Alcoholism or alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a disease, which takes hold over the body over a gradual time. It affects nearly every aspect of a person’s life, which extends from physical health to their finances, relationships and mental health.
It is not easy to see the progression of addiction in your own life. It may also prove to be difficult to see alcoholism take hold onto a loved one’s life. However, one can spot the signs of descent into alcoholism.
The Three Stages of Alcoholism
#1. Descent: There is a certain way that alcohol can take hold over your life. The early signs will include people using alcohol to cope with the problems of life. This may include financial problems, relationship issues and daily stress. We all know that there is nothing wrong with drinking occasionally.
People try to rely more and more on alcohol to take care of their problems. Hence, a certain sense of reliance takes over the person.
#2. Loss of Control: At this stage, a person will be becoming accustomed to the effects of alcohol. However, the person will be able to function even while being under the influence.
Blackouts induced by alcohol are another part and parcel of addiction at this stage. During this event, you may not be able to remember what you did and where you were. Therefore, it can have physical and mental consequences.
#3. Emotional and Physical Debilitation: The third stage ends up being the final nail in the coffin. At this juncture, all you think about is alcohol. The person develops a full-blown dependency on alcohol. The alcoholic will always be thinking about how to get his next drink and how he will spend his time.
It might be common to think that alcohol just helps you get through the day. However, this is quite far from the truth. Anything which you find interesting will fail to be interesting to you anymore. The friends try to isolate you and even the alcoholic starts to distance himself from their loved ones.
We also need to talk about the physical repercussions. The toll that alcohol takes over your body is hard to discount. Immunity starts to fall and the person gets sick more often. Since it hits your digestion, nutrition also starts to fall as the body is unable to process food.
The best way to get out of it is to consult professionals like Taylor Recovery, who can give you a guided approach on how to go about de-addiction. You can call us to learn more about our process!