What Are The 5 Stages of Alcoholism: The Jellinek Curve

Some people — known as functioning alcoholics — can still maintain their life during this phase, but this is rare and likely to lead to liver damage or other alcohol-related illnesses. If you feel like your drinking problem is chronic but your life isn’t falling apart, don’t continue down this dangerous path. This disease is progressive, and your health will eventually bear the brunt. The pre-alcoholic stage is a formative stage; people go in one of two directions.

It is important to know the signs that develop during each stage to ensure your loved one seeks treatment for their addiction early on. The earlier they seek treatment, the better their chance of successful recovery. The symptoms can range from mild to severe, depending on the “stage” of alcoholism. The recovering drinker feels a renewed sense of hope and self-esteem, develops realistic thinking patterns, and fosters stability in his or her relationships with friends and family. Many people will struggle with relapse and loop back through earlier stages.

Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP)

They may drink more frequently each day or drink excessive amounts when drinking socially. Aftercare helps you stay on track and keep practicing what you learned while in rehab. Inpatient treatment takes place at a licensed residential treatment center.

This means that the person is emotionally, mentally, and physically dependent on alcohol. They may struggle to go more than a day or two without alcohol, or they may go several days to weeks without alcohol and then binge drink. Mental health treatment services that could help you manage your emotional wellbeing before you reach any of the stages of alcoholism. Addiction to alcohol—This final step in the stages of alcoholism is the complete addiction to alcohol. Addiction is a serious condition that requires professional treatment, a strong support system, and determination in order to recover.

Stages of Alcohol Recovery

By giving you a regular schedule, our programming helps you establish healthy, constructive routines to improve your ability to function in daily life. In fact, the events of the summer can easily disguise an addiction problem. Therefore, it is important that you become aware of the different stages of addiction so you can recognize if a drug or alcohol addiction is developing.

Even if your loved one seeks help, you may still need help and support to overcome the effects. Many people refer to alcoholism as a “family disease” because it can have a major impact on all members of the family whether they realize it or not. During this stage, a person experiences the rewarding effects of alcohol, such as euphoria, the reduction of anxiety, and the easing of social interactions. To speak to a rehab specialist about your options to get help for your alcohol addiction, even in the early stages. In this stage, drinking alcohol has become the way to cope with all emotions.

Alcoholism Stage 3: Alcohol Dependency/Early Alcoholism

Treatment often begins with detoxing from alcohol, and experts recommend doing this under medical supervision for safety. According to Mayo Clinic, treatment may involve speaking to your primary care provider, getting counseling or attending inpatient or outpatient programs.

• To speak with a recovery program placement specialist about starting your upward path to recovery today.
• Of course, the timeline for becoming addicted to alcohol depends on the person and the situation.
• The recovering drinker feels a renewed sense of hope and self-esteem, develops realistic thinking patterns, and fosters stability in his or her relationships with friends and family.
• The user loses his or her job due to too many absences and alcohol-induced fights end relationships.
• Seeking treatment during the pre-alcoholic stage is possible but is highly unlikely.
• You may feel sad about it or may wonder if you will ever be able to let it go for good.

During this stage, drinkers are typically still drinking solely in social settings. However, they need 5 stages of alcoholism to consume more alcohol in order to produce the same effect they experienced in the beginning.

Medication-Assisted Therapy (MAT)

Contact Asheville Recovery Center today and schedule a consultation with a recovery specialist. Unfortunately, for some people, even moderate drinking is not safe. People with a family history of addiction or a mental health disorder may be at a higher risk of alcoholism. Other factors that increase someone’s risk of alcohol misuse include their early use of alcohol, peer pressure to drink, or a lack of family involvement in their lives, particularly from a young age.

If someone has an issue with alcohol, the sooner they seek help, the better. Addiction cannot be cured, but it can be managed like other chronic health conditions, including asthma and diabetes. High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems. The affects can range from dementia and intellectual functioning to debilitating conditions that require https://ecosoberhouse.com/ long-term care, even if a person has been sober for a period of time. Once stabilized, the goal is to transition from detox, to treatment, to maintenance , to transcendence—the final step in the path to recovery. Blacking out from drinking too much is a warning sign of this stage, along with lying about drinking, drinking excessively, and thinking obsessively about drinking.

In order to be in the second stage of alcoholism, an individual will have become a moderate drinker. Often times, people will develop a slight psychological dependence during this stage of alcoholism.

• During this time, you can begin to notice if their regular use is slowly becoming problematic, and if they go through periods of time where they use, they stop using, and then they use again.
• As such, it’s crucial that people in addiction recovery make continuous active efforts to maintain sobriety.
• In Journalism & Media Studies from Rutgers University and is a contributing content writer for AlcoholRehabHelp.
• However, the risks of alcoholism significantly decrease the sooner an individual receives treatment.

An addiction specialist can help answer your questions and guide you through the intake process. Alcohol use is stopped, spiritual needs are examined, and the possibility of a new way of life without alcohol becomes possible. Alcohol use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by alcohol.