Alcoholism is a disease that needs understanding, recognition, acceptance, and treatment… And of course, you also need to know the best way to stop drinking, as explained in this video… and then followed with a summary about understanding the different stages of alcoholism.
Understanding The Stages Of Alcoholism
There are three stages of alcoholism. As many people know, alcoholism can take years to develop. Alcoholism begins when drinking starts affecting the physical and mental health of the drinker – they have crossed that invisible line into alcoholism.
In the early stages of alcoholism, the drinker has started to drink for new reasons. They drink to change their mood or maybe to help with daily stress or a problem. At this point friends and family don’t know he or she has become an alcoholic. Chances are neither does the drinker.
As alcoholism develops into the intermediate stage, the drinker no longer needs a reason to drink and may even create a reason to drink. By now the drinker is drinking over socially and legally acceptable limits. They may even experience loss of control and blackouts.
They may experience legal problems such as a DUI. Friends and family cannot escape the fact that drinking has become a problem for everyone. Should they try to confront the drinker, they are often met with anger and denial.
The drinker has a false impression that they can stop drinking any time they want to. Even if the drinker does want to stop, they find the addiction has advanced to the point that the desire and craving for a drink are now too strong.
The advanced stages of alcoholism are many times devastating to the drinker and those around him or her. Friends and family have become despondent and disgusted with the destruction the drinker has brought upon themselves and others.
There is irreversible damage to internal organs as the body and mind are destroyed by alcohol. Those who now try to get the drinker to stop drinking are wasting their time. The drinker is controlled by their alcoholism.
Once in the advanced stage, it will take an event of enormous proportions to get the drinker to decide they genuinely want to stop drinking. At this point, the drinker will find that if they do attempt to stop their addiction, they will experience extreme withdrawal symptoms.
Quitting alcohol is a tremendous challenge. There are many success stories of people who were able to overcome their addiction to alcohol can be done.
But for all of the success stories, there are those who battled alcohol and wanted to win that we’re unable to beat the stronghold alcohol has. The most important thing to remember is that you can do it and no matter what obstacles come, never give up.