After a long period of continuous heavy drinking, alcohol has contributed to the damage and deterioration of vital organs such as the liver, heart, kidneys, pancreas, and brain. Mental problems such as dementia or delirium tremens (DTs) occur, and they face an increased risk of developing cancer. It starts innocently enough, with an occasional drink—but before you know it, drinking becomes a habit that’s hard to control. As time goes on, alcoholism progresses, affecting your health and well-being. Alcoholism often starts as just having a little bit of fun—but without controlling the amount and frequency it’s consumed, it can quickly progress to addiction. Alcoholism treatment is possible at any stage of its progression, but understanding how it works is important so you can get help sooner rather than later.

• For a loved one, it may be beneficial to discuss concerns around drinking behaviors before it progresses into problem drinking and dependence.
• Frequent, uncontrolled alcohol abuse eventually leads to problem drinking.
• As a result, larger quantities of alcohol are needed to have the desired effect.
• Often times, this occurs during a person’s teen years or early adulthood.
• Additionally, an individual may feel ill due to their drinking, however, enjoy the effects produced too much to stop.

Stage 1 – pre-alcoholic (binge drinking/social drinking)

While these individuals may not be daily drinkers, they do consume large amounts of alcohol at once. Treating the alcohol use disorder, along with the health problems caused by chronic, heavy drinking, may be possible. The first step will likely be a medically supervised detox, which will help rid your body of toxins and manage the symptoms of withdrawal.

• Outpatient programs are often part of aftercare programs once you complete an inpatient or PHP program.
• When a person with alcoholism reaches end stage alcoholism, they have reached a point that is dramatically different from the initial stages.
• What starts as casual drinking advances into dependence and addiction over time.
• Usually, in this stage, we see drinking becoming daily and throughout the day.
• Group therapy lessens the feeling of loneliness and bridges the practices in individual work to a larger platform.

Stage 1 – Binge Drinking

Typically, a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder doesn’t require any other type of diagnostic test. There’s a chance your doctor may order blood work to check your liver function if you show signs or symptoms of liver disease. Symptoms of alcohol use disorder are based on the behaviors and physical outcomes that occur as a result of alcohol addiction.

Stage 5: Addiction or Alcoholism

While some of the effects of alcoholism can be permanent, treatment often results in a full recovery. If you feel that you sometimes drink too much alcohol, or your drinking is causing problems, or if your family is concerned about your drinking, talk with your health care provider. Other ways to get help include talking with a mental health professional or seeking help from a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar type of self-help group.

Here, we discuss each stage of alcoholism, highlighting the pathway people take as their drinking progressively gets worse. A moderate drinker might pair a glass of wine with a meal, while a regular drinker uses alcohol to feel good in general. As increased drinking continues, you become more dependent on alcohol and are at risk of 5 stages of alcoholism developing alcoholism. If a person believes they may be drinking excessively or may have developed AUD, they should speak with a healthcare or mental health professional or reach out to a support organization. Not every person will experience each stage and not everyone who consumes alcohol will develop alcohol use disorder (AUD).

With so many effects on the body, the usual first step in treating alcoholism is detox—or getting alcohol out of your system. Depending on the severity of the alcohol use disorder, this stage can be mildly annoying or severe. Early withdrawal symptoms include headaches, anxiety, nausea, irritability and shaking.

Get Professional Help

Prolonged and heavy alcohol consumption permanently changes brain chemistry. You might be able to prevent liver disease from progressing to cirrhosis by intervening earlier in the process. This depends on whether you’re aware of it and whether there are steps you can take to prevent it. Many people don’t have symptoms in the early stages, but a routine health checkup could help bring it to light. This could give you the chance to make important changes or begin treatment.

• A person in stage three of alcoholism will often begin to withdraw from social drinking.
• You may need to seek treatment at an inpatient facility if your addiction to alcohol is severe.
• An intensive outpatient program (IOP) is a level of care that is a step up from outpatient care.
• Support groups can be the first step towards recovery or part of a long-term aftercare plan.
• It is in stage four of the stages of alcoholism where many people begin to realize that they have become dependent on alcohol.
• In 2021, researchers estimated nearly 30 million people ages 12 years and older in the United States had alcohol use disorder (AUD).