What Are The Stages Of Alcoholism?

If you are serious about getting rid of your addiction, you might as well start from asking yourself the question, what are the stages of alcoholism? It usually starts with low consumption as it rises to a physical and mental interfering stage thus affecting the personal and social life of a person adversely. The stages of alcoholism therefore group alcoholics into different classes. There are actually three stages of alcoholism. These stages are:

• Early stage
• Middle stage
• Late stage

A person usually takes a considerable amount of time, even several years to progress through all these stages. An individual grows through the stages by increasing the frequency of drinking over time. It is actually never considered alcoholism if one takes one to two drinks a day. But this change as the frequency increases with time. Let us look into each stage of alcoholism mentioned above.
The Early Stage/ Adaptive Stage/ Social Drinking
This is a stage of alcoholism that is often facilitated by an inner urge of the individual to change the mood. Family problems and other personal reasons get one to this stage without even realizing. This stage is always a trap to many alcoholics as it makes them eager to take more drinks each time they do so in order to get a certain mood. The body as well adapts itself to more and more drinking while maintaining its stability.
This stage of alcoholism is often easy to quit as the individuals are not yet addicted and the amount of alcohol drunk is quite low. Therefore, stage can be summarized as a recreational stage that sooner grow to relief type to get you relaxed from the hard and stressful day you have just finished. The drinkers often use alcohol to bury their problems by drinking rather than solving them and this seems to work at this stage.
This stage may last for a little or longer time depending with an individual but the fact is that drinking is considered as the solution for relief. This becomes a routine for the alcoholics leading to the next stage.
Middle Stage/Maintenance Stage Of Alcoholism

This stage involves more consumption of alcohol more frequently. At this stage, the alcoholic is not able to control his or her drinking limits. This means that they can drink at any place, any time and to any level without limitations. This stage is a dangerous one, as the body starts to lose control of itself like in the first place. This often creates problems with family and friends meaning that the alcoholics create trouble quite often as a result of change of attitude. Besides the fact that problems may rise out of drinking, the involved individuals still don't get convinced on the reason as to why they should quit drinking.

Late Stage Of Alcoholism
This is considered as the most disturbing stage of alcoholism to both family and friends. It is also referred to as the deteriorate stage since alcohol consumption starts to damage the body. The alcoholics are said to be drink almost all the time! Mental confusion, becoming ill quite often among other problems is evident with this stage of alcoholism. Vital organs of the body may get damaged leading to serious medical conditions. Heart attacks, cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis among others are some of the critical medical conditions that may result out of alcoholism at the late stage of alcoholism. This stage is for the addictive's and the effects almost irreversible!
As you start drinking, just ask yourself this question, what are the stages of alcoholism?, as it will enable you to drink responsibly.

More information on alcoholism and alcohol treatment options is available on http://exclusivealcoholtreatments.com/ A great place to start working on the solution for your problem.

 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eddie_Vanholland

  By Eddie Vanholland