The Stages of Alcoholism

The last of these stages, sometimes called “late-stage” or “end-stage” alcoholism, is when certain health issues like advanced liver disease or heart problems are more likely to surface. These common health issues during late-stage alcoholism are often incurable and inevitable precursors to death. Alcohol is a powerful substance with a long and varied history. Alcoholism is a disease that affects up to 1 out of every 8 Americans and contributes to around 88,000 deaths per year. If alcoholism progresses unchecked, it can culminate in end-stage alcoholism and even premature death.

• Blood alcohol levels peak about minutes later, and within a few hours, the alcohol will be broken down through metabolism and the liver.
• This stage of alcoholism starts when people experience an increasing tolerance to alcohol and raise their alcohol intake with greater frequency and quantity.
• Indeed, some people may even need a liver transplant or surgery to survive.
• While chronic, long-term alcohol use is dangerous, so are these short bouts of binge drinking, as they can cause alcohol poisoning, coma, and sometimes death.
• You may also begin to notice drinking has become their preferred way to unwind after a long day of work or a difficult week.

This happens when the body can no longer metabolize alcohol and sends it back to the bloodstream. Eventually, this causes the liver to harden and forms scarring tissue. Unlike an opioid overdose death that can happen in a matter of minutes, dying from end-stage alcoholism is usually slow, painful and undignified.

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Talk to your doctor if you are physically addicted to alcohol, and don’t make any rash, reactionary decisions. Usually, it takes years of alcohol abuse and dependency for individuals to reach this stage. Bill has also provided addiction education to communities, schools, families and student counselors as an instructor for CCAPP Academy since 2008.

Moderate is defined as yes to 4–5 of these questions, while severe is defined as answering yes to six or more. Despite the harm that alcohol has done to them, a person may be unable to stop. The activities they do may involve significant personal risk, like having unsafe sex.

Stage 3: Severe Alcohol Abuse and Addiction

During middle-stage alcoholism, individuals are no longer using alcohol as a quick fix for their uncomfortable feelings. Instead, alcohol has become a normal part of their everyday life. Jace joined Hemet Valley Recovery in 2006 after she graduated from 4-D College in Colton, CA. She began her journey in the addiction field working sober house as a detox medication nurse shortly after graduation. She spent 10 years on the nursing floor working with a team of doctors and nurses to get patients safely through the detox process, where they then could continue to pursue sobriety. She started to further her knowledge in the Utilization Review Department in 2013.

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• One of the biggest misconceptions about alcoholism is that it takes a long time to take effect.
• End-stage alcoholism is the term used to categorize individuals who have spent years breaking and developed a myriad of conditions resulting from their substance abuse.
• The prognosis for someone diagnosed with cirrhosis depends on whether and how much fibrosis and inflammation are present.
• This can also lead to anemia, when your red blood cell (RBC) count is lower than normal or there’s a problem with the hemoglobin protein inside those cells.

People in this stage may suffer uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms when they stop drinking or cut back on the amount of alcohol they consume. These symptoms include nausea, anxiety, shakiness, sweating, and increased heart rate.[1] People in this stage may continue to drink to avoid having these symptoms. They may also experience strong cravings for alcohol and increased tolerance.

Effects of Alcohol Abuse

Almost 88,000 deaths in the United States result from alcoholism, making it the third leading preventable cause of death in the US. End-stage alcoholism or late-stage alcoholism is the final stage of this condition, and it can be a devastating stage for anyone experiencing it. Once you have reached stage three, you’ll no longer be able to hide your alcohol abuse. Changes in the way you look, act and deal with everyday life will be obvious to those around you. Chances are good you’ll find yourself constantly thinking about alcohol. You will experience the physical effects of alcoholism like weight gain or loss, stomach bloating, alcohol withdrawal headaches and shakiness, particularly when you’re craving a drink.

The situation typically worsens as time goes on, so it’s important to know these stages and when to get help. The three stages of alcoholism can be bumpy and disheartening for the person and those around them. Alcoholics develop a serious physical dependency on the drug as well as the psychological dependence, which makes them particularly hard to treat. This also comes with a host of symptoms that are unique to the alcoholic in the late stage of alcoholism. Professional treatment works during any stage of alcoholism, even late-stage alcoholism.

What Are The Most Common Heavy Drinking Side Effects?

Alcoholism has no preference, and it rears its ugly face in all walks of life. Death by alcohol is easily prevented before drinking becomes a problem. Understanding the symptoms of alcoholism may be the very thing that prevents you from meeting your maker. The kidneys play an important role in filtering our blood and maintaining healthy blood pressure.

Alcoholism is a chronic disease that progresses through early, middle and late stages. In 2019, it affected 14.5 millionAmericans aged 12 and older, or 5.3% of the population. Get professional help from an online addiction and mental health counselor from BetterHelp. Counterintuitively, families sometimes enable their loved one’s addiction out of love, believing they are helping.

In 2017 she became the Director of Utilization Review Services where she is the liaison between the patient and the insurance company to ensure the best level of care is authorized. In 2019 Jace moved to the Intake Department to assume the Lead LVN role. A person with early-stage alcoholism may also exhibit a high tolerance to alcohol. Their tolerance may go unnoticed by everyone except the people they spend the most time with.