View our editorial content guidelines to learn how we create helpful content with integrity and compassion. The use of this website is subject to our privacy policy and disclaimer. Has been an expert in addiction medicine for more than 15 years. In addition to managing a successful family medical practice, Dr. Hoffman is board certified in addiction medicine by the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine (AOAAM).

However, you can recover with the right personalized addiction treatment. To escape the stages of addiction, you need to seek professional help. Contact the professionals at Asheville Recovery Center today and schedule a consultation https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/5-stages-of-alcoholism/ with a recovery specialist. If a person continues to drink alcohol regularly, they will build up a tolerance. If they are seeking to achieve a particular feeling, they will need to consume more and more alcohol each time.

Stage 1: Experimenting With Alcoholic Beverages

With excessive alcohol consumption, this important organ can’t metabolize Vitamin D, which could develop into a deficiency. Some common signs and symptoms of cirrhosis include fatigue, itchy skin, weight loss, nausea, yellow eyes and skin, abdominal pain and swelling or bruising. When you develop an alcohol addiction, you lose all control over your consumption. You will drink to reduce the physical symptoms of withdrawal or because you feel anxious when you’re not drinking. You could also start to experience more health problems including heart, liver or kidney disease, paranoia, and dementia. This disease is characterized by cravings, loss of control, and increasing alcohol intake in order to produce the desired effect.

This stage means, without intervention, early death can be likely. Most people with end-stage alcoholism feel a loss of control over their drinking and experience several alcohol-related medical problems. If you think a family member or loved one might be showing signs, signals or symptoms of alcoholism, know that it won’t “go away” on its own. Their brain is changing—and without help, there can be serious long-term consequences. There is a common misconception that developing an addiction to alcohol is something that happens quickly. This means that people who struggle with an addiction to alcohol often go through ups and downs when it comes to using.

My Loved One Needs Help

This is usually because of peer pressure or fear of missing out. Most young adults don’t go on to develop an alcohol use disorder after experimenting. However, some early-stage drinkers find that alcohol helps to reduce their anxiety, relieve pain or erase bad memories. This stage does not have to be a final stage and treatment is still a good course to regain physical well-being. Every case of alcoholism begins somewhere, and that includes some of the more subtle symptoms described in the early stages of problem drinking. Not all early symptoms of alcoholism are life-threatening but can still be a cause for concern.

• You may think about alcohol all the time or neglect other activities so you can drink.
• Because these drinkers are new to alcohol and are unsure of their own limits, binge drinking is common.
• By studying various mental health and substance use disorder treatment plans, Prochaska, DiClemente and Norcross noted patterns that occur as people progress through a major behavioral shift.
• The severity of the AUD depends on how many of the symptoms they have.

Typically, people in the first stage of alcoholism do not notice the harmful effects of alcohol because they’re not experiencing withdrawal symptoms. They may use alcohol to relieve stress but also enjoy being high or drunk. During the maintenance stage, the individual is working hard to prevent addiction recovery relapse. They’re also keeping up the lifestyle changes they made, like getting regular exercise, recreational activities, staying sober, paying attention to sleep hygiene and attending support groups. They don’t feel the urge to relapse as frequently as people in the action stage, so their confidence grows and they truly believe in their ability to maintain sobriety long term. People who are in the first stage of addiction recovery aren’t yet ready for any addiction treatment program.

The Stages of AUD

If you are concerned about your drinking habits and have tried unsuccessfully to stop or cut back, it’s important to seek professional help. Zinnia Healing offers a medical detox program under the supervision of mental health professionals and addiction counselors to ensure a safe and effective detox process. Early alcohol abuse is often hard to distinguish from social drinking. This stage usually starts when young adults or college kids are introduced to drinking at parties, particularly binge drinking.

While many of them end their binge drinking behaviors as they grow older, some of them will progress to later stages of alcoholism. Identifying problems with alcohol early can help prevent dependence and addiction. Medical treatment may be necessary to detoxify the body of alcohol and to obtain a fresh start. Since many people with alcoholism endure psychological problems, individual or group therapy may help in overcoming addiction. A moderate drinker might pair a glass of wine with a meal, while a regular drinker uses alcohol to feel good in general.

Stage 2: Increased Tolerance

The most effective treatment during the early stages of alcoholism includes therapy and support groups. Even when someone has reached maintenance, it doesn’t mean they’re cured of addiction. Like diabetes or heart disease, it’s a chronic condition that requires major lifestyle changes to keep under control. As such, it’s crucial that people in addiction recovery make continuous active efforts to maintain sobriety. Complacency or a sense that the work is done once you reach maintenance is often a one-way ticket to recovery relapse.

• In the stage of alcoholism, individuals may or may not be physically dependent on alcohol.
• If alcohol is discontinued, treatment with medications, nutrition therapy, and blood-work monitoring can help stabilize the condition.
• At this point, it’s a compulsive behavior and the individual’s life revolves around drinking.
• This disease is characterized by cravings, loss of control, and increasing alcohol intake in order to produce the desired effect.
• Early-stage alcoholism, or the prodromal phase, is when people begin binge drinking regularly and may even black out occasionally.