a vital organ. The liver is responsible for over 500 tasks to ensure the body is functioning as healthy as possible. Other health complications, like heart problems and stroke, stem from chronic alcohol abuse in end-stage alcoholism. Even brain damage and hepatitis can occur in end-stage alcoholics. In the stage of alcoholism, individuals may or may not be physically dependent on alcohol. In other words, they may or may not experience symptoms of withdrawal when they stop drinking.

Is there treatment for early-stage alcoholism?

Perhaps a new baby, job, or love interest temporarily redirects the timeline and alcohol may fade into the background only to reemerge later in life. Binge drinking can lead to risky behaviors related to poor judgment, such as DUI charges, accidents, sexual situations, health dangers, alcohol poisoning, and even death. This is the most damaging phase, as the body and mind are ravaged by alcohol, heroin, methamphetamines, or Opioids. There is a loss of control and an inability to function in healthy ways.

No matter what stage of addiction you or a loved one may be in, addiction treatment is available to help you overcome alcoholism. Medical detoxification and outpatient rehabilitation or intensive outpatient programs may be necessary to help the individual overcome their physical alcohol dependence. The person’s use becomes more frequent and risky, and they may begin to experience negative consequences such as health problems and job losses. Drinking large amounts of alcohol at one time is dangerous, and can even lead to coma or death. Furthermore, you may become dependent on the feeling you get from drinking and find that these episodes increase in frequency.

Getting Help for Alcohol Use Disorder

Thus, there is no singular formal definition of what an alcoholic is since the actual signs that need to be present for a formal diagnosis can vary significantly from case to case. In this phase, the individual begins drinking in social situations. A prospective alcoholic may find that they experience other beneficial effects of drinking, such as stress relief. The individual’s use of alcohol becomes a standard method for them to address these issues, and even though they are beginning to develop disordered behavior, it will not look like that to others.

• A number of other stage models for the development of alcoholism exist that include three, four, five, and sometimes even more stages.
• Whether they realize it or not, they’re beginning to lose control of their drinking.
• Those who find alternatives to drinking either stay in the pre-alcoholic stage or move away from drinking altogether.

This stage can last indefinitely, but those with a predisposition to be alcoholics will eventually move on to the next stage. In the last stage of alcoholism, the body will experience irreversible physical damage if alcohol use is not discontinued. Cirrhosis of the liver, which is scarring, will occur and if it progresses too far, can only be solved with a liver transplant that can’t be guaranteed available. If alcohol is discontinued, treatment with medications, nutrition therapy, and blood-work monitoring can help stabilize the condition. This occurs when the first drink is taken, which can occur well before the legal age of 21. It involves trying different types of alcohol and often involves binge drinking, consuming high amounts in relatively short amounts of time.

Stage Three: Alcohol-Dependent Individual

Furthermore, support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) can provide a supportive community for individuals in early recovery. They may also benefit from behavioral therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing 5 stages of alcoholism (MI), to help them change their attitudes and behaviors related to alcohol use. While in this phase, an individual may still be able to function at work and home, but friends or family may begin to notice changes in their behavior.

• Physical illness, missing work, social isolation, and an inability to discontinue use without experiencing withdrawal effects occur.
• Dr. Hoffman is the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of AddictionHelp.com and ensures the website’s medical content and messaging quality.
• When the individual does not consume alcohol regularly, they may experience withdrawal symptoms and intense cravings.
• This provides a safe and structured environment for people to address all medical, emotional, and psychological aspects of their drinking for lifelong recovery.